The professional development program highlighted the
nature of the disciplines of STEM as well as the integration
of the disciplines. Particular attention was given to the
nature of engineering as a design science and to the nature
of technology. The training looked at engineering through
the lens of design, taking the view that engineering
practice, at its core, is a way of thinking in order to solve
problems for a purpose. The engineering design process
was presented in multiple forms but always highlighting the
fact that it is the ‘‘distinguishing mark of the engineering
profession’’ (Dym, 1999). According to ABET, the
accrediting board for post-secondary engineering programs
in the United States, engineering design is ‘‘ a decisionmaking process (often iterative), in which the basic
sciences, mathematics, and the engineering sciences are
applied to convert resources optimally to meet these stated
needs’’ (ABET, 2008, p. 2).