How Do I Choose? The Influence of Concept Selection Methods on Student Team Decision-Making

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xuan Zheng ◽  
Scarlett R. Miller
Keyword(s):  
Design Education ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
First Year ◽  
Thought Processes ◽  
Selection Methods ◽  
Concept Selection ◽  
Final Design ◽  
Team Decision ◽  
Design Ideas ◽  
Student Team

While research has been conducted to study the use of concept selection methods in design education, few studies have focused on the influence of these methods on individual students’ and teams’ thought processes in grade-dependent class projects. In order to fill this research gap, the current study was designed to compare the influence of two concept selection methods, the Concept Selection Matrix (CSM) and a new adjective assessment method called the Tool for Assessing Semantic Creativity (TASC), through an experimental study in two sections of a first year engineering design class. The results of the study show that while students were equally confident in the concept ratings from the CSM and TASC methods, they reported that they were more likely to select ideas ranked highly in the CSM method. However, subsequent analysis revealed no difference between the common elements in the ideas rated highly by the two methods and the final design ideas produced.

My Idea Is Best! Ownership Bias and its Influence on Engineering Concept Selection

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine A. Toh ◽  
Arti H. Patel ◽  
Andrew A. Strohmetz ◽  
Scarlett R. Miller
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Design ◽  
Design Education ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Selection Process ◽  
Concept Selection ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Design Concepts ◽  
Final Design ◽  
Process Factors ◽  
The Impact

Concept selection is considered one of the most crucial components of the engineering design process because the direction of the final design is largely determined at this stage. One of the most widely utilized techniques for filtering designs during this process involves informal review meetings where team members identify the designs that most closely satisfy the design goals. While this is often seen as an efficient process, factors such as ownership bias, or an unintentional preference for an individuals’ own ideas, and team member personality attributes may impact an individual’s decision-making process. However, few studies have explored the impact of these factors on concept selection. Therefore, an empirical study was conducted with 37 engineering students in order to investigate the effect of these attributes on the selection or filtering of design concepts in engineering education. The results from this study show that personality impacts the proportion of ideas selected, and that male students tend to select more of their own ideas (ownership bias) than their female counterparts who more often select their team member’s concepts. These results add to our understanding of the factors that impact the team concept selection process and provide empirical evidence of the occurrence of ownership bias in engineering design education.

The Effects of Gender and Idea Goodness on Ownership Bias in Engineering Design Education

2016 ◽  
Vol 138 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine A. Toh ◽  
Andrew A. Strohmetz ◽  
Scarlett R. Miller
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Design ◽  
Design Education ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Selection Process ◽  
Concept Selection ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Engineering Design Education ◽  
Final Design ◽  
The Impact

Concept selection is a critical stage of the engineering design process because of its potential to influence the direction of the final design. While formalized selection methods have been developed to increase its effectiveness and reduce human decision-making biases, research that understands these biases in more detail can provide a foundation for improving the selection process. One important bias that occurs during this process is ownership bias or an unintentional preference for an individual's own ideas over the ideas of others. However, few studies have explored ownership bias in a design setting and the influence of other factors such as the gender of the designer or the “goodness” of an idea. In order to understand the impact of these factors in engineering design education, a study was conducted with 110 engineering students. The results from this study show that male students tend to show ownership bias during concept selection by selecting more of their own ideas while female students tend to show the opposite bias, the Halo Effect, by selecting more of their team members' concepts. In addition, participants exhibited ownership bias for ideas that were considered good or high quality, but the opposite bias for ideas that were not considered good or high quality. These results add to our understanding of the factors that impact team concept selection and provide empirical evidence of the occurrence of ownership bias and the effects of gender and idea goodness in engineering design education.

scholarly journals Differences in echocardiography interpretation techniques among trainees and expert readers

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Roy Anderson ◽  
Sarah Blissett ◽  
Patricia O’Sullivan ◽  
Atif Qasim
Keyword(s):  
Diagnostic Accuracy ◽  
Systematic Approach ◽  
Qualitative Case Study ◽  
First Year ◽  
Educational Tool ◽  
Thought Processes ◽  
Advanced Imaging ◽  
Multiple Images ◽  
Novice Readers

Abstract Background Trainees learn transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) interpretation through independently completing and reviewing selected portions of the study with experts. The diagnostic accuracy of novice TTE interpretation is known to be low and schema for reading TTEs systematically are lacking. The purpose of our study is to identify techniques experts use while reading TTEs which could be used to more effectively teach novice readers. Methods We performed a prospective qualitative case study to observe how experts and trainees interpret TTEs in an academic institution using a concurrent think aloud (CTA) method. Three TTEs of intermediate complexity were given to 3 advanced imaging fellows, 3 first year fellows and 3 expert TTE readers Participants filled out a report while reading and described aloud their thought processes. Sessions were video and audiotaped for analysis. Results Experts and advanced fellows used specific techniques that novices did not including: previewing studies, reviewing multiple images simultaneously, having flexibility in image review order and disease coding, and saving hardest elements to code for the end. Direct observation of TTE reading informed trainee inefficiencies and was a well-received educational tool. Conclusions In this single centered study we identified several unique approaches experts use to interpret TTEs which may be teachable to novices. Although limited in generalizability the findings of this study suggests that a more systematic approach to TTE interpretation, using techniques found in experts, might be of significant value for trainees. Further study is needed to evaluate teaching practices at other institutions and to assess whether implementation of these techniques by novices improves can improve their diagnostic accuracy and efficiency of reading at an earlier stage in their training.

scholarly journals BSc curricula in Architecture A comparison of The Netherlands: TU-Delft, TU-Eindhoven; Switzerland: ETH- Zürich; Belgium: KU-Leuven; Germany: TU-Berlin; Denmark: Aalborg-University; Italy: Roma 3; Spain: ETSAM Madrid, Portugal: University of Coimbra.

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Willemijn Wilms Floet
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Design Education ◽  
First Year ◽  
Academic Education ◽  
Bachelor Of Science ◽  
Study Programme ◽  
Similarities And Differences ◽  
The Moment ◽  
Labor Specialization

At the moment the Faculty of Architecture in Delft counts over 3000 students. Yearly 600 first year fresh students were admitted until September 2011. A numerus clausus has already reduced this number to 450 and seems to work as a preventative measure. The current Delft agenda for the revision of the BSc curriculum is a triple one. The actualization of the ‘building assignment’ in the contemporary perspective of the profession is the first reason for reviewing the programme.  Sustainability and the shifted economic situation are changing the upcoming practice in scale, strategy and programme.  Virtual techniques and division of labor (specialization) are developing topics. The second reason for reflection is about shaking up ‘design education methodology’, which could be considered as periodical maintenance. The third and in fact leading reason for change comes from the political pressure to improve the ‘study success ‘ of our students.  In the Netherlands only 20 % of the university  grade students in technology succeeds to obtain the diploma for the three years BSc in four years’ time. The situation at our faculty is even worse: 17%. The aim is to improve this percentage up to 70%. The BSc curriculum will be restructured thoroughly from September 2013.   A national fund to promote and improve academic education in technology (WO Sprint) gave us the opportunity to carry out a comparative study on the curricula of schools of architecture as a mirror for our programme. Since 30 % of our MSc programme is composed of international students an European perspective is obvious.  Moreover, the final attainment level of the curricula is becoming a European matter. For the comparison we decided to select schools of architecture which are comparable to ours: education into a Bachelor of Science  (not a Bachelor in Arts), number of students and culture.   The questions we hope to answer are: What are the generalities and particularities, the similarities and differences of curricula  in Architecture? Which is the main content of the curricula? What is the main structure of the study programme? Which are the main (didactical) principles structuring the programme? Special attention is given to the content,  structure and organisation of design education.   Curricula are complex matters.  Most course programmes are a result of ‘faculty tradition’ and the backgrounds are not always explicit: for this comparison the principles were mainly interpreted from practice. Data were collected from a questionnaire,  course-descriptions, visitation reports and interviews with visiting teachers and international students studying in Delft. The curricula are mapped in diagrams, providing a very clear visual overview . The similarities and differences between schools of architecture are presented by a series of polarities as a range, structured in three categories: profile, programme structure, didactical principles.

Estimating Errors in Concept Selection

1995 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. N. Otto ◽  
Kristin L. Wood
Keyword(s):  
Error Propagation ◽  
Final Decision ◽  
Selection Methods ◽  
Concept Selection ◽  
Confidence Measure ◽  
Critical Design ◽  
Fundamental Causes ◽  
Design Alternatives ◽  
Degree Of Confidence ◽  
Numerical Concept

Abstract Numerical concept selection methods are used throughout industry to determine which among several design alternatives should be further developed. The results, however, are rarely believed at face value. Uncertainties (or errors) in subjective choices, modeling assumptions, and measurement are fundamental causes of this disbelief. This paper describes a methodology developed to predict overall error ranges, in addition to estimating a confidence measure in the numerical evaluation results. Each numerical assignment is given an associated error tolerance, and then treated as a probability error to create a simple means to propagate the uncertainties. A degree of confidence is also derived, similar to a statistical t-test, to indicate an induced confidence level in the final decision. Two preliminary concept selections are shown, to illustrate the methodology. Results from these concept selections indicate that (1) uncertainties can be suitably captured and quantified; (2) critical design questions are addressed during the process of numerical concept selection with error propagation; and (3) designers can make more informed and confident decisions through error estimation.

scholarly journals Does Personality Provide Indicators of Design Thinking Capacity?

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 80
Author(s):  
Kuan-Chen Tsai
Keyword(s):  
Design Education ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Design Thinking ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
First Year ◽  
Holistic View ◽  
Fast Learning ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Chinese Undergraduates

Design thinking takes an adaptive and holistic view toward product and user needs. It involves engaging in observation, fast learning, visualization, prototyping, and enhancing customer experience. Personality traits have been widely examined in the education field and at the same time design thinking is the main topic of design education. However, until now, there has been a lack of related studies investigating these two variables. As a result, the purpose of the current study is to examine the relationship between design thinking and personalities among Chinese design undergraduates. Convenience sampling was used to recruit 95 first-year Chinese fashion design college students in Taiwan. Two major findings were recorded. Based on zero-order correlations, some variables of personality and of design thinking were positively correlated among our Chinese undergraduates; however, taken as a whole, the structural equation modeling did not support this relationship. Further, age and gender did not play a role in these relationships. 

scholarly journals How Concept Selection Tools Impact the Development of Creative Ideas in Engineering Design Education

2018 ◽  
Vol 140 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xuan Zheng ◽  
Sarah C. Ritter ◽  
Scarlett R. Miller
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Engineering Design ◽  
Design Education ◽  
Cognitive Biases ◽  
Design Stage ◽  
Concept Selection ◽  
Engineering Design Education ◽  
Student Teams ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Selection Tools

Concept selection tools have been heavily integrated into engineering design education in an effort to reduce the risks and uncertainties of early-phase design ideas and aid students in the decision-making process. However, little research has examined the utility of these tools in promoting creative ideas or their impact on student team decision making throughout the conceptual design process. To fill this research gap, the current study was designed to compare the impact of two concept selection tools, the concept selection matrix (CSM) and the tool for assessing semantic creativity (TASC) on the average quality (AQL) and average novelty (ANV) of ideas selected by student teams at several decision points throughout an 8-week project. The results of the study showed that the AQL increased significantly in the detailed design stage, while the ANV did not change. However, this change in idea quality was not significantly impacted by the concept selection tool used, suggesting other factors may impact student decision making and the development of creative ideas. Finally, student teams were found to select ideas ranked highly in concept selection tools only when these ideas met their expectations, indicating that cognitive biases may be significantly impeding decision making.

Helping Teams Expand the Breadth of Their Solution Space Through Product Dissection: A Simulation Based Investigation

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Alsager Alzayed ◽  
Christopher McComb ◽  
Samuel T. Hunter ◽  
Scarlett R. Miller
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Design ◽  
Design Education ◽  
Computational Simulation ◽  
Effective Means ◽  
Solution Space ◽  
First Year ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Engineering Design Education ◽  
Simulation Based ◽  
The Impact

Product dissection has been highlighted as an effective means of interacting with example products in order to produce creative outcomes. While product dissection is often conducted as a team in engineering design education as a component of larger engineering design projects, the research on the effectiveness of product dissection activities has been primarily limited to individuals. Thus, the goal of this study was to investigate the impact of the type(s) of product dissected in a team environment on the breadth of the design space explored and the underlying influence of educational level on these effects. This was accomplished through a computational simulation of 7,000 nominal brainstorming teams generated by a statistical bootstrapping technique that accounted for all possible team configurations. Specifically, each team was composed of four team members based on a design repository of 463 ideas generated by first-year and senior engineering design students after a product dissection activity. The results of the study highlight that simulated senior engineering design teams explored a larger solution space than simulated first-year teams and that dissecting different types of products allowed for the exploration of a larger solution space for all of the teams. The results also showed that dissecting two analogically far and two simple products was most effective in expanding the solution space for simulated senior teams. The findings presented in this study can lead to a better understanding of how to most effectively deploy product dissection modules in engineering design education in order to maximize the solution space explored.

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