The Research Experience for Teachers (RET) program, supported by the National Science Foundation, engages pre-college teachers in authentic research experiences in university-based laboratories across the country. Some RET program sites engage science teachers in engineering research. With A Framework for K-12 Science and Engineering Education [1] and the Next Generation Science Standards [2] calling for the integration of engineering practices into science classes, K-12 teachers need support in being prepared to bring engineering design to their students. The Center for Sensorimotor Neural Engineering at the University of Washington has hosted a RET program for secondary science teachers since 2012, engaging a total of 22 teachers. This seven-week RET summer program was designed to provide science teachers with authentic research experiences in neural engineering labs and insights into the practices of professional engineers. The program also supports participating teachers as they design, implement, and revise engineering curriculum materials for their classrooms and for broad dissemination to other educators. Over 2,862 students have participated in activities from the RET curriculum units. In this paper, we describe the design of the RET program, the program evaluation methods implemented by an external evaluator, and our evaluation findings. We report yearly evaluation findings as well as trends over the program’s six year history. By sharing information on program design and longitudinal evaluation findings, RET program coordinators at other sites may benefit from our lessons learned and the best practices we have developed over the program’s history.
Kristen Clapper Bergsman is a learning scientist, STEM program manager, and curriculum designer. She is the Engineering Education Research Manager at the Center for Neurotechnology at the University of Washington and the Curriculum Design Project Lead at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Dr. Bergsman owns Laughing Crow Curriculum, a consulting firm offering support in STEM curriculum design and publication. Previously, she was a graduate researcher at the Institute for Science and Math Education. Dr. Bergsman received her Ph.D. in Learning Sciences and her M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Washington.
Jill Weber is a graduate of the University of Nebraska and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication Studies and English. She has worked as a Project Manager in Information Technology as well as in the Marketing group at AT&T Wireless, and was a corporate trainer for new hires. Ms. Weber was in charge of managing large cross-company project teams and several large technology projects.
In 2005, Ms. Weber completed the University of Washington Certificate in Program Evaluation. Currently, she is the owner of The Center for Research and Learning and has expertise in planning and conducting evaluations; developing protocols for interviews, focus groups, and surveys; collecting and analyzing both quantitative and qualitative data; and incorporating data into reports for various grant-funding agencies. Her work adheres to the Program Evaluation Standards of the Joint Committee on Standards for Educational Evaluation. She uses her experience and knowledge to provide personal service to programs so that they can become more effective and better understand their outcomes.
Eric H. Chudler is a research neuroscientist interested in the neuroactive properties of medicinal plants and herbs and how the brain processes information about pain and nociception. He received his Ph.D. from the Department of Psychology at the Universi
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