The development of the global engineer: Effects of ethnographic investigations on students' design decisions

本研究的目标是如何刻画学生的内涵和深度？人种学调查影响他们的设计决策，特别是当学生定义问题，开发设计要求和工程规范，选择概念，并开发验证研究时。成功的设计解决方案必须在使用它们的文化背景中切实可行。虽然所有的工程专业学生都无法参与实质性的文化沉浸体验，但要清楚地了解这些技能是如何发展的，以及设计民族志如何影响设计的后期阶段将促进这些技术的发展和整合到工程设计课程中，以及开发有效的指标来评估设计民族志的熟练程度。是为工程专业的本科生提供教学法、课程和经验，教他们民族学和共同创造的技能。其结果将是设计解决方案，更好地满足用户的需求，为新兴的全球技术挑战。工程师进行民族志研究和使用数据作出有效的设计决策的能力将促进创新的，实用的，和可实施的解决方案，解决这个世纪的发展。的全球性挑战。

The goal of this research is to characterize how the content and depth of students? ethnographicinvestigations impact their design decisions, specifically as students define the problem,develop design requirements and engineering specifications, select concepts, and developvalidation studies. Successful design solutions must be practical in the cultural context in whichthey will be used. While all engineering students are not able to participate in a substantialcultural immersion experience, a clear understanding of how these skills develop, thechallenges students face, and how design ethnography affects later stages of design willfacilitate the development and integration of these techniques into engineering design coursesas well as the development of validated metrics to evaluate proficiency in design ethnography.The broader significance of this research is to provide undergraduate engineering students withpedagogy, curricula, and experiences that teach them ethnographic and co-creation skills. Theresult will be design solutions that better address user needs for emerging global technologicalchallenges. The ability of engineers to conduct ethnographic studies and use the data to makeeffective design decisions will facilitate the development of innovative, practical, andimplementable solutions that address this century?s global challenges.