Process-education-based teaching and learning at the Idaho Engineering Science Camp™(IESC™)

For the past five years, Boise State University, College of Engineering has conducted a one-week Idaho Engineering Science Camp™ for approximately 200 students who are entering grades 9 and 10. Ninth and tenth grade students are found to be an excellent audience for university outreach programs since they are still in a position to modify their high school course plans and be prepared for college level science and engineering programs. The primary goal of the program is to enhance the students´ aptitudes in mathematics, science and engineering. Unlike some camps that select students based entirely on scholastic achievement, our program seeks to attract high-ability woman and under represented minorities. These students may lack strong motivation toward mathematics and science due to lack of professional role-models and cultural obstacles, or poor preparation from inadequate schooling. These same reasons prevent students from pursing a college education and successfully completing scientific and engineering degrees. For the past five years, about 88% of the participating students were from Idaho with approximately 39% attendance by female students. About 30% of the students were under represented minorities, and 47% of the participants were given scholarships. This paper examines the process-education-based learning and teaching, and suggests its adoption for selected college courses in the engineering curriculum.