Teaching and research interests
My research and teaching interests are centered on
the integration of STEM (Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Mathematics) concepts in the
mathematics and engineering classroom. Getting students
interested in STEM fields while at the same time
providing them with rich learning experiences is
challenging. In order to address this challenge, my
research agenda has been focused on learning and
teaching problem solving and modeling through the
context of engineering. I believe that providing
students with realistic contexts in which to learn
mathematics and science furthers their interest in these
subjects. Because of my belief that teaching mathematics
should be tied to a context, I have been developing
curricular tools and researching professional
development in this area. I am currently working on two
National Science Foundation supported projects related
to my research interests: the MEDIA Project and the
Reach For the Sky Project.
Improving engineering students' learning strategies
through models and modeling
(MEDIA Project) – NSF DUE CCLI Phase 3
For the MEDIA (Model Eliciting, Developing, and Integrating
Activities) project, I am the principal investigator, along with
Gillian Roehrig as co-PI, at the University of Minnesota. This
is a large-scale, four-year collaborative research project
between six major universities: University of Pittsburgh,
University of Minnesota, US Air Force Academy, Colorado School
of Mines, Purdue University, and California Polytechnic State
University.
The purpose of the research is for the
implementation of models and modeling as a foundation for
undergraduate STEM curriculum and assessment, especially within
engineering domains. To do this, we are building upon and
extending Model-Eliciting Activities (MEAs), a proven
methodology originally developed by mathematics education
researchers, and which has been recently introduced to
engineering education. These authentic assessment tasks are
complex, open-ended problems set in a realistic context with a
client. Solutions to MEAs require generalizable procedures,
which reveal the thought processes of the students. The
activities are such that the students work in teams of three to
four to express their model, test it using sample data, and
revise their procedure to meet the needs of their client. MEA
theory and practice was developed to observe the development of
student problem-solving competencies and the growth of
mathematical and conceptual cognition. However, it has been
increasingly documented as a methodology to help students become
better problem solvers, as a tool to help both instructors and
researchers better design situations to engage learners in
productive conceptual thinking, and as a vehicle for interest
and engagement for underrepresented student populations. For
this research, we are extending the MEA construct to help repair
misconceptions by creating concept MEAs (C-MEAs), to ethical
situations by creating ethics MEAs (E-MEAs), and to innovation
by creating innovation MEAs (I-MEAs) in order to better
understand the various strategies student teams use in
approaching these respective concerns.
Successful completion of
this project will provide engineering and STEM educators with an
understanding of how students learn to become better
problem-solvers including resolving ethical dilemmas, how
misconceptions enter into the process (and how they can be
repaired) and how to enhance the creative process to produce
more innovative engineers. Faculty will be able to better
identify areas for learning enhancements and introduce informed
curriculum improvements. This should be particularly useful in
classroom settings where instructors could determine students’
abilities at various points during the course, intervening when
appropriate and enabling students to better understand their
areas of weakness. In addition, students will learn to become
better problem-solvers and more innovative. Clearly, such
results could be extended beyond engineering to other STEM
disciplines.
My research team has four main roles in this study:
(1) research the development and change in beliefs of faculty
writing and implementing MEAs, (2) lead the MEA writing team
across all six universities, (3) research the implementation of
MEAs within Electrical and Computer Engineering domain and
within all domains that are heavy users of thermodynamics, and
(4) re-write MEAs for application in K-12 settings.
Reach for the Sky: Integrating technology into STEM
outcomes for American Indian youth
(RFTS Project) – NSF ITEST
I am also co-principle investigator on the "Reach For The
Sky" Project working with Gillian Roehrig (PI) from science
education and Stephan Carlson (co-PI) from University Extension. RFTS is an
innovative education program striving to make STEM more
culturally relevant to Anishinabe youth. We will be working with
Anishinabe youth on the White Earth Reservation in northern
Minnesota. RFTS students learn modern science, math and
engineering through traditional American Indian stories and
hands-on inquiry-based activities. The goal of the program is to
increase STEM knowledge, attitudes and career skills with
American Indian students and maintain them over the summer
months. [Discover more at
Head of the class, Research 2007.]
Selected publications
Moore, T.J., Diefes-Dux, H.A., &
Imbrie, P.K. (2007). How team effectiveness impacts
the quality of solutions to open-ended problems.
Distributed journal proceedings from the International
Conference on Research in Engineering Education,
published in the October 2007 special issue of the
Journal of Engineering Education, 96(4).
Hjalmarson, M., Diefes-Dux, H.A., & Moore,
T.J. (in press). Designing model development sequences for
engineering. In Zawojewski, J., Bowman, K., Diefes-Dux, H.A.
(Editors). Mathematical modeling in engineering education:
Designing experiences for all students. Roterdam, the
Netherlands: Sense Publishers.
Moore, T.J. (2007). Getting students
interested in material science and engineering through a
realistic nanotechnology modeling problem. 2007 Materials
Research Society Fall Meeting Invited Paper, Boston, MA.
Kern, A.L., Moore, T.J., & Akillioglu, F.C.
(2007). Cooperative learning: Developing an observation
instrument for student interactions. 2007 Frontiers in
Education Conference, Milwaukee, WI.
Moore, T.J., Diefes-Dux, H.A., & Imbrie, P.K.
(2007). Spontaneous groups versus long-term teams: An
investigation using complex problem solving in a first-year
engineering course. 2007 American Society for Engineering
Education National Conference, Honolulu, HI.
Moore, T.J., Diefes-Dux, H.A., & Imbrie, P.K.
(2006). The quality of solutions to open-ended problem
solving activities and its relation to first-year student team
effectiveness. 2006 American Society for Engineering
Education National Conference, Chicago, IL.
Moore, T.J., Diefes-Dux, H.A., & Imbrie, P.K.
(2005). Developing first-year students’ perceptions of the
engineering profession through realistic, client-driven
problems. 2005 Frontiers in Education Conference,
Indianapolis, IN.
Moore, T.J. & Diefes-Dux, H.A. (2004).
Developing Model-Eliciting Activities for undergraduate students
based on advanced engineering context. 2004 Frontiers in
Education Conference, Savannah, GA.
Diefes-Dux, H.A., Moore, T.J., Zawojewski,
J., Imbrie, P.K., & Follman, D. (2004). A framework for
posing open-ended engineering problems: Model-Eliciting
Activities. 2004 Frontiers in Education Conference,
Savannah, GA.
January 2008
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