Empirically-based Instructional Tools for Fostering Engineering Problem Solving and Cognitive Flexibility in Pre-college Students

这个工程教育项目的目标是研究大学预科工程教学的认知和情感效果。该项目将提供基本的见解，了解大学预科学生如何学习工程问题解决，同时在工程中获得高认知灵活性，从而支持创造力和设计。我们将从根本上了解教学表征，实践设计和教学代理如何促进问题解决和认知灵活性。 通过开发和严格评估工具，有效地培养初中和高中学生的工程问题解决能力和认知灵活性，该项目将大大有助于工程教育。在大学预科阶段成功的工程学习将提高学生的自我效能和对工程学院课程的兴趣，从而导致潜在的更大的工程学院学生和最终的工程劳动力的招聘，这将极大地造福于我们的社会。基于计算机的学习模块将用于呈现教学内容，如工程概念的不同表示，并用于解决问题的实践。这些以计算机为基础的组成部分将在随时可用的计算机化教室的个人计算机上提出。PI将结合联合收割机多种评估格式（即，多项选择、开放式、口头、象征、图形），以记录学生解决问题表现的不同方面。学生对学习措施的反应，会由曾接受专业教师评分准则训练的教师，在谘询谘询委员会后，作出评分。学生与计算机评估互动所产生的任何数据将记录在电子文件中，并根据各自的评分标准进行分析。在每项研究完成后，研究主任会根据研究结果，随机抽选一个小样本访问学生。

The objective of this engineering education project is to examine the cognitive and affective effects of pre-college engineering instruction. This project will provide fundamental insights into how pre-college students learn engineering problem solving while attaining high cognitive flexibility in engineering which in turn supports creativity and design. We will obtain a fundamental understanding of how instruction representation, practice design, and pedagogical agents foster problem solving and cognitive flexibility. By developing and rigorously assessing tools for effectively fostering engineering problem solving and cognitive flexibility in middle- and high school students, this project will significantly contribute to engineering education. Successful engineering learning at the pre-college level will increase students' self-efficacy and interest in engineering college programs, leading to the potential larger recruitment of engineering college students and eventual engineering workforce, which will strongly benefit our society.Computer-based learning modules will be used for presenting the instructional content, such as the different representations of engineering concepts, and for problem solving practice. These computer-based components will be presented on PCs in readily available computerized classrooms. The PIs will combine multiple assessment formats (i.e., multiple choice, open-ended, verbal, symbolic, graphic) to document different aspects of students' problem solving performance. Students' responses to the learning measures will be scored by teachers trained in the scoring criteria developed by the PIs and in consultation with the Advisory Board. Any data resulting from students' interactions with computer-based assessments will be logged in electronic files and analyzed in accordance with the respective scoring criteria. Based on the findings, the PIs will randomly select a sub-sample of students to interview after each of the studies is completed.