Engines for Education

Success Stories

Our team has produced a number of successful curricula projects, ranging from 6-hour short courses to full-year programs for such clients as Carnegie Mellon University, Grandview Preparatory School, Foothill-DeAnza Community College District, and the Bay Area Information Technology Consoritum in California. Our most recent curriculum is VISTA's Year in Health Sciences, made possible by the generous support of The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.

VISTA's Year in Health Sciences

Engines for Education, funded through a grant from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, now offers ten sections - or “rotations”- of a full-year Health Sciences curriculum. The Year in Health Sciences consists of a series of Story-Centered Curricula. Students take on the roles of professionals working in the field of health sciences, such as nutrition advisors and sports medics. They solve the kinds of problems these professionals typically solve in their day-to-day work. Be one of the first students to go through VISTA's Year in Health Sciences curriculum!

"The [VISTA Curriculum] was more interesting and overall was better than the other curriculum materials we have tried. We enjoyed role-playing a real-life profession and have a better idea about what a career involving internal medicine might entail, including different aspects of internal medicine. One of us enjoyed doing the diagnosis, while another enjoyed doing the research. We each had some room to explore our individual interests as we went through the material. Although the curriculum was challenging, the material was thorough, well laid out, and FUN!"

- Team of home school participants -

"We appreciated that the curriculum integrated so many areas - science, writing, critical thinking skills, ethics, computer skills and team work. We also liked the practical nature of the writing assignments as well as the variety - from letter writing to technical writing. The step-by-step guides were extremely helpful in keeping everyone organized and enabling the kids to work fairly independently."

- Home school participants' parents -

"As I began work on VISTA, guided by the concept of a story-centered curriculum, I looked forward to seeing just what our students might succeed in doing, as reflected in the reports they would submit. It has been wonderful to see what kids-even very young ones-are capable of, given the right learning environment.

I was stunned when I read one of the early reports students had submitted. It was a beautiful job and was very nicely expressed. I wouldn’t have been surprised to be told it was produced by college students. (I spent 34 years teaching college students in institutions with high standards.) Imagine my surprise when I was told that the report had been turned in by a team consisting of two 8th-graders, a 7th-grader, and a 6th-grader! While not all the technical information was perfect, they had successfully diagnosed a patient's disease, discussed it, and written cogently about it. They had a far more meaningful learning experience than they would have had in a regular high school curriculum, they had been exposed to career opportunities, and they seemed to have enjoyed the learning process thoroughly!"

- Dr. William K. Purves -
Professor Emeritus of Biology,
Harvey Mudd College

Carnegie Mellon University / Software Engineering Masters Programs

Members of our team developed several blended (online/in-person) Masters' programs to teach software engineering from technical, development, and management perspectives.

“The SCC approach really mimics the real world more than the traditional classroom does. I am already working in teams at work... Classroom instruction has the student come away knowing a lot of theory but provides little guided practice with actually trying to use that knowledge in a realistic setting on realistic problems and working in a team... I am already taking a lot away from my schoolwork and applying it to my job, because I can leverage it right away... What I learn on Monday I can apply on Wednesday... Here I feel we will use everything we learn."

- Master's student at Carnegie Mellon West -

Six Master’s degree programs primarily in fields related to computer science have been offered there since 2002, and by August nearly 250 students will have graduated from these programs. The programs are each housed on a website and are delivered to students either online or in person from the newly established West Coast campus. Our job there was to take existing Master’s degree programs and turn them into SCCs. >>more

Grandview Preparatory School / Elementary and High School Story-Centered Curricula focusing on Journalism, Environmental Science, and Software Engineering

Engines for Education developed curricula for the 5th, 8th, and 12th grade students at Grandview Preparatory School in Florida, including:

Carnegie Mellon University Senior Year in E-Business and Internet Technologies
Designed by faculty at the top Computer Science university in the country, this intensive yearlong curriculum lets students experience first-hand how Internet technologies are transforming the way businesses are run.
University of Chicago Senior Year in Writing
In this dynamic curriculum developed with experts from University of Chicago’s top-ranked writing program, students divide into groups and play the role of an editorial committee responsible for producing a monthly online magazine focusing on pressing social issues.
Eighth Grade Year in Writing and Web Application Development
The eighth grade curriculum transforms students from passive classroom learners into active participants in designing, programming, and publishing a monthly web magazine.
Fifth Grade Year in Science, Technology, and the Law
Fifth grade students in this curriculum are not just elementary students they are scientists, lobbyists, lawyers, writers, researchers, documentary producers, and web designers. Students undertake an intensive course of study of environmental issues facing the Everglades and South Florida using an integrated set of research-based curricular units developed at major universities.

Click here for more details about the Grandview project.

Bay Area Information Technology Consortium / IT Basics for BAY ITC

Bay ITC asked us to create a blended (online/in-person) program for community college students to enhance their literacy and numeracy skills. We designed a project for BAY ITC that would engage students in effective verbal and written communication appropriate for an office environment and community college standards, and enabe them to perform mathematical computation necessary for an entry level job in a technical field and in compliance with community college standards.

During the course, students practiced verbal, written, and mathematical skills in both a classroom and online environment by playing the role of computer support specialists at a fictional company, Eureka Savings and Loan. Eureka has operated in Los Angeles for over a century, but its board of directors recently approved plans to open new branches throughout the state. Participants worked as members of the IT help desk team based in L.A., offering phone and e-mail support to bank employees at various branches. Their responsibilities at the help desk include diagnosing and troubleshooting hardware and software configuration problems, and assisting users in the proper use of their workstations.

Foothill-DeAnza Community College / Practicum in Enterprise Security

Through a National Science Foundation grant, we worked with faculty members from Foothill-DeAnza Community Colleges in California to develop a blended (nline/in-person) to prepare community college students for entry-level network security jobs. To prepare participants with the skills necessary to secure and succeed in entry-levelenterprise and network technology positions, we put them in the role of IT staff at C-Bay, a fictional online real estate auction firm. Working in collaborative teams, students refined and implemented a new security policy for the C-Bay's ’s expanding network. Working on a security policy in a realistic business setting, participants addressed the many risks and trade-offs associated with securing an enterprise without interfering with its operations.

ESSDACK: Educational Services and Staff Development Association of Central Kansas / Story-Centered Curriculum Workshop

We developed and delivered a workshop enabling Kansas educators to develop online Story-Centered courses on their own. Educators learned about our process and development tools firsthand, by designing their own SCCs.


	Back to Home
Home Our Story Philosophy & Mission Roger Schank's Latest Column Success Stories VISTA Get Involved	Success Stories Our team has produced a number of successful curricula projects, ranging from 6-hour short courses to full-year programs for such clients as Carnegie Mellon University, Grandview Preparatory School, Foothill-DeAnza Community College District, and the Bay Area Information Technology Consoritum in California. Our most recent curriculum is VISTA's Year in Health Sciences, made possible by the generous support of The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. VISTA's Year in Health Sciences Engines for Education, funded through a grant from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, now offers ten sections - or “rotations”- of a full-year Health Sciences curriculum. The Year in Health Sciences consists of a series of Story-Centered Curricula. Students take on the roles of professionals working in the field of health sciences, such as nutrition advisors and sports medics. They solve the kinds of problems these professionals typically solve in their day-to-day work. Be one of the first students to go through VISTA's Year in Health Sciences curriculum! "The [VISTA Curriculum] was more interesting and overall was better than the other curriculum materials we have tried. We enjoyed role-playing a real-life profession and have a better idea about what a career involving internal medicine might entail, including different aspects of internal medicine. One of us enjoyed doing the diagnosis, while another enjoyed doing the research. We each had some room to explore our individual interests as we went through the material. Although the curriculum was challenging, the material was thorough, well laid out, and FUN!" - Team of home school participants - "We appreciated that the curriculum integrated so many areas - science, writing, critical thinking skills, ethics, computer skills and team work. We also liked the practical nature of the writing assignments as well as the variety - from letter writing to technical writing. The step-by-step guides were extremely helpful in keeping everyone organized and enabling the kids to work fairly independently." - Home school participants' parents - "As I began work on VISTA, guided by the concept of a story-centered curriculum, I looked forward to seeing just what our students might succeed in doing, as reflected in the reports they would submit. It has been wonderful to see what kids-even very young ones-are capable of, given the right learning environment. I was stunned when I read one of the early reports students had submitted. It was a beautiful job and was very nicely expressed. I wouldn’t have been surprised to be told it was produced by college students. (I spent 34 years teaching college students in institutions with high standards.) Imagine my surprise when I was told that the report had been turned in by a team consisting of two 8th-graders, a 7th-grader, and a 6th-grader! While not all the technical information was perfect, they had successfully diagnosed a patient's disease, discussed it, and written cogently about it. They had a far more meaningful learning experience than they would have had in a regular high school curriculum, they had been exposed to career opportunities, and they seemed to have enjoyed the learning process thoroughly!" - Dr. William K. Purves - Professor Emeritus of Biology, Harvey Mudd College Carnegie Mellon University / Software Engineering Masters Programs Members of our team developed several blended (online/in-person) Masters' programs to teach software engineering from technical, development, and management perspectives. “The SCC approach really mimics the real world more than the traditional classroom does. I am already working in teams at work... Classroom instruction has the student come away knowing a lot of theory but provides little guided practice with actually trying to use that knowledge in a realistic setting on realistic problems and working in a team... I am already taking a lot away from my schoolwork and applying it to my job, because I can leverage it right away... What I learn on Monday I can apply on Wednesday... Here I feel we will use everything we learn." - Master's student at Carnegie Mellon West - Six Master’s degree programs primarily in fields related to computer science have been offered there since 2002, and by August nearly 250 students will have graduated from these programs. The programs are each housed on a website and are delivered to students either online or in person from the newly established West Coast campus. Our job there was to take existing Master’s degree programs and turn them into SCCs. >>more Grandview Preparatory School / Elementary and High School Story-Centered Curricula focusing on Journalism, Environmental Science, and Software Engineering Engines for Education developed curricula for the 5th, 8th, and 12th grade students at Grandview Preparatory School in Florida, including: Carnegie Mellon University Senior Year in E-Business and Internet Technologies Designed by faculty at the top Computer Science university in the country, this intensive yearlong curriculum lets students experience first-hand how Internet technologies are transforming the way businesses are run. University of Chicago Senior Year in Writing In this dynamic curriculum developed with experts from University of Chicago’s top-ranked writing program, students divide into groups and play the role of an editorial committee responsible for producing a monthly online magazine focusing on pressing social issues. Eighth Grade Year in Writing and Web Application Development The eighth grade curriculum transforms students from passive classroom learners into active participants in designing, programming, and publishing a monthly web magazine. Fifth Grade Year in Science, Technology, and the Law Fifth grade students in this curriculum are not just elementary students they are scientists, lobbyists, lawyers, writers, researchers, documentary producers, and web designers. Students undertake an intensive course of study of environmental issues facing the Everglades and South Florida using an integrated set of research-based curricular units developed at major universities. Click here for more details about the Grandview project. Bay Area Information Technology Consortium / IT Basics for BAY ITC Bay ITC asked us to create a blended (online/in-person) program for community college students to enhance their literacy and numeracy skills. We designed a project for BAY ITC that would engage students in effective verbal and written communication appropriate for an office environment and community college standards, and enabe them to perform mathematical computation necessary for an entry level job in a technical field and in compliance with community college standards. During the course, students practiced verbal, written, and mathematical skills in both a classroom and online environment by playing the role of computer support specialists at a fictional company, Eureka Savings and Loan. Eureka has operated in Los Angeles for over a century, but its board of directors recently approved plans to open new branches throughout the state. Participants worked as members of the IT help desk team based in L.A., offering phone and e-mail support to bank employees at various branches. Their responsibilities at the help desk include diagnosing and troubleshooting hardware and software configuration problems, and assisting users in the proper use of their workstations. Foothill-DeAnza Community College / Practicum in Enterprise Security Through a National Science Foundation grant, we worked with faculty members from Foothill-DeAnza Community Colleges in California to develop a blended (nline/in-person) to prepare community college students for entry-level network security jobs. To prepare participants with the skills necessary to secure and succeed in entry-levelenterprise and network technology positions, we put them in the role of IT staff at C-Bay, a fictional online real estate auction firm. Working in collaborative teams, students refined and implemented a new security policy for the C-Bay's ’s expanding network. Working on a security policy in a realistic business setting, participants addressed the many risks and trade-offs associated with securing an enterprise without interfering with its operations. ESSDACK: Educational Services and Staff Development Association of Central Kansas / Story-Centered Curriculum Workshop We developed and delivered a workshop enabling Kansas educators to develop online Story-Centered courses on their own. Educators learned about our process and development tools firsthand, by designing their own SCCs.
© Copyright 2008, Engines for Education