Designing, making, and doing have long been, and continue to be, defining characteristics of technology and engineering (T&E) education (STEL, 2020). Although these characteristics have remained at the core of T&E curricula and instruction for many years, the contexts for applying designing, making, and doing practices have evolved to address current issues through the use of emerging technologies. The importance of designing, making, and doing in T&E education is evident from Standards for Technological and Engineering Literacy (STEL) (STEL, 2020). The STEL standards also promote the development of T&E practices such as empathy when students are optimizing design solutions to benefit other users. Modified ride-on car (MROC) design challenges provide a relevant context for developing students’ T&E practices while also applying core T&E design concepts. This article presents examples of various MROC design solutions informed by knowledge about the specific abilities of each user/child. Connections between MROC design challenges and STEL are emphasized to help educators facilitate similar learning experiences in their school and community.
Love et al. (2025) studied this question.