Engineering Design Thinking: High School Students' Performance and Knowledge.
Saved in:
| Title: | Engineering Design Thinking: High School Students' Performance and Knowledge. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Mentzer, Nathan1 nmentzer@purdue.edu, Becker, Kurt2 kurt.becker@usu.edu, Sutton, Mathias1 suttonmj@purdue.edu |
| Source: | Journal of Engineering Education. Oct2015, Vol. 104 Issue 4, p417-432. 16p. |
| Subjects: | Problem solving education, Engineering design education, High school students, Engineers, Engineering education |
| Abstract: | Background Because design is recognized as a critical element of engineering thinking, it is crucial for educators to utilize the most effective methods to teach engineering problem solving. Results from this study of students' thinking process may shape future teaching methods. Purpose This article explores the differences in design processes between high school engineering students and expert engineers. It also examines the differences between high school freshmen who have taken one engineering course and seniors who have taken a series of engineering courses. Design/Method Fifty-nine high school students from four states were asked to think aloud in a three-hour design task that was audio and video recorded. Verbal reports from the audio and video became source data for protocol analysis. Results from previous studies provided expert design performance data for comparisons. Results Students and experts alike spent a large portion of their time modeling. Students spent significantly less time in the process of information gathering than experts. Freshmen spent significantly less time in the idea generation process than seniors and experts. Freshmen and seniors spent significantly less time determining the feasibility of their ideas, evaluating alternative ideas, and decision making than experts. Conclusions High school students engage in design thinking with little understanding of the problem from the client's perspective. Students tend to become fixated on a single solution rather than comparing alternatives. By encouraging development of alternative solutions, K-12 engineering education could foster opportunities to critically evaluate students' design solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Journal of Engineering Education is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Engineering Source |
|
Full text is not displayed to guests.
Login for full access.
|
|
| Abstract: | Background Because design is recognized as a critical element of engineering thinking, it is crucial for educators to utilize the most effective methods to teach engineering problem solving. Results from this study of students' thinking process may shape future teaching methods. Purpose This article explores the differences in design processes between high school engineering students and expert engineers. It also examines the differences between high school freshmen who have taken one engineering course and seniors who have taken a series of engineering courses. Design/Method Fifty-nine high school students from four states were asked to think aloud in a three-hour design task that was audio and video recorded. Verbal reports from the audio and video became source data for protocol analysis. Results from previous studies provided expert design performance data for comparisons. Results Students and experts alike spent a large portion of their time modeling. Students spent significantly less time in the process of information gathering than experts. Freshmen spent significantly less time in the idea generation process than seniors and experts. Freshmen and seniors spent significantly less time determining the feasibility of their ideas, evaluating alternative ideas, and decision making than experts. Conclusions High school students engage in design thinking with little understanding of the problem from the client's perspective. Students tend to become fixated on a single solution rather than comparing alternatives. By encouraging development of alternative solutions, K-12 engineering education could foster opportunities to critically evaluate students' design solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 10694730 |
| DOI: | 10.1002/jee.20105 |
