The Relationship Between Fixation and Originality in Undergraduate Mechanical Engineering Students

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander LeGendre ◽  
Trina C. Kershaw ◽  
Rebecca L. Peterson ◽  
Sankha Bhowmick
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Engineering ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Inverse Correlation ◽  
Current Work ◽  
Next Generation ◽  
Common Features ◽  
Design Fixation ◽  
Engineering Program ◽  
The Relationship

The goal of the current work was to supplement our existing work on creativity with work on a key design hurdle: fixation. Design fixation was measured based on six features of a litter collector that was used as a physical example for students who were asked to design a ‘next generation litter collector’. We found that certain example features occurred more commonly than others. If less common features were present in a design, chances were greater that the design was highly fixated. Across the Mechanical Engineering program, mean fixation decreased for seniors compared to other students. Fixation and originality had an inverse correlation, although less so for seniors compared to freshmen. This is the first study that may provide insights into how design fixation can impede originality.

The Influence of Physical Examples on Originality and Fixation in Engineering Design

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher C. Simmons ◽  
Trina C. Kershaw ◽  
Alexander LeGendre ◽  
Sankha Bhowmick
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Design ◽  
Significant Relationship ◽  
Mechanical Engineering ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Garbage Collection ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Design Approach ◽  
Engineering Program ◽  
The Relationship

Improving creativity in engineering design continues to be a challenge. The relationship between fixation and creativity within engineering is mixed, as engineers desire to be innovative, yet are usually working from their existing knowledge to redesign existing products. In the current study, we wanted to examine the influence of physical examples on originality and fixation at the freshmen and senior level in a Mechanical Engineering program. We compared concepts for garbage collection systems generated by two groups — one provided with an example product (Example group), and another who did not receive an example product (No Example group). Using metrics established in prior publications, we found that seniors had higher levels of originality than freshmen whether an example product was received or not, reinforcing our previous findings. Fixation scores were higher for the group that did have an example. Receiving an example product was not a predictor of originality on its own, but did interact with curriculum and fixation level. Within the group that received an example product, there was a negative relationship between fixation and originality, particularly for the seniors. Within the group that did not receive an example product, there was no significant relationship between fixation and originality. Further analysis of our results are required to delineate how not receiving an example product influences design approach in freshmen and senior engineering students.

Improving Novelty and Quality During Introductory Mechanical Design Competitions

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniela Faas ◽  
Shuya Gong
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Engineering ◽  
Mechanical Design ◽  
Small Range ◽  
Improve Design ◽  
Design Fixation ◽  
Design Objective ◽  
Advanced Planning ◽  
Design Competition ◽  
The Relationship

This study explores whether changing design objectives during introductory mechanical engineering courses would improve design novelty and quality when these courses offer a competition element. Design fixation can occur when students are presented with the same design objective because the institutionalized “best” solutions are transferred from semester to semester and student to student. Design competitions are a popular way to teach the design and construction components, often with a focus on robotics. Some competitions are newly designed and rebuilt every single semester, requiring advanced planning and often high budgets. Others reuse a similar competition from year to year without any changes to the design objectives. This paper tries to answer whether or not students are building more novel designs when the competition changes from semester to semester. In this study, robots from four different configurations for a design-and-build activity were analyzed. The unchanged design prompt and 3 semesters of different design prompts were included in the study. The evaluations of the robots were based on the performance of the robots, the type and quality of the designs, and the relationship between the design competition and the robots. Results from this study suggest that changing design objectives (i.e. challenges found in a robotic competition) allows for a wider variation in the designs. While the average novelty did not change, students were no longer limited to and fixated on a very small range of designs.

scholarly journals Self Evaluation for Compliance with the 12 CDIO Standards

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
George Platanitis ◽  
Remon Pop-Iliev
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Engineering ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Engineering Ethics ◽  
Engineering Curriculum ◽  
Engineering Programs ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
Self Evaluation ◽  
Engineering Program

Throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s, collaboration began between universities, industry, and government to improve the quality and state of engineering education. Their paramount goal was to provide better ways to help students become successful engineers, possessing the necessary technical skills and expertise, exhibiting creativity, and having awareness of social, lawful, ethical, and environmental impacts as related to their profession. Traditionally, engineering programs emphasized the theoretical aspects required, while placing little emphasis on practical applications. An approach that has been introduced to provide a better learning experience for engineering students and to educate them as well-rounded engineers to be able to develop complex, value-added engineering products and processes is the CDIO (Conceive-Design-Implement-Operate) approach. This approach has been adopted by several universities within their engineering departments. At UOIT, the Mechanical Engineering curriculum has been developed around and continually evolves to line up with the goals of CDIO in terms of course and curriculum offerings for core and complementary engineering design courses, science, math, communications, engineering ethics, and humanities courses. Herein, we present an evaluation of the Mechanical Engineering program at UOIT against the twelve CDIO standards.

scholarly journals A study on the effects of example familiarity and modality on design fixation

2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 171-184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vimal Viswanathan ◽  
Megan Tomko ◽  
Julie Linsey
Keyword(s):  
Energy Source ◽  
Design Problem ◽  
Mechanical Engineering ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Feasible Solution ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Design Fixation ◽  
Design Concepts ◽  
Novel Design

AbstractDesign fixation is a factor that negatively influences the generation of novel design concepts (Jansson & Smith, 1991). When designers fixate, they tend to reproduce example features or features from their initial ideas. In order to mitigate design fixation, it is crucial to identify the factors that influence the extent of design fixation. This paper investigates two such factors: the modality of examples and the familiarity of designers with the example features. To investigate this, an experiment is conducted with mechanical engineering students who were asked to generate ideas to solve a peanut sheller design problem. The students generated ideas in five different experimental conditions: control, where no example was given; the first example given in a sketch form; the first example given as a nonfunctional prototype; a second example in sketch form; and the second example in a working prototype form. The first example was a nonfeasible solution, but it contained several features familiar to the participants. The second example was a feasible solution, but it contained less familiar features. In order to understand the extent of fixation triggered by the examples, three metrics were utilized to compare across the experimental conditions: the quantity of nonredundant ideas generated by the participants, the presence of example features in their solutions, and their fixation to the example's energy source. The results showed that in the case of the familiar example, the example modality did play an important role in the extent of design fixation. Across the examples, it was found that the first example containing several familiar features caused more fixation than the second one. Overall, this paper shows that the modality in which the example was communicated and the presence of familiar features in an example influenced the fixation caused by those examples.

scholarly journals ¿Cómo enfrentan los estudiantes de nuevo ingreso en ingeniería el estrés académico?

2019 ◽  
pp. 10-20
Author(s):  
Ana María Soto-Hernández ◽  
Rosa Gabriela Camero-Berrones ◽  
María Olivia Meraz-Gámez ◽  
Otilia Georgina Maldonado-Soto
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Statistical Analysis ◽  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Academic Stress ◽  
Technological Institute ◽  
Engineering Program ◽  
Planning And Management ◽  
Management Of Resources ◽  
The Relationship

This paper presents the results obtained from the statistical analysis on a block of 27 responses that 1581 students manifested in the process of admission to the engineering program in a technological institute. The questions were related to the behaviors, habits and attitudes that the students had in relation to: 1) the planning and management of resources for learning, 2) their positive reevaluation, and 3) their search for social support; as coping strategies for academic stress and the relationship with their Mathematicas performance. The results showed that engineering students predominantly use the first strategy and the second strategy in the background. 23 of 27 items showed correlation with performance in Mathematics.

scholarly journals PELATIHAN MENGGUNAKAN SOFTWARE MATHCAD BAGI MAHASISWA PROGRAM STUDI TEKNIK MESIN UNIVERSITAS MUHAMMADIYAH PONTIANAK

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Gunarto .
Keyword(s):  
Community Service ◽  
Mechanical Engineering ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Software Training ◽  
Direct Practice ◽  
Engineering Program ◽  
Engineering Mathematics ◽  
Basic Calculus ◽  
Mathcad Software ◽  
Advanced Calculus

The purpose of this community service was to train students of Mechanical Engineering Program University of Muhammadiyah Pontianak in using MATHCAD software. This training aims to support the courses of Basic Calculus, Advanced Calculus, Basic Engineering Mathematics,  Advanced Engineering Mathematics and to improve the ability of Mechanical Engineering students about software MATHCAD. The program included preparation, training, and reporting. As the program ended, understanding of training participants in using this software is able to apply independently by direct practice with MATHCAD software properly. Keywords: engineering, MATHCAD, mathematics, software, training

Perlaksanaan Kaedah Pembelajaran Berasaskan Projek dalam Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran Kaedah Fiqh

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 14-23
Author(s):  
Mohd Aderi Che Noh ◽  
Normurni Mohamad ◽  
Adibah Hasanah Abd Halim ◽  
Absha Atiah Abu Bakar
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Mechanical Engineering ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Narrative Form ◽  
Learning Methods ◽  
Engineering Program ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
Interview Methods

This study aims to see the implementation of project based learning methods (PBL) implemented by lecturers in the Science, Technology and Engineering P&P processes in Islam as an effort to enhance students' understanding in the Fiqh Method. Respondents in this study were students of second semester, Diploma of Mechanical Engineering program, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Politeknik Banting. Observation and interview methods are used for data collection purposes. The data were analyzed descriptively and presented in narrative form. The findings show that PBL activity is a fun and enjoyable P&P activity for students. Abstrak Kajian  ini  bertujuan  untuk  melihat  perlaksanaan  kaedah  pembelajaran  berasaskan  projek  (PBL)  yang dilaksanakan  oleh  pensyarah  dalam  proses  P&P Sains,  Teknologi  dan  kejuruteraan  dalam  Islam  sebagai usaha  meningkatkan  kefahaman  pelajar  pelajar  dalam  tajuk  Kaedah Fiqh.  Responden  dalam  kajian  ini adalah   terdiri   daripada   pelajar   semester   dua   progran   Diploma   Kejuruteraan   Mekanikal,   Jabatan Kejuruteraan  Mekanikal,  Politeknik  Banting.  Kaedah  pemerhatian  dan  temu  bual  digunakan  bagi  tujuan pengutipan data. Data dianalisis secara deskriptif dan dipersembahkan dalam bentuk naratif. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan aktiviti PBL merupakan aktiviti P&P yang disukai dan menyeronokkan bagi para pelajar.

Glaube und Vernunft

2015 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-65
Author(s):  
Birgit Sandkaulen
Keyword(s):  
Theoretical Approach ◽  
Human Mind ◽  
German Philosophy ◽  
Faith And Reason ◽  
Common Features ◽  
The Relationship

The question of the relationship between faith and reason marks one of the fundamental issues for classical German philosophy. The paper is guided by a systematic interest in identifying some common features in the approaches taken by Kant and Hegel that are also of interest for the contemporary discussion: 1. The specific modernity of Kant’s and Hegel’s considerations, evident in their rejection of the resources traditionally appealed to by religion and rationalist metaphysics; 2. the anti-naturalist conviction that, in contrast to animals, a metaphysical dimension is inscribed into the human mind; and 3. the thesis that metaphysical questions are existential questions arising from an impulse toward freedom, and hence that a purely theoretical approach is inadequate to address them.

A comparison of the changes in the patterns of the usage and categorization of the classifier ‘ben 本’ in Korean, Chinese, and Japanese

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-51
Author(s):  
Jeong-A Jo
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Differences ◽  
Chinese Character ◽  
Chinese Characters ◽  
Common Features ◽  
The World ◽  
The Common ◽  
Korean Chinese ◽  
The Relationship

This study aims to examine the common features and differences in how the Chinese-character classifier ‘ ben 本’ is used in Chinese, Korean, and Japanese, and will explore the factors that have affected the categorization processes and patterns of the classifier ‘ ben 本.’ Consideration of the differences in the patterns of usage and categorization of the same Chinese classifier in different languages enables us to look into the perception of the world and the socio cultural differences inherent in each language, the differences in the perception of Chinese characters, and the relationship between classifiers.

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