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Engineering the Future (EtF) is a government-backed pilot program with the goal of creating a sustainable model for developing activities that promote engineering as a career. It is a joint project of the electrical engineering departments in the Scottish universities of Strathclyde and Glasgow and of the Department of Educational Studies at the University of Glasgow. The Agilent Foundation supports a key component of this initiative, the development and piloting of a prototype engineering laboratory centered on games-based learning (GBL). This pilot supports science teachers in Scotland in extending the range of investigative, decision-making and problem-solving skills they teach and practice. The use of a serious GBL model provides rich and variable contexts and roles for learning while promoting teambuilding, communications, leadership, decision-making, problem-solving and thinking under pressure. Teacher partcipants within the EtF program are key partners whose reflective analysis of their experiences contributes both to the development of the program and to their own continuing professional development. Engineering the Future works closely with local and national policy makers. Project participants include education policy makers, industry, researchers and the schools. EtF will link to the national school intranet, which will be accessed by every teacher and pupil in Scotland's schools. EtF will also be registered as a provider of continuing professional development with the national network. The Engineering the Future model has the potential to expand throughout the United Kingdom and be replicated as a best practice worldwide. For more information visit www.engineeringthefuture.info. |