Correlating the Student Engineer’s Design Process with Emotional Intelligence

Ryan H. Koontz; Daniel F. Dolan; Kimberly Karen Osberg

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Conference: 2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access
Location: Virtual On line
Publication Date: June 22, 2020
Start Date: June 22, 2020
End Date: June 26, 2021
Conference Session: Relationships Between Skills and Knowledge Domains
Tagged Division: Liberal Education/Engineering & Society
Page Count: 15
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--34337
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/34337
Download Count: 439

Paper Authors

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Ryan H. Koontz South Dakota School of Mines and Technology orcid.org/0000-0003-2564-7209

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Ryan Koontz received his Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1999 and an M.S. degree in mechanical engineering in 2002 from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (SDSMT). In 2004, Ryan joined the Center of Excellence for Advanced Multi-Disciplinary Projects (CAMP) as the manufacturing specialist. He currently instructs students of CAMP through the design and manufacturing process and helps produce parts for the co-curricular teams of CAMP. He completed in 2017 his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at SDSMT, focusing on student development and design thinking.

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Daniel F. Dolan South Dakota School of Mines and Technology

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Dr. Dolan joined the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology Mechanical Engineering Department in 1981. In 1997 he was instrumental in forming CAMP, now the Center for Advanced Multidisciplinary Projects, which he directs.

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Kimberly Karen Osberg South Dakota School of Mines and Technology

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Kimberly Osberg, Associate Director for the Center for Advanced Multi-disciplinary Projects (CAMP). Kim earned her B.S. from South Dakota State University in 1995 and is pursuing her M.S. from USD as well. Kim has spent much of her post graduate work in the area of Student Development, Leadership and Emotional Intelligence.

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Abstract

This paper presents research into the possible relationships between how an engineering student completes a design problem and their emotional intelligence. Information gathered from the cognitive design process was correlated with the students' emotional intelligence score as measured by the EQi-2.0 assessment.

The EQi-2.0 assessment is a self-report of an individual's trait emotional intelligence (EI). Emotional intelligence is a tool used to bring about self-reflection and indicates how individuals navigate and overcome common challenges.

The engineering design process has long been established as a set of steps that an individual or team needs to accomplish to complete a design. Although this process is an iterative process, it is taught as a linear set of steps to complete a design. Research shows that the actual process completed by an individual is more complicated than a linear set of steps.

In this paper, the EQi-2.0 assessment was administered to each participant. This evaluation generated 21 scales measuring trait emotional intelligence for each individual. Verbal protocol analysis was used to document the design process of each participant. Each student was asked to solve a design problem in a think-aloud manner. The transcripts of these design sessions were segmented and coded with a predetermined coding scheme. Design variables generated from the coded transcripts were used to compare the design process with the emotional intelligence scores.

Correlations between the design process and EI were found: (1) time spent modeling with the difference of emotional self-awareness and emotional expression, r = -.561, n = 37, p = .0003; (2) activity transition rate with the difference between problem solving and stress tolerance, r = .495, n = 37, p = .002; and (3) total time completing the design with the difference of problem solving and interpersonal relationships, r = .500, n = 37, p = .002, frame some of the strongest correspondences.

Our research reveals a possible connection between how an individual tackles an open-ended design problem and their emotional intelligence scores. Although we can not imply cause and effect, this potential link could be used to facilitate the instruction of design principles.

Citation
Format

Koontz, R. H., & Dolan, D. F., & Osberg, K. K. (2020, June), Correlating the Student Engineer’s Design Process with Emotional Intelligence Paper presented at 2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access, Virtual On line . 10.18260/1-2--34337

TY - CPAPER
AB - This paper presents research into the possible relationships between how an engineering student completes a design problem and their emotional intelligence. Information gathered from the cognitive design process was correlated with the students&#39; emotional intelligence score as measured by the EQi-2.0 assessment.

The EQi-2.0 assessment is a self-report of an individual&#39;s trait emotional intelligence (EI). Emotional intelligence is a tool used to bring about self-reflection and indicates how individuals navigate and overcome common challenges.

The engineering design process has long been established as a set of steps that an individual or team needs to accomplish to complete a design. Although this process is an iterative process, it is taught as a linear set of steps to complete a design. Research shows that the actual process completed by an individual is more complicated than a linear set of steps.

In this paper, the EQi-2.0 assessment was administered to each participant. This evaluation generated 21 scales measuring trait emotional intelligence for each individual. Verbal protocol analysis was used to document the design process of each participant. Each student was asked to solve a design problem in a think-aloud manner. The transcripts of these design sessions were segmented and coded with a predetermined coding scheme. Design variables generated from the coded transcripts were used to compare the design process with the emotional intelligence scores.

Correlations between the design process and EI were found: (1) time spent modeling with the difference of emotional self-awareness and emotional expression, r = -.561, n = 37, p = .0003; (2) activity transition rate with the difference between problem solving and stress tolerance, r = .495, n = 37, p = .002; and (3) total time completing the design with the difference of problem solving and interpersonal relationships, r = .500, n = 37, p = .002, frame some of the strongest correspondences.

Our research reveals a possible connection between how an individual tackles an open-ended design problem and their emotional intelligence scores. Although we can not imply cause and effect, this potential link could be used to facilitate the instruction of design principles.

AU - Ryan H. Koontz
AU - Daniel F. Dolan
AU - Kimberly Karen Osberg
CY - Virtual On line
DA - 2020/06/22
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Correlating the Student Engineer’s Design Process with Emotional Intelligence
UR - https://peer.asee.org/34337
DO - 10.18260/1-2--34337
ER -