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Engineering Analytic Principles and Predictive

Computational Skills for K-12 Students:
Statistics on High School
Age-Possible Global Positioning System and Land Surveying Topics to
Engineering and Technology Educators and Curriculum Developers
Edward Locke
(edwardnlocke@yahoo.com)
Thursday, November 6, 2014
Monterey Park, California, USA

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Original Research Data
Sources of Data
Table 1 lists the college-level Textbooks 1 and 2 used for the extraction of analytic
and predictive principles and computational formulas related to the subject of introduction to
Global Positioning System (GPS) and land surveying.
Table 1. Data Source (introduction to GPS introduction to Global Positioning System and
land surveying and land surveying)

Title
Authors
Publisher
Year
ISBN
Number of Pages

Textbooks Examined
Textbook 1
Textbook 2
Elementary Surveying An Introduction to Geomatics,
Surveying Principles and Applications, 4th edition
12th Edition
Charles D. Ghilani and Paul R. Wolf
Barry F. Kavanagh and S. J. Glenn Bird
Pearson Prentice Hall
Prentice Hall
2008
1996
13: 978-0-13-615431-0
0-13-438300-1
919
687

Initial Determination of High School Age-Possible GPS and Land Surveying Topics
The outcome of this research is very encouraging. Tables 2A and 2B indicate that:
(1). for Textbook 1, 100% of all sections, and 100 % of the volume in the selected Textbook
1 is based on pre-calculus mathematics skills; and (2). for Textbook 2, 99.3% of all sections,
and 99.4 % of the volume is based on pre-calculus mathematics skills; and (3) no prior
mastery of physics and chemistry concepts or skills is needed for reading and homework
assignments.
Table 2A. Statistic on Textbook 1 (Elementary Surveying An Introduction to Geomatics by
Charles D. Ghilani and Paul R. Wolf)
Pre-Calculus Level Concepts and Skills Found in All Chapters/Sections
Mathematics
Physics
Chemistry

[four operations], [fraction], [power], [root],

N/A
N/A
[summation], [systems of units], [significant figures],
[table], [chart], [graph], [measurements] (distance or
length, width, height, angle in
degrees/minutes/seconds, arc, chord and radians],
[area] (triangle, rectangle, circle), [volume], [geometric
solids] (ellipsoid, geoid), [triangulation], [cross
section], [Cartesian Coordinates], [point or node],
[origin], [axes] (X, Y, Z), [planes] (XY, YZ, XZ),
[quadrant], [bearing], [azimuths], [latitude],
[longitude], [direction] (east, west, north, south,
clockwise, counterclockwise), [parallelism],
[perpendicularity], [intersection], [convergence],
[tangency], [lines] (vertical, horizontal, straight, curve,
irregular), [trigonometric functions], [matrix]
Calculus Level Mathematics
Concepts and
Chapters/Sections
Skills
[first partial
Sections 16.3 Least-Squares Adjustment by the
derivative]
Observation Equation Method

Page Information
Pages with Calculus
Sections with
Skills
Calculus Skills
Page
Number
Page
Number
Numbers
of Pages
Numbers
of Pages
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

415, 416,
418

414-418

2
16.9 Least-Squares Adjustment of Traditional Horizontal
Plane Surveys
17.10 Three-Dimensional Conformal Coordinate
Transformation
Total Number of Pages

433, 434

433-441

482

481-482

16

Chapters with Pre-Calculus Level Mathematics Concepts and Skills ONLY

Volume (Pages with Pre-Calculus Skills) = Total Number of Pages Number of Pages with Calculus Skills = 919 - 16 = 903 pages
Volume (Pages Excluding Sections with Pre-Calculus Skills) =
Total Number of Pages Number of Pages of Sections with Calculus Skills = 919 - 16 = 903
Number of Chapters = Total Number of Chapters - Number of Chapters with Calculus Skills = 28 2 = 26 chapters
Number of Sections = Total Number of Sections Number of Sections with Calculus Skills = 430 - 3 = 427

Statistical Summary
Total Number of Pages Covered by Text
(Excluding Index): 919
Percentage of Pre-Calculus Chapters
Number of Pre - Calculus Chapters
100%
% Pre -Calculus
Total Number of Chapters
Chapters

26
100% 92.9%
28
Percentage of Pre-Calculus Sections
Number of Pre - Calculus Sections
% Pre -Calculus
100%
Total Number of Sections

Total Numbers of Chapters and Sections:

28, 430
Percentage of Chapters with Calculus Sections
Number of Chapters with Calculus Sections
% Calculus
Total Number of Chapters
Chapters

2

100% 7.1%
28

100%

Percentage of Sections with Calculus Skills

Number of Sectionss with Calculus Skills
% Calculus
100%
Total Number of Sections

100
%

0
.
7
%

430

427

100% 99.3%
430
Average Percentage of Calculus Content
Average Percentage of Pre-Calculus Content
% Calculus % Pre -Calculus
% Pre -Calculus % Pre-Calculus
7.1% 0.7%
Chapters
Sections
% Calculus

3.9%
92.9% 99.3%
Chapters
Sections
% Pre-Calculu

96.1%
2
2
Content
2
2
Content
Total Numbers of Chapters with Pre-Calculus Skills Only:
Total Number of Pages with Pre-Calculus Skills Only:
26 out of 28
903 out of 919
Percentage of Pre-Calculus Volume:

Number of Pre - Calculus Pages

903
100%
% Pre-Calculus
100% 98.3%
Total Number of Pages
919

Conclusion on the Textbook:

(1) The mathematics concepts and skills used in the analytic and predictive computational formulas are, in the overwhelming majority
of cases, at pre-calculus level, and most of them are in the categories of basic arithmetic, geometry, trigonometry, matrix. This
textbook include Appendix E (Introduction to Matrix, pages 903-910).
(2) Only less than 10 pages out of a total of 919 pages for the whole book, and 3 Sections out of 430 contain formulas using basic
calculus skills. For all practical purposes, special training session could be conducted on beginning calculus skills or the concerned
Sections could be omitted.
(3) For all practical purposes, no prior mastery of knowledge or skills in physics and chemistry is needed for the completion of reading
and homework assignments.
(4) Approximately 70% of content is descriptive and informational, without analytic and predictive computational formulas.
Based on the above analysis, this textbook is high school age-possible.

Table 2B. Statistic on Textbook 2 (Surveying Principles and Applications, 4th edition, by
Barry F. Kavanagh and S. J. Glenn Bird)
Pre-Calculus Level Concepts and Skills Found in All Chapters/Sections
Mathematics
Physics
Chemistry
[four operations], [fraction], [power], [root],
[summation], [triangle], [Pythagorean Theorem],
[trigonometric functions], [ratio], [systems of units],
[significant figures], [table], [chart], [graph],
[measurements] (distance or length, width, height,
angle in degrees/minutes/seconds, arc, chord, radians],
[area] (triangle, rectangle, circle), [volume], [geometric
solids] (ellipsoid, geoid), [triangulation], [cross
section], [Cartesian Coordinates], [point or node],
[origin], [axes] (X, Y, Z), [planes] (XY, YZ, XZ),
[quadrant], [bearing], [azimuths], [latitude],
[longitude], [direction] (east, west, north, south,

N/A

N/A

Page
Numbers
N/A

Page Information
Number
Page
of Pages
Numbers
N/A
N/A

Number
of Pages
N/A

3
clockwise, counterclockwise), [parallelism],
[perpendicularity], [intersection], [convergence],
[tangency], [lines] (vertical, horizontal, straight, curve,
irregular), [trigonometric functions], [matrix]
Calculus Level Mathematics
Concepts and Skills
Chapters/Sections
[first derivative], [second derivative]
Section 10.12 Vertical
342, 343
2
341-343
3
Curves: General, pages
(pp.),
Chapters with Pre-Calculus Level Mathematics Concepts and Skills ONLY
Volume = Total Number of Pages - Number of Pages with Calculus Skills = 687 - 2 = 685 pages
Number of Sections = Total Number of Sections - Number of Sections with Calculus Skills = 243 - 1 = 242 sections

Statistical Summary
Total Number of Pages Covered by Text
(Excluding Index): 687
Percentage of Pre-Calculus Sections
Number of Pre - Calculus Sections
% Pre -Calculus
100%
Total Number of Sections

242

100% 99.6%
243

Total Numbers of Chapters and Sections:

16, 243
Percentage of Sections with Calculus Skills
Number of Sections with Calculus Skills
% Calculus
100%
Total Number of Sections

100% 0.4%
243

Total Number of Chapters with Pre-calculus Mathematics

Total Number of Pages with Pre-Calculus Skills Only:
Skills Only: 15 out of 16
685 out of 687
Total Number of Sections with both Pre-calculus and Calculus
Mathematics Skills: 1 out of 243
Percentage of Pre-Calculus Only Volume:

Number of Pre - Calculus Pages

685
100%
% Pre-Calculus
100% 99.7%
Total Number of Pages
687

Conclusion on the Textbook:

(1)
(2)

(3)
(4)

The mathematics concepts and skills used in the analytic and predictive computational formulas are, in the overwhelming majority
of cases, at pre-calculus level, and most of them are in the categories of basic arithmetic, geometry, and trigonometry.
Only less than 5 pages out of a total of 687 pages for the whole book, and 1 Sections out of 243 contains formulas using basic
calculus skills; for all practical purposes, special training session could be conducted on beginning calculus skills or the concerned
Sections could be omitted.
For all practical purposes, no prior mastery of knowledge or skills in physics and chemistry is needed for the completion of reading
and homework assignments.
Approximately 70% of content is descriptive and informational, without analytic and predictive computational formulas.
Based on the above analysis, this textbook is high school age-possible.

Conclusions and Recommendations

This report has presented (1) information about two popular college-level textbooks
for introduction to Global Positioning System and land surveying selected for the initial
determination and selection of high school age-possible topics (Table 1), and (2) the outcome
of the research on the inclusion of mathematics, physics and chemistry concepts and skills
needed for reading and homework assignments (Tables 2A and 2B). The following are
recommended: (1) Pilot study: High schools could conduct pilot pedagogic experiments to
determine the actual age-feasibility and age-appropriateness of all engineering economicsrelated analytic knowledge content identified in Tables 2A and 2B, using the selected
Textbooks 1 and 2; and K-12 mathematics and science teachers could use the same Tables 2A
and 2B as references to incorporate Global Positioning System and land surveying topics into
respective curriculum; and (2) Curriculum development: Existing K-12 engineering and
technology curriculum developers could use the Tables 2A and 2B as references for the
development of new K-12 engineering instructional materials or for the incorporation of
Global Positioning System and land surveying knowledge and skills into their previously
developed instructional materials.

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About the Author:
Edward Locke is a product designer, CADD specialist, digital graphic artist, and independent scholar on K12
STEAM issues. He taught engineering graphics and CADD technology with product design projects to students
from diverse ethnic backgrounds (Latino, Vietnamese-, African-, Caucasian-Americans, and others) at Santa
Ana College, California (2000-2007) as an adjunct instructor, practiced product design and graphic design
(1994-2014), pursued graduate studies at California State University Los Angeles (2004-2007) and then at the
University of Georgia as a National Center for Engineering and Technology Education Fellow (2007-2009). He
graduated in 2009 with an Education Specialist degree from the College of Education, Department of
Workforce Education, Leadership and Social Foundations at The University of Georgia, Athens. He is
currently working on issues of K12 engineering and technology curriculum, in collaboration with professors of
the Engineering Department, at East Los Angeles College; and he could be reached at
edwardnlocke@yahoo.com. Edward Lockes professional works, college-level textbooks and instructional
materials, as well as research writings and curriculum development documents are featured in his four websites:
(1) Scholar STEAM K12 Plus (K12 engineering and technology curriculum at
http://scholarsteamk12plus.weebly.com/), (2) SuniSea Products (consumer product design, engineering graphics
and CADD technology at http://suniseaproducts.weebly.com/), (3) SuniSea Design (graphic design and visual
communication at http://suniseadesign.weebly.com/), and (4) SuniSea Creation (traditional and digital arts at
http://suniseacreation.weebly.com/).

Acknowledgement:
This is to acknowledge the assistance and advice provided by Professor Jose Ramirez, Professor Kamyar
Khashayar, Professor Humberto Gallegos, and Professor Artin Davidian, at the Engineering Department, as
well as Learning Assistance Center Director Maria Elena Yepes, and Instructional Aide Elizabeth Arroyo, at
East Los Angeles College, in supporting the agenda to improve K12 STEAM education in the United States on
the basis of my published Vision Paper.