Exploring the Effect of Design Education on the Design Cognition of Mechanical Engineering Students

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher B. Williams ◽  
John Gero ◽  
Yoon Lee ◽  
Marie Paretti
Keyword(s):  
Design Education ◽  
Mechanical Engineering ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Design Thinking ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Protocol Analysis ◽  
Design Cognition ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Protocol Study ◽  
The Impact

In this paper, the authors report on progress of a longitudinal study on the impact of design education on students’ design thinking and practice. Using innovations in cognitive science and new methods of protocol analysis, the authors are working with engineering students to characterize their design cognition as they progress through engineering curricula. In this paper, the results from a protocol study of sophomore Mechanical Engineering students are presented. Specifically, data gathered from two experimental sessions (conducted before and after the students’ introductory design course) are analyzed to identify changes in design thinking cognition. Design cognition is determined using protocol analysis with the coding of the protocols based on a general design ontology, namely, the Function-Behavior-Structure (FBS) as a principled coding scheme (as opposed to an ad hoc one). Preliminary results indicate that statistically significant changes in students’ design cognition occur over the course of their sophomore year. The change manifests itself in an increase in focus on the purposes of designs being produced, which is often a precursor to the production a higher quality designs, and an increase in the design processes associated with the introduction of purposes of designs.

Exploring Spatial Reasoning Ability and Design Cognition in Undergraduate Engineering Students

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher B. Williams ◽  
John Gero ◽  
Yoon Lee ◽  
Marie Paretti
Keyword(s):  
Design Education ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Design Thinking ◽  
Spatial Reasoning ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Reasoning Ability ◽  
Design Cognition ◽  
Undergraduate Engineering ◽  
Paper Folding ◽  
Protocol Study

This paper presents preliminary results from the first phase of a longitudinal study of design cognition and the effects of design education on design practice. The study aims to monitor the development of engineering design thinking through a three-year protocol study of control and experimental groups of engineering students. Using innovations in cognitive science that include ontologically-based coding of protocols and new methods of protocol analysis, the study is intended to characterize students’ cognitive development, identify differences over time, and relate those differences to students’ educational experiences. The first phase of this study focuses on assessing students’ spatial reasoning ability. Spatial reasoning is the ability to process and form ideas through spatial relationships among objects. It has been found to correlate strongly with the design ability associated with one’s ability to generate, conceptualize, and communicate solutions to problems. Sophomore students entering two different majors took four spatial reasoning tests (Paper Folding, Vandenberg, Mental Rotation, and Spatial Imagery Ability) that addressed their ability to visualize objects and mentally manipulate them over an ordered sequence of spatial transformations. The results of these tests are presented in this paper. Tests were conducted to determine statistical significance in order to evaluate whether a student’s spatial reasoning ability correlates with their choice of engineering major. The students’ test performances are also compared with existing data from other fields (e.g., architecture, visual arts, science, and humanities).

Comparing the Design Cognition of Two Engineering Majors: A Measurement-Based Approach

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoon Suk Lee ◽  
John Gero ◽  
Christopher B. Williams
Keyword(s):  
Design Education ◽  
Design Thinking ◽  
Protocol Analysis ◽  
Structure Design ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Problem Solution ◽  
Design Cognition ◽  
Engineering Majors ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Experimental Group

This paper presents the results of two years of a three-year longitudinal study on the impact of design education on students’ design thinking and practice. Two engineering majors in a large research-intensive state university are being studied. The control group is a major focused on engineering mechanics. The experimental group is a mechanical engineering major that uses design as a context for its curriculum. A task-independent protocol analysis method grounded in the Function-Behavior-Structure design ontology is utilized to provide a common basis for comparing students across discipline and year. This study reports data collected at the beginning and at the end of students’ sophomore year, and at the end of their junior year. Students in the experimental group completed an introductory mechanical design course, while students in the control group had no formal design component in their curriculum. The results of analyzing and comparing the percent occurrences of design processes and problem-solution index from the protocol analysis of both cohorts are presented. These results provide an opportunity to investigate and understand how students’ design cognition is affected by a design course.

Function Modeling: A Modeling Behavior Analysis of Pause Patterns

2020 ◽  
Vol 142 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Apurva Patel ◽  
William S. Kramer ◽  
Michelle Flynn ◽  
Joshua D. Summers ◽  
Marissa L. Shuffler
Keyword(s):  
Design Problem ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Protocol Analysis ◽  
Modeling Process ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
New Research ◽  
Protocol Study ◽  
Modeling Behavior ◽  
Novel Design

Abstract This paper presents a behavior-based protocol study conducted with mechanical engineering students, where the participants developed function–structure models for a novel design problem. A modeling activity video was recorded for each participant and coded using a protocol analysis that captured the modeling sequence, actions, and elements. Pauses in the modeling process were analyzed to identify patterns based on pause time and frequency, the distribution of pauses over the modeling activity, and events preceding and following the pauses. In this study, a pause is characterized as an interruption in the modeling process lasting at least 2 s. Participants were found to spend an average of 38% of the modeling time in pauses, with more of it being allotted to the middle of the modeling activity and less toward the start and end. Three pause types are defined (short, intermediate, and long pauses) based on an analysis of pause lengths, which are then used to analyze events before and after pauses. Participants added elements to the model more frequently, compared to editing and deleting elements. Longer pauses were observed before participants before elements are removed from the model, whereas editing was done more frequently after shorter pauses. Several modeling element pairs are identified that are infrequently separated by pauses, such as the “edge” and “edge text” pair, suggesting that the designer thinks about these as paired elements rather than distinct elements. Limitations of the research methods are discussed, and finally, new research questions are identified as continuing work for this research.

A Pillar of Mechanical Engineering Design Education in Australia: 25 Years of the Warman Design and Build Competition

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Warren F. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Design ◽  
Design Education ◽  
Mechanical Engineering ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Student Assessment ◽  
National Committee ◽  
Engineering Design Education ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Institutional Learning ◽  
History Of

The “Warman Design and Build Competition”, running across Australasian Universities, is now in its 26th year in 2013. Presented in this paper is a brief history of the competition, documenting the objectives, yearly scenarios, key contributors and champion Universities since its beginning in 1988. Assuming the competition has reached the majority of mechanical and related discipline engineering students in that time, it is fair to say that this competition, as a vehicle of the National Committee on Engineering Design, has served to shape Australasian engineering education in an enduring way. The philosophy of the Warman Design and Build Competition and some of the challenges of running it are described in this perspective by its coordinator since 2003. In particular, the need is for the competition to work effectively across a wide range of student group ability. Not every group engaging with the competition will be competitive nationally, yet all should learn positively from the experience. Reported also in this paper is the collective feedback from the campus organizers in respect to their use of the competition as an educational experience in their classrooms. Each University participating uses the competition differently with respect to student assessment and the support students receive. However, all academic campus organizer responses suggest that the competition supports their own and their institutional learning objectives very well. While the project scenarios have varied widely over the years, the intent to challenge 2nd year university (predominantly mechanical) engineering students with an open-ended statement of requirements in a practical and experiential exercise has been a constant. Students are faced with understanding their opportunity and their client’s value system as expressed in a scoring algorithm. They are required to conceive, construct and demonstrate their device with limited prior knowledge and experience, and the learning outcomes clearly impact their appreciation for teamwork, leadership and product realization.

scholarly journals Design Integrated in the Mechanical Engineering Curriculum: Assessment of the Engineering Clinics

2007 ◽  
Vol 129 (7) ◽  
pp. 682-691 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Kadlowec ◽  
Krishnan Bhatia ◽  
Tirupathi R. Chandrupatla ◽  
John C. Chen ◽  
Eric Constans ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Survey Data ◽  
Mechanical Engineering ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Integrated Design ◽  
Curriculum Assessment ◽  
Rowan University ◽  
Core Courses ◽  
Team Environment ◽  
Design Skills ◽  
The Impact

At Rowan University, design has been infused into the curriculum through an eight-semester course sequence called the Engineering Clinics. Through this experience, students learn the art and science of design in a multidisciplinary team environment and hone their design skills throughout their 4-year career. This paper describes the objectives of the clinics, types of projects, and how the clinics complement traditional core courses in the curriculum. Impacts and benefits of the clinics on students and faculty are discussed, including retention and graduate study rates comparing Rowan University mechanical engineering students to their peers nationally. An assessment of the clinics is presented based on survey data and accreditation objectives and outcomes. Survey data from students were assessed to determine levels of students’ satisfaction and confidence based on the clinics. Results of alumni and employer surveys also provide valuable feedback for assessing and improving the clinics as well as confirmation of the impact of clinics after graduation. Survey data are discussed along with challenges of the clinics at Rowan and adaptability of them at other institutions. Overall, the clinics are a positive and integrated design experience in the curriculum and assist students in achieving the program objectives.

Understanding the Impact of Engineering Through Appropriate Technology Development

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nickey Janse van Rensburg ◽  
Z. Simpson ◽  
N. Malan
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Students ◽  
Design Thinking ◽  
Research Collaboration ◽  
Technology Development ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Appropriate Technology ◽  
Open Market ◽  
Market Growth ◽  
The Impact

This research describes a pilot project which aimed to introduce CDIO-type (Conceive-Design-Implement-Operate), project-based learning through a community-based project in a third year Material Science module. The project formed part of an agriculture research initiative, and relied on interdisciplinary research collaboration between engineering, social sciences, management, entrepreneurship, and industrial arts. The initiative seeks to develop an agribusiness solution that will create an open-market, growth-oriented food economy. As part of the initiative, engineering students, participating in teams, worked alongside a community of urban farmers, most of whom are working poor, so as to develop appropriate, intermediate technology/ies that could support the farmers. This was informed by the need to have students demonstrate high level understanding of disciplinary content, but also to engage in human-centered design thinking and practice.

The Impact of Team-Based Product Dissection on Design Novelty

2014 ◽  
Vol 136 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine A. Toh ◽  
Scarlett R. Miller ◽  
Gül E. Okudan Kremer
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Design ◽  
Design Education ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Design Method ◽  
Idea Generation ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Design Concepts ◽  
Engineering Design Education ◽  
Current Design ◽  
The Impact

Although design novelty is a critical area of research in engineering design, most research in this space has focused on understanding and developing formal idea generation methods instead of focusing on the impact of current design practices. This is problematic because formal techniques are often not adopted in industry due to the burdensome steps often included in these methods, which limit the practicality and adoption of these methods. This study seeks to understand the impact of product dissection, a design method widely utilized in academia and industry, on design novelty in order to produce recommendations for the use or alterations of this method for supporting novelty in design. To investigate the impact of dissection, a study was conducted with 76 engineering students who completed a team-based dissection of an electric toothbrush and then individually generated ideas. The relationships between involvement in the dissection activity, the product dissected, the novelty and quantity of the ideas developed were investigated. The results reveal that team members who were more involved in the dissection activity generated concepts that were more novel than those who did not. In addition, the type of the dissected product also had an influence on design novelty. Finally, a positive correlation between the number of ideas generated and the novelty of the design concepts was identified. The results from this study are used to provide recommendations for leveraging product dissection for enhancing novelty in engineering design education and practice.

scholarly journals (A132) Animals and Refugees

2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (S1) ◽  
pp. s37-s37
Author(s):  
G.V. Vroegindewey
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Mass Movement ◽  
Companion Animals ◽  
Internally Displaced ◽  
Benefit Evaluation ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Production Animals ◽  
Humanitarian Agency ◽  
The Impact

Disasters caused by natural and human-made hazards often result in mass-movement of populations. Within these movements, companion and production animals can have significant impacts on the internally displaced persons, refugees, and disaster managers. The humanitarian agency Sphere recently identified and highlighted the fact that animal welfare and protecting the livestock of rural communities (before and after disasters) is crucial to the survival of those disaster-impacted communities. Those who are faced with the decision to move will consider the impact and risk/benefit evaluation of housing, losing companion animals, or the loss of production animals necessary for food security and economic survival. Animal impacts also include the potential to spread zoonotic or animal transboundary diseases, raise security concerns within camps, loss of future breeding stock, feeding, housing, and maintaining accountability. Issues involved with animals and refugees in the evacuation decision process, during movement, and in ad hoc, developing, and mature refugee camps will be discussed.

Enhancing Visual Thinking in a Toy Design Course Using Freehand Sketching

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elkin Taborda ◽  
Senthil K. Chandrasegaran ◽  
Lorraine Kisselburgh ◽  
Tahira Reid ◽  
Karthik Ramani
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Students ◽  
Design Thinking ◽  
Design Tools ◽  
Visual Thinking ◽  
Engineering Knowledge ◽  
Principles Of Design ◽  
Toy Design ◽  
Future Work ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Creativity And Innovation

Engineering graduates in advancing economies are not only expected to have engineering knowledge, but also use them in creative and innovative ways. The importance of visual thinking has been critical for creativity and innovation in design. However, today’s engineering students are proficient in detailed design tools but lacking in conceptual design and ideation, and engineering curricula needs to develop a more effective framework for teaching visual thinking. In this paper, we report our efforts to embed principles of design thinking and visual thinking practices, like McKim’s “seeing, imagining and drawing” cycle [1]. We use a toy design course in mechanical engineering for our pilot study as a scaffold for introducing these principles in an engaging, creative, and fun environment. We introduced free-hand sketching as a tool for visual thinking during the design and communication of concepts. We also report the impact of these changes through information gleaned from student feedback surveys and analysis of design notebooks. We use our findings to propose ways to provide the students with a set of balanced techniques that help them in visual thinking, communication, and design. An improved implementation of this experience is discussed and future work is proposed to overcome barriers to thinking and communication.

scholarly journals THE EFFECT OF APPLYING SOCRATIVE ON STUDENTS’ READING ABILITY

JURNAL ELINK ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 48
Author(s):  
Riryn Fatmawaty ◽  
Sofi Nurhidayatus Sholihah
Keyword(s):  
Reading Ability ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Alternative Hypothesis ◽  
Female Students ◽  
Male Students ◽  
10Th Grade ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Experimental Type ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Academic Year

This study aimed to determine the impact of the application of socrative to the reading ability of students in industrial 4.0 era, where anything was done using the internet and computers. The method used in this study was the pre-experimental type One Group Pretest-Posttest. This method used a class that was used as the object of research. This research was conducted at SMK 1 Baureno located on Jl. Raya Kepohbaru Department No. 258, Baureno, Plumbungan, Bojonegoro. The object of this research was the 10th grade computer and network engineering students at SMK 1 Baureno. The number of students was 34 consisting of 17 male students and 17 female students. This research was conducted on February 5 through March 11, academic year 2019/2020. There were three activities carried out, namely pretest, treatment and posttest. The hypothesis accepted in this study was the alternative hypothesis (Ha). Because the results of this study indicated that the t-test of 34 students was 17,07 with a significant level of t-table 0,05. This mean that there were differences in the ability of students before and after treatment was given. And from the results of questionnaires that had been done that 10th grade students of computer and network technique at SMK 1 Baureno prefered to read online (using socrative) rather than reading offline. Keywords: Reading, socrative

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