Research validates the impact of Invention Education

Continuous research activities at the Lemeleson-MIT program ensure the quality and sustainability of our programmatic efforts. Our research covers topics that delve into cutting-edge education practices and provides critical insights into the impact of Invention Education on student learning, engagement, and self-perceptions. By systematically collecting and analyzing quantitative and qualitative data, we make evidence-based decisions leading to the iterative improvement of our programs. By disseminating our research findings through scholarly publications and conference presentations, we advance knowledge of the processes and practices that foster Invention Education nationwide. The research team is led by Stephanie Couch, PhD; and Tamara Galoyan, PhD.

Invention Education is recognized on a national level

Several recent reports point to the power and promise of invention education. 

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The Federal Strategic Plan for Advancing STEM Education and Cultivating STEM Talent, authored by the Committee on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Education (CoSTEM), was released in November, 2024.  Section 4 focuses on “Building STEM Innovation Capacity” as a federal objective. References to IvE include: "To contribute to the national aspiration, CoSTEM aims to increase opportunities to embed invention education and innovation and entrepreneurship training across the STEM ecosystem."  

Cover of report

National Academies 2024 publication, Scaling and Sustaining the K-12 STEM Education Innovations, Systemic Challenges and Systems Response Report, (Chapter 9) presents many factors that impact the take-up of innovation in education. LMIT's Partners in Invention Education (PiE) program offers opportunities to address these together.

In November, 2022, The White House released the report Convergence Education: A Guide to Transdisciplinary STEM Learning and Teaching. Invention education is named as one of the promising approaches for transdisciplinary STEM learning and teaching. 

Discover more through Lemelson-MIT's extensive research, below :
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A Foot in the Door Growth in Participation and Equity in Dual Enrollment in California
Addressing the Gender Gap Among Patent Holders Through Invention Education Policies
Assessing learning and development through transdisciplinary problem-based invention education offerings
Becoming an inventor: a young Latina’s narrative
Biogen-MIT BioTech in Action - Summary 2020
Bringing Invention Education Into Middle School Science Classrooms
Comments Submitted by LMIT Leadership to USPTO Re: National Strategy for Expanding American Innovation
Engaging Latina Students in the Invention Ecosystem
Enhancing inventiveness for quality of life, competitiveness, and sustainability
Failure as an active agent in the development of creative and inventive mindsets
Heat Reinvented: Using a Lunch Box–Design Project to Apply Multidisciplinary Knowledge and Develop Invention-Related Practices
Inclusive Pathways to Invention: Racial and Ethnic Diversity Among Collegiate Student Inventors in a National Prize Competiton
Intersecting Networks Supporting Problem-Based Invention Education
Inventing the Baby Saver: An Activity Systems Analysis of Applied Engineering at the High School Level
Invention as a Complement to High School Chemistry
Invention Education: Preparing The Next Generation of Innovators
Inventors emerging in-school and out-of-school: six iterations of educational design to promote equitable student engagement
Measuring the Value of Invention
Peer-reviewed practitioner article in The Science Teacher: Let’s Invent!
Policy Initiatives Needed to Foster Female Inventors’ Contributions to U.S. Economic Growth
Researching Invention Education: White Paper
Role models’ influence on student interest in and awareness of career opportunities in life sciences
Supporting teachers to lead invention education with high school students
TESTIMONY FOR USPTO SUCCESS ACT HEARING
The Lifecycle of Inventors
Transforming a National Invention Education Program through a Strength-based Approach
Understanding Factors Impacting the Development of Inventors from Diverse Backgrounds
Where’s the Computer Science in Invention?
“That Makes Sense Now!": Bicultural Middle School Students’ Learning in a Culturally Relevant Science Classroom