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Session 3653

Freshman Problem Solving and the Basics - A Question of Importance

Patrick E. Devens Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University

Introduction

Freshman engineering, what is it all about? Is it about building a universal widget, developing better modes of transportation, creating and using new composites in previously unforeseen ways, or developing the next generation computer or Internet system? I believe the answer to each of these questions is “No”. Freshman engineering is not about all the wonderful things engineers have done, are doing, or will do in the future. Freshman engineering is about the basics.

Freshman engineering students tend to arrive on campus clueless about engineering. They, like many other university students, enter a world they have yet to understand. They seldom have more than a cursory knowledge of engineering. Typical freshman engineering advisors find that most freshmen picked engineering because they were told “engineers earn good money” and/or they like the prestige associated with being called an “engineer” or attending a “College of Engineering.” Few freshman engineering students have been exposed to engineering or have a knowledge of this field. Many are unaware of the different areas of engineering and most have no knowledge of the functions within each field.

Freshman engineering students also arrive with varied levels of knowledge and skills. Many have been challenged in high school and are well prepared. Others are quickly challenged by the demands of their new engineering environment. Their standards of performance vary, as does their understanding of problem-solving basics. For example, most students have taken high school chemistry and physics. But, student understanding of the scientific problem-solving method and the ability to apply the method to solve simple problems is dependent upon the emphasis placed on the topic by high school teachers. The same is true for other basic skills, such as unit conversions and significant digits.

As a result, topics such as "the engineering profession" and "the engineering problem-solving method" are integrated into initial freshman engineering courses. Engineering colleges have also assumed responsibility for ensuring freshman engineering students are well versed in basic engineering methods and skills. The question is whether we, freshman-engineering instructors, are overlooking systematic errors in our teachings and texts.

This paper addresses some systematic problems in teaching engineering problem-solving to freshman engineering students. The objective is to examine freshman engineering textbooks and teaching practices in terms of the engineering problem-solving method. In doing so, conflicts

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Devens, P. E. (2000, June), Freshman Problem Solving And The Basics A Question Of Importance Paper presented at 2000 Annual Conference, St. Louis, Missouri. 10.18260/1-2--8397