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Making Problem-Solving in Engineering-Mechanics Visible to First-Year Engineering Students

Making Problem-Solving in Engineering-Mechanics Visible to First-Year Engineering Students AbstractAn exploratory study was undertaken to investigate the conceptual knowledge and problem-solving skills of first-year engineering-mechanics students at the University of Auckland, Faculty of Engineering. Thirty five students participated in the study to analyse and measure the effect of a structured (heuristic) problem-solving strategy. By collecting and analysing both qualitative and quantitative data, a new problem-solving framework is developed. Implemented through a graphical organiser that enabled students to organise their qualitative knowledge and then apply it effectively in problem-solving. Through ANOVA, the effectiveness of this structured approach on problem-solving performance is measured. The average effect size measured d = 0.69 ± 0.05, and the average score increased by 12% ± 2% between the treatment and control groups. This increase was statistically significant at the 0.05 level. Overall this strategy is educational effective on dynamics curricula that the intervention was applied to, but was not transferred successfully to topics excluded from the strategy intervention. In conclusion, the research findings reported here imply that to enhance problem-solving performance, first-year students should focus their practice on the essential skills that they may lack; namely, qualitative knowledge and meta-cognitive skills. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Australasian Journal of Engineering Education Taylor & Francis

Making Problem-Solving in Engineering-Mechanics Visible to First-Year Engineering Students

Paton, R
Australasian Journal of Engineering Education , Volume 16 (2): 15 – Jan 1, 2010
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Making Problem-Solving in Engineering-Mechanics Visible to First-Year Engineering Students

Abstract

AbstractAn exploratory study was undertaken to investigate the conceptual knowledge and problem-solving skills of first-year engineering-mechanics students at the University of Auckland, Faculty of Engineering. Thirty five students participated in the study to analyse and measure the effect of a structured (heuristic) problem-solving strategy. By collecting and analysing both qualitative and quantitative data, a new problem-solving framework is developed. Implemented through a graphical...
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Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Copyright
© Australasian Association of Engineering Education
ISSN
1325-4340
eISSN
2205-4952
DOI
10.1080/22054952.2010.11464045
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

AbstractAn exploratory study was undertaken to investigate the conceptual knowledge and problem-solving skills of first-year engineering-mechanics students at the University of Auckland, Faculty of Engineering. Thirty five students participated in the study to analyse and measure the effect of a structured (heuristic) problem-solving strategy. By collecting and analysing both qualitative and quantitative data, a new problem-solving framework is developed. Implemented through a graphical organiser that enabled students to organise their qualitative knowledge and then apply it effectively in problem-solving. Through ANOVA, the effectiveness of this structured approach on problem-solving performance is measured. The average effect size measured d = 0.69 ± 0.05, and the average score increased by 12% ± 2% between the treatment and control groups. This increase was statistically significant at the 0.05 level. Overall this strategy is educational effective on dynamics curricula that the intervention was applied to, but was not transferred successfully to topics excluded from the strategy intervention. In conclusion, the research findings reported here imply that to enhance problem-solving performance, first-year students should focus their practice on the essential skills that they may lack; namely, qualitative knowledge and meta-cognitive skills.

Journal

Australasian Journal of Engineering Education – Taylor & Francis

Published: Jan 1, 2010

Keywords: Engineering-mechanics; structured problem-solving; engineering educational research; conceptual knowledge; first-year engineering students; qualitative knowledge; problem-solving performance; graphical organizer; enhance problem-solving performance

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