Ecstatic about Engineering! Bringing Engineering Mechanics into Grade 6 – 12 Classrooms
For the CARE2 Fellowship program, Dr. Cope plans to incorporate lessons on engineering mechanics into high school and middle school grade levels. The project aims to enhance educators’ curriculum for the Grade 6–12 levels on applications of engineering mechanics in appropriate grade-level math and science courses. Objectives are to (1) promote STEM literacy, (2) demonstrate practical application, and (3) involve the local school districts. The project will focus on developing lesson plans, classroom demonstrations, and interactive instructional videos on how engineering mechanics applies to many aspects of the engineering field. Dr. Cope will implement the deliverables of the project through three approaches: (1) workshops for Grade 6-12 educators, (2) summer camps for students in Grades 6-12, and (3) individual visits to local school districts showing students why we are ‘ecstatic about engineering’. Key partners include instructors, the Spark! PK-12 Outreach program, and the Engineering Studio for Advanced Instruction & Learning (eSAIL) within the College of Engineering.
Dr. Dale Cope has served as a Professor of Practice for over eight years, primarily instructing sophomore-level engineering courses. He has transformed course material from traditional lecture courses to active learning courses, incorporating a variety of effective teaching practices to improve student engagement, thereby increasing their achievement of course learning objectives. These practices are implemented for course sections with large enrollment, ensuring consistent delivery of course material and instruction across multiple course sections with annual enrollment of over 500 students. Dr. Cope is best known for developing effective demonstrations to illustrate fundamental engineering concepts in the classroom. In recognition of his teaching excellence, Dr. Cope has received the College of Engineering Instructional Faculty Teaching Award in Spring 2022, the Professor of Excellence Award from the Aggie Club of Engineers in Spring 2021, and the Best Teacher Award from the TAMU Student Chapter of the American Society for Mechanical Engineers in Spring 2018.