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Enhancing Problem Solving in Engineering

Through surveys of over 2000 engineers and case studies of six engineering firms, the authors found that: 1) Engineers described problem solving as their top skill and most frequent activity, which typically involved defining problems and teamwork. 2) Real-world engineering problems involved coordination between people and processes, with designing products taking up a minor portion of time. 3) Problems had no clear solutions and required integrating perspectives from various stakeholders, requiring engineers to lead collaborative efforts. The document suggests connecting engineering courses more with real-world problem solving through techniques like project-based learning, open-ended problems with multiple constraints, and clear communication of problem-solving processes.

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14 views2 pages

Enhancing Problem Solving in Engineering

Through surveys of over 2000 engineers and case studies of six engineering firms, the authors found that: 1) Engineers described problem solving as their top skill and most frequent activity, which typically involved defining problems and teamwork. 2) Real-world engineering problems involved coordination between people and processes, with designing products taking up a minor portion of time. 3) Problems had no clear solutions and required integrating perspectives from various stakeholders, requiring engineers to lead collaborative efforts. The document suggests connecting engineering courses more with real-world problem solving through techniques like project-based learning, open-ended problems with multiple constraints, and clear communication of problem-solving processes.

Uploaded by

mashhood
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

ConnectingOntheJob

ProblemSolvingtothe
EngineeringClassroom

[Link],SandyCourter,ThomasMcGlamery,
TraciNathansKelly,andChristineNicometo

ThroughthecourseofafouryearNSFproject,we
interviewedover140engineersandconductedcase
studiesofsixengineeringfirmsfromvarying
industries.Over2000engineersorengineering
[Link]
enabledustodrawconclusionsaboutthewaysof
thinking,skills,valuesandidentitiesofpracticing
[Link]
seriesofbriefreportsonideasforfurtherenhancing
theconnectionbetweenengineeringcoursesand
engineeringpractice.

Definingproblem
Teamproblemsolving
Creativity
Technicaldesign
Workingwithclient
Businesselements
0

Theprocessofsolvingproblemsalsoincludedagreat
dealofcoordinationamongpeopleandprocesses.
Actuallydesigningtheproductonlymadeupaminor
portionofthefullprocess,asdescribedinthisquote
fromanengineer:

Inourresearchwerepeatedlyheardengineers
[Link]
survey,whenengineersrankedthetopskillsof
effectiveengineers,agreater%ofengineersranked
problemsolvingasthetopskillthananyother(see
chartbelow).
Problemsolving
Communication
Technicalcompetence
Bigpictureunderstanding
Creativity

Whenengineersrankedthefrequencyofdifferent
elementsoftheirproblemsolvingwork,defining
problemsandworkingasateamonthemcameupthe
mostfrequently(seechartabove,scaleof0neverto
5always).

Thisfrontpagedetailsdatafromengineering
graduatesontheimportanceofproblemsolvingand
[Link]
suggestionsforincorporatingtheseideasincourses.

4.51
4.37
4.05
3.94
3.68
3.26

Itsnotjustdesigningofproductseighthoursa
[Link]
[Link]
developing,writingspecifications,detailing
theproducts[and]writingtestplans.
PracticingEngineer

27%
25%
21%

19%
9%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%

Conclusion

Engineersdescribedproblemsolvingasmuchmore
[Link],theynoted
thatitisusuallydoneasateam:

Theothernicethingaboutthiscompanyis...
[Link]
peoplewhohavebeenthroughthesamething
youaregoingthrough...Itisnotjustco
[Link]...
Forthisparticularproblemthefirstthingwedid
waswehadahandfulofpeoplecollecting
information.
PracticingEngineer

Acrossallsixoftheorganizationswestudiedand
throughoutthesurveysandinterviews,engineers
continuallydescribedthecomplexnatureofreal
[Link]
answerandinvolvenumerousgroupsofpeoplefrom
[Link]
onlyatechnicalexpertinsolvingtheseproblems.
Theymoreoftenhadtoleadorhelpleadtheeffortof
coordinatingthedifferentperspectives,desires,and
[Link],whenaskedwhat
theywouldliketoseemoreofinundergraduate
education,theymostcommonlysaidrealworld
problemsolvingandcoop/internshipexperiences.

DefiningProblemSolving

Themostvaluablepartofmyundergraduate
educationwasactuallytheclubThehands
onworkIdidtheretaughtmemorethanany
classItook.
EngineeringAlumnus

Whatisrealworldoronthejobproblemsolving
andhowcanitbeconnectedtoengineeringcourses?
JamesTrevelyannotesinReconstructingEngineering
fromPracticethatengineeringproblemsolving
harnessesthepowerofdistributedexpertise.
Coursesandgroupprojectscouldbedesignedsothat
studentseachhaveapieceoftheoverallknowledge
picturethattheymustshare.
Whiledesignisonlyoneportionofengineering
problemsolving,studentsshouldstillhaveaclear
[Link],etal,
emphasizetheuseofprojectbasedlearningtoteach
thisprocess.
ResearchbyJonassen,StrobelandLeeemphasizes
thatworkplaceengineeringproblemsarecomplexand
illstructuredduetomultiplepossiblesolutions,non
engineeringconstraints,conflictinggoals,varying
[Link]
example,openendedcourseprojectscouldinclude
constraintssuchastimeandbudgetlimitationsaswell
asengineeringandnonengineeringmeasuresof
success.
Inourconversationswithpracticingengineering,they
constantlyemphasizedtheimportanceofclear
communicationforsolvingproblems,particularlyas
realworldproblemsarerarelysolvedindividually.
Refertoourreportsonteamworkandcommunication
forfurtherconnectionstoengineeringwork.
PurdueUniversityenhancesitsfirstyearstudent
experiencebyincludingModelElicitingActivities
whichaskstudents,likepracticingengineers,tobetter
understandanopenended,clientdrivenproblemby
mathematicallymodelingitsparameters.

ValueofRealWorldActivities
Courseactivitiesthatconnecttorealworlddesignand
problemsolvingfromdayoneinengineeringhave
beenshowntoincreaseretentionandengagementof
engineeringstudents.

Assessment
StudentportfoliosofworkPortfoliosand
presentationsoftheseportfoliosallowfacultyto
assessstudentworkandproblemsolvingabilitiesina
moreauthenticwaythantraditionalpresentationsof
writingtasks.
ViewthisposterbyDocktorandHellerforideason
usingarubrictoassessstudentsproblemsolving
stepsinatechnicalcourse.
Togetatimprovingtechnicalproblemsolvingwithin
courses,theStanfordCenterforTeachingand
Learningsuggests,Ratherthansimplyrequiring
studentstodoanumberofproblemsforhomework,
theinstructorasksstudentstosolveaproblemand
alsotowritedownstepbystepwhattheywere
thinkingateachstageoftheproblemsolvingprocess.
Readingthroughthesesolutionsgivesaninstructora
senseofhowwellthestudentsaredevelopingtheir
problemsolvingskillsandcanhelptheinstructor
determinehowmuchclassorsectiontimeshould
focusonimprovingthisacademicskill.

LinkstoRelatedArticles
EngineeringStudentsMathematicalProblemSolving
Strategies,byCardella&Atman
Designorproblemsolving,byHolt,Radcliffe&
Schoorl
LearningtoThinkMathematically:ProblemSolving,
MetacognitionandSensemakinginMathematics,by
Schoenfeld
Casestudiesprovideonemethodofconnectingto
realworldproblemsandallowingstudentstotransfer
knowledgetonewarenas,byJensen.

LinktoOnlineVersion
Linktoourprojectforonlineresourcesandlivelinks

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