Collaborative Research: Research Initiation Grants in Engineering Education: Development of Innovation Capacity in Engineering Students through Virtual Internships

合作研究：工程教育研究启动补助金：通过虚拟实习开发工程专业学生的创新能力本工程教育研究启动补助金的基础是了解使用沉浸式学习环境（认知游戏）是否可以提高工程专业学生开发创新产品设计的能力。创新是21世纪的关键技能，对于美国保持其在行业内的竞争优势至关重要。这也是一种技能，可以设置工程专业的学生除了当它来的时候，他们在行业内寻求一个位置。正在测试的认知游戏为学生创造了一个虚拟的工作环境，使他们能够积极参与产品设计公司，与团队设计成员互动，完成虚拟经理的任务，并从公司内部的顾问那里获得关于他们的设计是否符合公司需求的信息。学生还将与最终用户的设计，这将有助于他们发展的作用，客户的输入在产品设计过程中发挥更好的理解互动。这个研究启动项目将提供一个独特的机会，PI，以确定认知游戏的有效性作为教学工具，为工程专业的学生对产品设计。该项目还将为PI和研究生提供一个很好的机会，让他们更多地了解教育中的定性和定量研究技术，以及如何将这些技术应用于衡量产品设计中的创新。预计该项目将允许PI与工程教育领域的其他研究人员建立新的联系，这将导致未来的项目探索创新和基于游戏的教学工具的耦合。

Collaborative Research: Research Initiation Grant in Engineering Education: Development of Innovation Capacity in Engineering Students through Virtual InternshipsThe foundation for this Research Initiation Grant in Engineering Education is to understand whether the use of an immersive learning environment (epistemic game) can increase the ability of engineering students to develop innovative product designs. Innovation is a key 21st Century Skill and is important for allowing the United States to retain its competitive edge within industry. It is also a skill that can set engineering students apart when it comes time for them to seek a position within industry. The epistemic game being tested creates a virtual work environment for students, which allows them to actively participate in a product design company, interact with group design members, complete tasks for their virtual manager and gain input from consultants within the company on whether their design is meeting the needs of the company. Students will also interact with end use customers for their design which will help them develop a better understanding of the role customer input plays in the product design process.This Research Initiation project will provide a unique opportunity for the PI to determine the effectiveness of epistemic games as an instructional tool for teaching engineering students about product design. This project will also provide a great opportunity for the PI and the graduate student involved to learn more about qualitative and quantitative research techniques in education and how these can be applied to measure innovation within product design. It is anticipated that this project will allow for the PI to make new connections with other researchers within the engineering education field that will lead to future projects exploring the coupling of innovation and game based instructional tools.