SAE International Releases Results of Five-Year AWIM Study

DETROIT, Aug. 6 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- "Students who used SAE International's A World In Motion® (AWIM) program acquired and retained a strong knowledge of engineering." This was one of the key outcomes from a five-year study conducted by SAE International and Goodman Research Group, Inc. on the long-term impact of the AWIM program on students and teachers.

Other highlights from the study include:

• AWIM challenge activities successfully teach students specific content.
• When an industry volunteer is involved with AWIM activities, students learn more.
• The involvement of an industry volunteer during AWIM activities leads to strong student knowledge of engineering that is sustained over time.
• AWIM use has a cumulative impact for teachers.
• Students in the younger cohorts (in 5th and 7th grades when the study began) sought out more STEM-related experiences over time.
• Use of AWIM, particularly repeated use, increases teachers' confidence and comfort with teaching science in innovative ways.

"We are extremely pleased with the results of this study," Matthew Miller, Director, SAE Foundation, said. "This data reinforces the fact that the AWIM program is an important part of teaching the crucial components of science, math and technology to school-age children across the U.S. and Canada."

In 2005, Goodman Research Group, a research firm that specializes in the evaluation of educational programs, materials and services, was engaged by SAE International to conduct a five-year, two-part multi-method evaluation of the long-term impact of the AWIM program on students and teachers.

An executive summary of the study is available at www.awim.org .

To receive a complete copy of the AWIM Longitudinal Study, e-mail [email protected] and use the word "study" in the subject line. For more detailed information, or to arrange a meeting with Matt Miller, Director, SAE Foundation, call 724-772-7504.

AWIM is a teacher-administered, industry volunteer-assisted program that brings science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education to life in the classroom for students in Kindergarten through Grade 12. Benchmarked to the national standards, AWIM incorporates the laws of physics, motion, flight and electronics into age-appropriate hands on activities that reinforce classroom STEM curriculum. Through the support of corporations, foundations, volunteers, SAE members and the SAE Foundation, AWIM opens a window of possibilities for students as they discover the exciting application of science principles and learn about rewarding engineering, science and technical careers. The students learn to work as a team with their classmates and apply creative problem solving during the activities.

SAE International is a global association of more than 128,000 engineers and related technical experts in the aerospace, automotive and commercial-vehicle industries. SAE International's core competencies are life-long learning and voluntary consensus standards development. SAE International's charitable arm is the SAE Foundation, which supports many programs, including A World In Motion® and the Collegiate Design Series.

- www.sae.org -

CONTACT: Shawn Andreassi of SAE International, +1-724-772-8522 or [email protected]

SOURCE SAE International