Methods for Assessing Epistemic Identities: Student Representations of Design and Engineering Practice

Micah Lande

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Conference: 2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Publication Date: June 15, 2014
Start Date: June 15, 2014
End Date: June 18, 2014
ISSN: 2153-5965
Conference Session: Student Learning, Problem Solving, & Critical Thinking 1
Tagged Division: Educational Research and Methods
Page Count: 11
Page Numbers: 24.902.1 - 24.902.11
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--22835
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/22835
Download Count: 435

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Paper Authors

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Micah Lande Arizona State University, Polytechnic campus

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Dr. Micah Lande teaches human-centered design innovation at Arizona State University and researches how engineers learn and apply a design process to their work. He is an assistant professor in the Department of Engineering on Arizona State University's Polytechnic campus.

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Abstract

Methods for Assessing Epistemic Identities: Student Representations of Design and Engineering Practice (Paper Type: Research) Traditionally, engineering design is taught as a tool for synthesis and integration ofengineering content knowledge for students in capstone courses. These engineering designcourses are usually successful, in that the students do well, they come up with innovativesolutions, and they are satisfied with their school experience and feel ready for the real world.But, what is the evidence that students have actually learned and can apply their design andengineering learning successfully for synthesis and integration? What are the student’s ownunderstandings of the design process and engineering design practice? How might they conceiveof their own engineering and design epistemic identities? This work investigates these questions. Evidence of how design and engineering activities change over time as well as how first-year Master’s students in Mechanical Engineering conceptualize design and engineering willcome from a project-based learning design course. Students were queried at the beginning,middle and end of the course for 1) concept map of their typical design process, and 2)representations of what a designer and an engineer do at work, and 3) conceptions of engineeringand design. Items were given out in survey form and participants answered questions by hand.Approximately 30 questionnaires were collected at each stage. Students were asked to draw their “typical design process.” Models of design areprevalent in textbooks and literature. Once in action though, design practitioners often synthesizeand adapt their own experiences and learning into a mental model of their design process. Studyof novice and expert designers have generated insight into these. By asking students to drawtheir typical design process it was hoped that the authors could approximate the students’ mentalmodel. For many years researchers have used the Draw-A-Scientist Test to get at students’perceptions of that field. Based on recent work developing a Draw-an-Engineer Test this paperextends the subject areas to include designers and engineers. Students were asked to draw adesigner and to draw an engineer at work and define the tasks and roles that designers andengineers undertake. Their representations of design and engineering were coded according tokey words in their descriptions and items shown in the drawing. Initial findings from qualitative content analysis indicate that the concept maps of designprocess mature over time along a consistent learning trajectory. Students also have distinct butcomplimentary models of the roles of a designer and engineer along two emerging themes: ideageneration vs. idea implementation and human-centered design vs. technology-centered. Thiswork highlights some paired examples of student drawings along with an assessment of theconcept maps of their design process before and after a class experience. It is insightful to get atstudents conceptualizations and perceptions of design. Do perceptions change over time? Is this afeasible way to get at students’ understandings? It is hoped that this analysis can influence howstudents are taught and assessed.

Citation
Format

Lande, M. (2014, June), Methods for Assessing Epistemic Identities: Student Representations of Design and Engineering Practice Paper presented at 2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Indianapolis, Indiana. 10.18260/1-2--22835

TY - CPAPER
AB - Methods for Assessing Epistemic Identities: Student Representations of Design and Engineering Practice (Paper Type: Research) Traditionally, engineering design is taught as a tool for synthesis and integration ofengineering content knowledge for students in capstone courses. These engineering designcourses are usually successful, in that the students do well, they come up with innovativesolutions, and they are satisfied with their school experience and feel ready for the real world.But, what is the evidence that students have actually learned and can apply their design andengineering learning successfully for synthesis and integration? What are the student’s ownunderstandings of the design process and engineering design practice? How might they conceiveof their own engineering and design epistemic identities? This work investigates these questions. Evidence of how design and engineering activities change over time as well as how first-year Master’s students in Mechanical Engineering conceptualize design and engineering willcome from a project-based learning design course. Students were queried at the beginning,middle and end of the course for 1) concept map of their typical design process, and 2)representations of what a designer and an engineer do at work, and 3) conceptions of engineeringand design. Items were given out in survey form and participants answered questions by hand.Approximately 30 questionnaires were collected at each stage. Students were asked to draw their “typical design process.” Models of design areprevalent in textbooks and literature. Once in action though, design practitioners often synthesizeand adapt their own experiences and learning into a mental model of their design process. Studyof novice and expert designers have generated insight into these. By asking students to drawtheir typical design process it was hoped that the authors could approximate the students’ mentalmodel. For many years researchers have used the Draw-A-Scientist Test to get at students’perceptions of that field. Based on recent work developing a Draw-an-Engineer Test this paperextends the subject areas to include designers and engineers. Students were asked to draw adesigner and to draw an engineer at work and define the tasks and roles that designers andengineers undertake. Their representations of design and engineering were coded according tokey words in their descriptions and items shown in the drawing. Initial findings from qualitative content analysis indicate that the concept maps of designprocess mature over time along a consistent learning trajectory. Students also have distinct butcomplimentary models of the roles of a designer and engineer along two emerging themes: ideageneration vs. idea implementation and human-centered design vs. technology-centered. Thiswork highlights some paired examples of student drawings along with an assessment of theconcept maps of their design process before and after a class experience. It is insightful to get atstudents conceptualizations and perceptions of design. Do perceptions change over time? Is this afeasible way to get at students’ understandings? It is hoped that this analysis can influence howstudents are taught and assessed.
AU - Micah Lande
CY - Indianapolis, Indiana
DA - 2014/06/15
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Methods for Assessing Epistemic Identities: Student Representations of Design and Engineering Practice
UR - https://peer.asee.org/22835
DO - 10.18260/1-2--22835
ER -