Perspectives of Engineering Faculty and Practitioners on Creativity in Solving Ill-Structured Problems

Secil Akinci-Ceylan; Kristen Cetin; Benjamin Ahn

Download Paper | Permalink

Conference: 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Publication Date: August 23, 2022
Start Date: June 26, 2022
End Date: June 29, 2022
Conference Session: NSF Grantees Poster Session
Page Count: 12
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--42087
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/42087
Download Count: 211

Request a correction

Paper Authors

biography

Secil Akinci-Ceylan Iowa State University of Science and Technology

visit author page

Secil Akinci-Ceylan is a PhD student in the School of Education at Iowa State University.

visit author page

author page

Kristen Cetin Michigan State University

biography

Benjamin Ahn Iowa State University of Science and Technology

visit author page

Benjamin Ahn is an associate professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Iowa State University. His research interests include (1) engineering workforce development, (2) student mentoring and diversity, and (3) teaching and learning mechanisms. Benjamin received a Ph.D. in Engineering Education from Purdue University, an M.S. in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Purdue University, and a B.E. in Aerospace Engineering with first class honors from the University of New South Wales (Australia). Prior to joining Iowa State University, he was a Postdoctoral Associate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

visit author page

Download Paper | Permalink

Abstract

Creativity plays an important role in engineering problem solving, particularly when solving an ill-structured problem, and has been a topic of increasing research interest in recent years. Prior research on creativity has been conducted in problem solving settings, predominantly focusing on undergraduate engineering students, including how faculty can foster creativity in engineering students, how engineering faculty perceive their students’ creativity, and how to measure it. However, more work is needed to examine engineering faculty and practitioner perspectives on the role of creativity when they solve an engineering problem themselves. Since engineering students learn problem solving, at least initially, mainly from their professors, it is essential to understand how faculty perceive their own creativity in problem solving. Similarly, given that practitioners solve ill-structured engineering problems on a regular basis in the workplace and that most of the students go on to work in the engineering industry when they graduate and ultimately become practitioners, it is also important to explore practitioner perspectives on creativity in problem solving settings. As part of an ongoing NSF-funded study, this paper investigates how engineering faculty’s and practitioners’ creativity influences their problem solving processes, how their perspectives on creativity in a problem solving environment differ, and what factors impact their creativity. Five tenure-track faculty in civil engineering and five practitioners were interviewed after they solved an ill-structured engineering problem. Participants’ responses were transcribed and coded using initial coding. This paper discusses their responses to semi-structured interview questions. The findings suggest that faculty and practitioners feel more creative when they are familiar with the subject area of a problem. If they are aware of a particular solution that has been developed and used before or have access to resources to look them up, they may not necessarily embrace creativity. The findings indicate differences not only across faculty and practitioners but also within the faculty and practitioner participants. Similarities and differences between faculty and practitioners in creative problem solving and the themes that emerged are discussed and recommendations for educators are provided.

Citation
Format

Akinci-Ceylan, S., & Cetin, K., & Ahn, B. (2022, August), Perspectives of Engineering Faculty and Practitioners on Creativity in Solving Ill-Structured Problems Paper presented at 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Minneapolis, MN. 10.18260/1-2--42087

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - Creativity plays an important role in engineering problem solving, particularly when solving an ill-structured problem, and has been a topic of increasing research interest in recent years. Prior research on creativity has been conducted in problem solving settings, predominantly focusing on undergraduate engineering students, including how faculty can foster creativity in engineering students, how engineering faculty perceive their students’ creativity, and how to measure it. However, more work is needed to examine engineering faculty and practitioner perspectives on the role of creativity when they solve an engineering problem themselves. Since engineering students learn problem solving, at least initially, mainly from their professors, it is essential to understand how faculty perceive their own creativity in problem solving. Similarly, given that practitioners solve ill-structured engineering problems on a regular basis in the workplace and that most of the students go on to work in the engineering industry when they graduate and ultimately become practitioners, it is also important to explore practitioner perspectives on creativity in problem solving settings. As part of an ongoing NSF-funded study, this paper investigates how engineering faculty’s and practitioners’ creativity influences their problem solving processes, how their perspectives on creativity in a problem solving environment differ, and what factors impact their creativity. Five tenure-track faculty in civil engineering and five practitioners were interviewed after they solved an ill-structured engineering problem. Participants’ responses were transcribed and coded using initial coding. This paper discusses their responses to semi-structured interview questions. The findings suggest that faculty and practitioners feel more creative when they are familiar with the subject area of a problem. If they are aware of a particular solution that has been developed and used before or have access to resources to look them up, they may not necessarily embrace creativity. The findings indicate differences not only across faculty and practitioners but also within the faculty and practitioner participants. Similarities and differences between faculty and practitioners in creative problem solving and the themes that emerged are discussed and recommendations for educators are provided.     
AU  - Secil Akinci-Ceylan
AU  - Kristen Cetin
AU  - Benjamin Ahn
CY  - Minneapolis, MN
DA  - 2022/08/23
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Perspectives of Engineering Faculty and Practitioners on Creativity in Solving Ill-Structured Problems
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/42087
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--42087
ER  -