Design Challenges and Science Explorations
While we refer to both science and engineering activities as science programming, there is some benefit in looking at the distinction between these two fields. Having a solid understanding of the differences can help you to guide participants in their selection of appropriate activities and experiences for their particular situation.
What Is Design?
Design is a term and process associated with a wide variety of professions and occupations. There are graphic designers, product designers, fashion designers, interior designers, and architects, as well as painters and sculptures that work in design. Many activities used in out-of-school programs focus on engineering design. All of these fields of work have procedures and practices in common, often characterized as follows:
- Identify and define problems
- Gather and analyze information
- Determine performance criteria for successful solutions
- Generate solutions and build prototypes
- Evaluate and select appropriate solutions
- Implement choices
- Evaluate outcomes
These procedures are characteristics of an overall process, which takes many forms and is not necessarily carried out in a step-by-step, systematic, linear manner. Design It!, written by Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC), is an example of a design engineering program developed for children and youth in informal learning environments. Within this program, there is only an approximation of the characteristic features of design. Each project is a type of guided design challenge, where the overall challenge and problem has been decided for the children and some of the criteria are already defined. However, there is still a lot of room for children to generate solutions and evaluate the results, as well as opportunities to expand on the suggested activities.
How Does Design Differ from Science?
It is important to recognize that the engineering design process is different from science. Design is about applying scientific and practical knowledge to solve problems. Scientists engaged in basic research are concerned with finding patterns, analyzing data, proposing explanations, and developing and using generalizable concepts. Architects, engineers, and graphic artists, on the other hand, are mostly concerned with defining problems and synthesizing available information to solve these problems. Often, engineers will use scientific concepts and procedures to design and arrive at workable solutions. Many scientists also solve problems, for example those working on issues related to human impact on the environment or investigating materials that can be used for specific purposes. However, the overall goal is different for the engineer than for the scientist, especially for those scientists engaged in basic research.
In recent years, the process of inquiry has become strongly associated with the teaching of science in both formal and informal environments. Design and inquiry share some common features but, overall, are different processes. For young children, it is perhaps not critical to make much of a distinction between these two processes; there is a back-and-forth interaction between making discoveries and immediately applying those discoveries to solve problems in children’s constructions. Most of this happens in a highly intuitive manner. However, it is important for activity leaders to keep in mind that the overall goal and focus of design-challenge projects is to provide opportunities for children to develop problem-solving strategies and skills. Thus, attention should be given more to helping children find solutions than to having them explain why something functions the way it does.
For example, when designing a rubber-band powered car, finding the best combination of rubber bands and wheels to get a model car to travel a long distance can be more important than studying the forces needed to make the car move. Reflective discussions are focused on the process by which children arrive at solutions rather than, for example, how the rubber band is an example of potential energy that can be converted into kinetic energy of a moving model car. This does not mean that time cannot be spent on developing a scientific understanding of the systems the children are investigating, but instead means that higher priority is given to the manner in which problems are solved.
Why Use Design and Engineering Activities?
Many children have a natural tendency to assemble, build, and play with devices of their own design. They also like to be challenged with projects that allow them to develop new skills and create new devices. In recent years, a variety of programs, both in school and out of school, have been developed around engineering design projects. These have proven to be very popular and have won wide attention, but most have been developed for older youth. Some of these are structured as highly competitive undertakings, which result in only a small number of participants.
Another approach is to present design challenges that engage the attention of a wider group. The competitive element is downplayed, cooperation is emphasized, and children of varying abilities are encouraged to participate. It has been demonstrated in schools in the United States and especially in England that younger children will participate in these kinds of projects enthusiastically and can produce impressive results. Most of these projects are a meaningful context for developing basic skills and conceptual knowledge. The National Science Education Standards (NSES) of the National Research Council (1996) and the Standards for Technological Literacy of the International Technology Education Association (2000) have specifically targeted design and technology as important areas for students to develop some understanding.
