Is the Answer Reasonable or Ridiculous? Common Factors among Students Who Display High Engineering Intuition on Technology-aided Solutions

Elif Miskioglu; Kaela M Martin

Download Paper | Permalink

Conference: 2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Publication Date: June 24, 2017
Start Date: June 24, 2017
End Date: June 28, 2017
Conference Session: Computing Technology Session 2
Tagged Division: Computers in Education
Page Count: 9
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--28592
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/28592
Download Count: 559

Paper Authors

biography

Elif Miskioglu Bucknell University

visit author page

Elif Miskioglu is currently an Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering at Bucknell University. She graduated from Ohio State University in 2015 with a PhD in Chemical Engineering, and is interested in student learning in engineering.

visit author page

biography

Kaela M Martin Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Prescott

visit author page

Kaela Martin is an Assistant Professor of Aerospace Engineering at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Prescott Campus. She graduated from Purdue University with a PhD in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering and is interested in increasing classroom engagement and student learning.

visit author page

Download Paper | Permalink

Abstract

Much of modern day engineering problem solving is completed with the aid of technology. While complex calculations can now be performed with minimal effort, it is essential that our students be able to evaluate whether the solution is “reasonable or ridiculous.” Development of this kind of “engineering intuition” is a somewhat vague, but critical, teaching goal. For example, oftentimes students complete computer simulations without questioning if the assumptions or results are practical. We are interested in the common factors among students who display high engineering intuition, in an effort to better understand how we may foster this skill in all students. Factors considered include: major, career aspirations, engineering internship experience, military service, learning preferences, overall GPA, engineering GPA, and overall homework score. These factors were analyzed against answers to open-ended questions at the end of technology-based problems designed to push students to evaluate the practicality of their results.

It was found previously that internship experience and overall GPA are indicators of providing the correct reasoning for a simulation problem. Especially interesting are “stretch” problems which require students to take extra measures by performing additional calculations, not just report on the feasibility of a scenario after having done the initial problem calculation. Success on stretch problem showed close correlation with overall GPA, with high GPA students more likely to attempt and correctly answer the problem, and low GPA students unlikely to attempt.

For this study, data on student responses to “stretch” simulations questions (ability to identify and justify whether a simulated case requiring additional calculations is practical) is being collected at multiple points during the semester. As the complexity of problems being solved increases throughout the term, there is a greater likelihood of observing differences among students in ability to assess the practicality of a situation and identifying commonalities among successful or unsuccessful students.

The study consists of one section of an undergraduate course in chemical engineering at a small East Coast university and one section of an undergraduate course in aerospace engineering at a small Southwestern university taught by two different instructors during fall 2016 (data collection underway, complete results will be available by full submission dates). The study will also be conducted in spring 2017 with one section at each university with results available by June 2017.

These results will inform future avenues of study, and eventually, after multiple semesters of evaluation are complete, we will propose a new course model that helps students question their results and gives a better understanding of how to teach “engineering intuition” to students.

Citation
Format

Miskioglu, E., & Martin, K. M. (2017, June), Is the Answer Reasonable or Ridiculous? Common Factors among Students Who Display High Engineering Intuition on Technology-aided Solutions Paper presented at 2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Columbus, Ohio. 10.18260/1-2--28592

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - Much of modern day engineering problem solving is completed with the aid of technology. While complex calculations can now be performed with minimal effort, it is essential that our students be able to evaluate whether the solution is “reasonable or ridiculous.” Development of this kind of “engineering intuition” is a somewhat vague, but critical, teaching goal. For example, oftentimes students complete computer simulations without questioning if the assumptions or results are practical. We are interested in the common factors among students who display high engineering intuition, in an effort to better understand how we may foster this skill in all students. Factors considered include: major, career aspirations, engineering internship experience, military service, learning preferences, overall GPA, engineering GPA, and overall homework score. These factors were analyzed against answers to open-ended questions at the end of technology-based problems designed to push students to evaluate the practicality of their results. 

It was found previously that internship experience and overall GPA are indicators of providing the correct reasoning for a simulation problem. Especially interesting are “stretch” problems which require students to take extra measures by performing additional calculations, not just report on the feasibility of a scenario after having done the initial problem calculation. Success on stretch problem showed close correlation with overall GPA, with high GPA students more likely to attempt and correctly answer the problem, and low GPA students unlikely to attempt.

For this study, data on student responses to “stretch” simulations questions (ability to identify and justify whether a simulated case requiring additional calculations is practical) is being collected at multiple points during the semester. As the complexity of problems being solved increases throughout the term, there is a greater likelihood of observing differences among students in ability to assess the practicality of a situation and identifying commonalities among successful or unsuccessful students. 

The study consists of one section of an undergraduate course in chemical engineering at a small East Coast university and one section of an undergraduate course in aerospace engineering at a small Southwestern university taught by two different instructors during fall 2016 (data collection underway, complete results will be available by full submission dates). The study will also be conducted in spring 2017 with one section at each university with results available by June 2017.

These results will inform future avenues of study, and eventually, after multiple semesters of evaluation are complete, we will propose a new course model that helps students question their results and gives a better understanding of how to teach “engineering intuition” to students.

AU  - Elif Miskioglu
AU  - Kaela M Martin
CY  - Columbus, Ohio
DA  - 2017/06/24
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Is the Answer Reasonable or Ridiculous? Common Factors among Students Who Display High Engineering Intuition on Technology-aided Solutions
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/28592
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--28592
ER  -