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12.08
Improving Public
Understanding of Engineering
By Pender
M. McCarter
Can the United States continue
to lead the world in innovation, asks the
National Academy of Engineering (NAE). NAE
suggests the answer may depend on how well the
public understands engineering. NAE also
raises a related concern of how to encourage
youngsters, especially females and
under-represented minorities, to consider
engineering as a career option.
NAE organized a Committee on
Public Understanding of Engineering Messages, and
in June 2008, issued a report on “Changing the
Conversation: Messages for Improving Public
Understanding of Engineering.” The report
discusses findings from qualitative and
quantitative research, including an online survey
of 3,600 individuals. The NAE committee was
headed by Don Giddens, dean of engineering at
Georgia Tech, and included Leah Jamieson, 2006
IEEE president.
NAE’s research suggests that the
public views engineering and engineers “in a
relatively positive light” as opposed to many
engineers’ more negative self-perceptions.
Research indicated that fewer than 15 percent of
those surveyed associated “boring”or “nerdy”
with engineering. According to NAE, most adults
and teens professed their respect for engineers
and their work, although “perhaps not enough to
inspire them to become engineers.”
The NAE report adds: “The public
has a poor idea of what engineers actually do on
a day-to-day basis; and there is a strong sense
that engineering is not ‘for everyone,’ and
perhaps especially not for girls.” Further, the
research indicated that while students don’t
necessarily have a negative impression of
engineers, they may feel they’re not smart
enough or do not enjoy math or science enough to
become engineers. Teens in general rated
interesting work as most important to them in
choosing a career. “Making a difference” was
cited as the second “most important factor”
among Hispanic teens, and “important to job
availability” for African American teens.
The committee tested the appeal,
believability and relevance of several different
engineering messages, and analyzed data on
slogans to accompany the messages across several
groups: teens, teen boys, teen girls, and
adults. The committee found that current
messages ignore vital characteristics of
engineering, such as creativity, teamwork and
communication.
The committee developed a
positioning statement to guide future outreach
activities. It describes engineering “as
inherently creative and concerned with human
welfare, as well as an emotionally satisfying
calling.” The committee found that the four
messages that tested best were: engineers make a
world of difference; engineers are creative
problem-solvers; engineers help shape the
future; and engineering is essential to our
health, happiness and safety.
The committee also found that
“examples of objects and activities children were
familiar with in their daily lives stimulated
the most interest.” These included video games, iPods, computers, cell phones and amusement
parks.
The committee recommended that
the engineering community examine metrics to
judge effectiveness of the messages, including
measurement in surveys before, during and after
the deployment of new messages. Finally, it
noted the need for the engineering community to
consider funding, logistics and coordination of
a multiyear communications campaign to improve
public understanding.
As an interim step in moving
toward a multimillion dollar, multiyear
campaign, the committee urged the engineering
community to coordinate its messages and to make
them more consistent. The engineering community
should use the positioning statement “which
emphasizes that engineering and engineers can
make a difference in the world, rather than
describing engineering in terms of required
skills and personal benefits.”
IEEE-USA has incorporated these
recommendations into its public awareness
program. For example, the organization has
developed an online video competition for
engineering students to develop messages for
teens and preteens that present engineers as
“Making a World of Difference.” Rather than ask
the engineering students to represent the
profession as “cool” to its younger target
audience, students are invited to present
engineering as “socially constructive, appealing
and fun.” Similarly, IEEE-USA has developed
flyers for teachers to promote current
educational and entertaining television programs
on science, technology, engineering and math
that show youngsters sharing an iPod.
The complete 149-page NAE report
and an accompanying CD can be obtained from the
NAE at
www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12187.
Pender M. McCarter is senior
public relations counselor at IEEE-USA and
focuses on promoting engineering awareness,
engineering diversity and technological
literacy.
Comments may
be submitted to todaysengineer@ieee.org.
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