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On Teaching and Assessing Engineering Innovation*

Daniel Raviv+, Melissa Morris+, Karen Ginsberg++

+ Department of Electrical Engineering ++ Department of Computer Science and Engineering Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33431 E-mail: ravivd@fau.edu (561) 297 2773

Abstract

This paper details data, analysis, and evaluation of one facet of innovation: ideation. Over the past six years college and high school students were exposed to several idea generation methods in an engineering problem solving course at Florida Atlantic University entitled: “Inventive Problem Solving in Engineering” (EGN 4040). Two different problems were given to the students in the beginning and towards the end of the semester, about which they were asked to generate ideas.

They used different methods to solve the problems, some of which they learned in class, including the Eight Dimensional Methodology for Innovative Thinking that was developed and taught by the first author. This method focuses on idea generation and is a unified approach that builds on comprehensive problem solving knowledge from different disciplines. The different dimensions, namely Uniqueness, Dimensionality, Directionality, Consolidation, Segmentation, Modification, Similarity, and Experimentation provide problem solvers with new directions for solving problems.

The paper starts with a brief overview of the methods that were taught in the class, and later focuses on assessment, including method, data, analysis, and interpretation of results. The analyzed results are based on the average number of solutions per student, the standard deviation, and the total number of different solutions. The results clearly indicate a consistent and significant improvement in idea generation. They show an average increase in the number of ideas by a factor of nearly two and a half produced by about 130 participants.

* This work has been supported in part by the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance (NCIIA)

Proceedings of the 2005 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright © 2005, American Society for Engineering Education

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Raviv, D. (2005, June), On Teaching And Assessing Engineering Innovation Paper presented at 2005 Annual Conference, Portland, Oregon. 10.18260/1-2--14457