Early Engineering Learning

This book addresses engineering learning in early childhood, spanning ages 3 to 8 years. It explores why engineering experiences are important in young children's overall development and how engineering is a core component of early STEM learning, including how engineering education links and supports children's existing experiences in science, mathematics, and design and technology, both before school and in the early school years.

Promoting STEM education across the school years is a key goal of many nations, with the realization that building STEM skills required by societies takes time and needs to begin as early as possible. Despite calls from national and international organisations, the inclusion of engineering-based learning within elementary and primary school programs remains limited in many countries. Engineering experiences for young children in the pre-school or early school years has received almost no attention, even though young children can be considered natural engineers.

This book addresses this void by exposing what we know about engineering for young learners, including their capabilities for solving engineering-based problems and the (few) existing programs that are capitalising on their potential.

Lyn English is a professor of STEM in education at the Queensland University of Technology, Australia.  Her research includes statistics education, engineering education, mathematical modeling and reasoning, and mathematical problem solving and posing. Lyn is a fellow of The Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia and founding editor of the international journal, Mathematical Thinking and Learning. Lyn's research has been recognized with several awards, including the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia Career Research Medal.

Tamara J. Moore, Ph.D., is an associate professor of engineering education and the Director of STEM Integration at the INSPIRE Research Institute for Pre-College Engineering at Purdue University. Dr. Moore’s research is centered on the integration of STEM concepts in K-12 and postsecondary classrooms in order to help students make connections between the STEM disciplines and achieve a deep understanding. Her work focuses ondefining STEM integration and investigating its power for student learning. She received a U.S. Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers in 2012.