IUSE Engaged Student Learning Exploration Project: Understanding the Development of Metacognitive Skills in a Problem-based Learning Undergraduate Engineering Program

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The capacity for life-long learning is critical for success in engineering practice. Metacognition, defined as thinking about thinking, is key to the development of life-long learning, yet is rarely directly addressed in engineering education. This project is designed to (1) understand the metacognitive skills developed during preparation of engineering students in a problem-based learning (PBL) program, and (2) understand if this preparation helps students in transitioning to the workforce. Project investigators are studying students and graduates of the Iron Range Engineering (IRE) program, an innovative PBL program that integrates metacognition instruction with engineering content. The IRE program offers a unique setting for studying developing metacognitive skills in engineering students who, as part of their curriculum, solve ill-structured, real-world problems. In this study, project investigators are interviewing students, recent graduates who are working as engineers, and employers of IRE graduates. In addition, two questionnaires and a think-aloud protocol will be administered to measure students' use of metacognition. The think-aloud protocol involves recording what students say as they solve an engineering design problem. These instruments will provide the team with rich information about the students' use of metacognition. The model of engineering metacognition developed as part of this project will make a significant contribution to engineering education. If the explicit metacognitive instruction used by the IRE program provides success in developing metacognitive capacity, and that capacity is applicable in the workplace, these instructional activities could be used as a model for engineering educators to improve the readiness of students to be flexible, independent, and life-long learners.