Designing episode content for Design Squad, a new educational engineering children's television program : the human powered water pump as a design challenge

Abstract

In recent years, problems have emerged in the realm of engineering and engineering education in the United States. Technology literacy is low, there are insufficient numbers of engineering students, and there are misconceptions surrounding the engineering profession. To remedy these problems, WGBH Boston and MIT have created a reality-style engineering-based television program for 9- to 13-year-old children, entitled Design Squad. One episode of the show will challenge the 8 child contestants to build a human-powered waterslide pump, to be used at a community swimming pool. 'Two potential design solutions are proposed for the design challenge: a ball-and-chain pump and a positive-displacement plunger pump. The design process of each solution and an evaluation of each solution's feasibility are presented. Criteria for a successful episode of the show are discussed in relation to the challenge. Prototype experimentation and analysis suggest that the human-powered waterslide challenge will invoke an engaging episode of Design Squad.