A Synergistic Approach to Prevent Persistent Misconceptions with First-year Engineering Students

这个工程教育研究项目试图了解如何预防而不是修复工程学中的错误观念。误解--学生对基本科学原理的误解--一旦确立就很难纠正。研究人员将与对照组和样本组进行纵向研究，以调查一系列干预措施的效果，以防止在热力学和流体领域产生误解，这两个领域对许多工程实践至关重要。所制定的干预措施有可能广泛适用于其他STEM学科。这个项目更广泛的意义和重要性将是展示一条通过减少纠正或补救顽固误解所花费的时间来提高工程项目效率的途径。PIS计划在成功演示后为K-12教师举办一系列研讨会，以便所研究的技术可以更早地应用于STEM计划，从而进一步减少误解。该项目与NSF的战略目标重叠，即通过培养一支具有新能力和专业知识的工程队伍来改造边境。此外，NSF为社会创新的目标是通过创造对社会有用的结果和研究来实现的，这些成果和研究通过为教育政策和实践提供信息来实现。

This engineering education research project seeks to understand how to prevent, rather than repair, misconceptions in engineering. Misconceptions-students' misunderstandings of basic scientific principles-are very difficult to correct once they are established. The investigators will undertake a longitudinal study with both control and sample groups to investigate the effects of a series of interventions to prevent misconceptions from developing in thermodynamics and fluids, areas critical to much engineering practice. The interventions developed have the potential to be broadly applicable in other STEM disciplines. The broader significance and importance of this project will be to demonstrate a path to improve the efficiency of engineering programs by reducing the amount of time that is spent to correct, or remediate, stubborn misconceptions. The PIs plan a series of workshops for K-12 teachers following successful demonstration so that the techniques researched can be applied earlier in STEM programs, thus further minimizing misconceptions. This project overlaps with NSF's strategic goals of transforming the frontiers through preparation of an engineering workforce with new capabilities and expertise. Additionally NSF's goal of innovating for society is enabled by creating results and research that are useful for society by informing educational policy and practices.