Engineering Habits of Mind: How EE Majors Talk About Their Knowledge of Circuits
- Conference
- Location
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Salt Lake City, Utah
- Publication Date
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June 23, 2018
- Start Date
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June 23, 2018
- End Date
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July 27, 2018
- Conference Session
- Tagged Division
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Electrical and Computer
- Page Count
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11
- DOI
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10.18260/1-2--30410
- Permanent URL
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https://peer.asee.org/30410
- Download Count
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1028
Paper Authors
Nicole P. Pitterson
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
orcid.org/0000-0001-9221-1574
Nicole is an assistant professor in the Department of Engineering Education at Virginia Tech. Prior to joining the faculty at VT she worked as a postdoctoral scholar at Oregon State University. She holds a PhD in Engineering Education from Purdue University and other degrees in Manufacturing Engineering from Western Illinois University and a B.Sc. in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the University of Technology, Jamaica. Her research interest is eliciting conceptual understanding of AC circuit concepts using active learning strategies.
Natasha Perova-Mello Purdue University, West Lafayette
Natasha Perova-Mello is currently a Postdoctoral researcher at Oregon State University in the School of Civil and Construction engineering. She recieved Ph.D. in Engineering Education from Purdue University. She previously worked at the Harvard Graduate School of Education as a Research Assistant focusing on students’ learning algebra and also taught an introductory physics course at Suffolk University, Boston, Mass. Before that, she worked as a Graduate Research Assistant at the Center for Engineering Educational and Outreach at Tufts University, Medford, Mass. Natasha received her M.S. in mathematics, science, technology, and engineering education in 2008, M.S. in electrical engineering in 2005 from Tufts University, and B.S. in electrical engineering from Suffolk University.
Ruth A. Streveler Purdue University, West Lafayette
Ruth A. Streveler is a Professor in the School of Engineering Education at Purdue University. Dr. Streveler has been the Principal Investigator or co-Principal Investigator of ten grants funded by the US National Science Foundation. She has published articles in the Journal of Engineering Education and the International Journal of Engineering Education and has contributed to the Cambridge Handbook of Engineering Education Research. She has presented workshops to over 500 engineering faculty on four continents. Dr. Streveler’s primary research interests are investigating students’ understanding of difficult concepts in engineering science and helping engineering faculty conduct rigorous research in engineering education. In 2015, Dr. Streveler was inducted as an ASEE Fellow.
Abstract
The preparation of future engineers is often characterized as ensuring students possess technical knowledge and the ability to apply that knowledge to solve problems. Researchers often advocate that emphasis is placed on using instructional strategies aimed at improving the way students develop this technical knowledge, and that they are provided opportunities to use it. Also, the goal of engineering and science education is to encourage students to employ various modes of thinking about concepts rather than passively duplicate what they have been exposed to. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the spontaneous habits of mind demonstrated by undergraduate electrical engineering students when asked to explain the phenomena of electric current in basic circuits. Engineering habits of mind are defined as a unique set of values, skills and attitudes associated with engineering depicted by one’s ability to make informed choices when faced with uncertainty in problem solving. The habits of mind framework used to guide this study was first published in the Project 2061 initiative led by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and further developed by the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). This exploratory work was guided by the following question: What habits of mind do undergraduate electrical engineering students use when answering conceptual questions about electric current? The data for this study were student interviews conducted using a think aloud protocol. The questions on the protocol were aimed at uncovering students’ conceptual knowledge and possible misconceptions about basic circuit concepts. The findings from this work can potentially address key questions relating to curriculum design in engineering as well as to suggest ways in which teaching in engineering classrooms can be improved for maximum benefit to both instructors and students.
Pitterson, N. P., & Perova-Mello, N., & Streveler, R. A. (2018, June), Engineering Habits of Mind: How EE Majors Talk About Their Knowledge of Circuits Paper presented at 2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Salt Lake City, Utah. 10.18260/1-2--30410
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