Research: Engineering Students' Beliefs about Decision-Making

工程师的决策推动着我们不断变化的世界的设计，并影响着我们的生活质量。 在做决策时，每个人，包括工程师，至少使用三种不同形式的推理：理性，直觉和情感。 每一种推理模式在决策中都扮演着重要的角色，人们对不同形式的推理的潜在信念决定了他们的决策方法。 由于我们的社会依赖于工程师做出稳健的决策，工程师专业形成的一个关键部分是对不同推理策略的信念的发展。 然而，我们不知道很多关于工程专业学生在这方面的信念。 我们所知道的是，工程专业的本科生通常很少接受关于如何做出复杂决策的正式指导。他们所接受的指导通常仅限于在丰富信息的背景下进行分析或引入理性决策工具。典型的工程教学可以传达给学生，他们理性地，直观地和情感地做出决定，理性的方法是有价值的。 仅仅关注理性形式的推理可能会阻止一些学生继续从事工程学。这个项目将调查的信念，工程专业的学生举行有关决策，以及这些信念是如何影响他们的经验与工程课程。 该项目的研究结果将被用来改变决策的教学方式，使工程课程更具包容性和现实性。为了描述工程专业学生在接近本科工程形成结束时对不同形式的决策推理的信念，这项定性的探索性研究将：（i）开发和验证访谈和反思协议，（ii）通过半结构化，一对一的访谈和书面反思，无论是在顶点设计经验和一年后，和（iii）从事顶点设计导师在翻译的结果，以实践的建议。 研究小组将利用一个决策框架，该框架至少重视三种不同形式的推理：理性，直觉和情感，以指导他们的调查。 第1年的试点研究将在第2年进行更大规模的研究之前验证数据收集方案。 在这两项研究中，参与者将定期提交书面反思，以捕捉他们对顶点设计体验背景下决策的信念。此外，面试将在参与者接受关于顶点设计课程决策的正式指导之前和之后进行。 在分析了书面反思和访谈数据后，研究结果有望揭示学生的信仰。研究结果将被转化为具体的建议，通过顶点设计从业者的参与，包括工业设计，工程行业和创业决策的教学和学习。其目的是改变工程决策的教学方式，并希望改变学生对工程决策的信念和他们对工程的承诺。 这项工作可能有助于改变工程教育，使其更具包容性，同时改善本科生对不同形式推理的信念。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估来支持。

Engineers' decisions drive the design of our ever-changing world and influence our quality of life. When making decisions, everyone, including engineers, uses at least three distinct forms of reasoning: rational, intuitive and emotive. Each reasoning pattern plays a valuable role in decision-making, and people's underlying beliefs about different forms of reasoning informs their approach to decision-making. Since our society relies on engineers to make robust decisions, a critical part of the professional formation of engineers is development of beliefs about different reasoning strategies. However, we do not know much about engineering students' beliefs in this area. What we do know is that undergraduate engineering students typically receive little formal instruction on how to make complex decisions. What instruction they do receive is often limited to analysis in contexts of abundant information or the introduction of rational decision-making tools. Typical engineering instruction may convey to students, who make decisions rationally, intuitively, and emotionally, that rational approaches alone are valuable. The sole focus on rational forms of reasoning may discourage some students from continuing in engineering. This project will investigate the beliefs that engineering students hold about decision-making and how these beliefs are influenced by their experiences with the engineering curricula. Findings from this project will be leveraged to change how decision-making is taught so engineering curricula will be more inclusive and realistic.To characterize engineering students' beliefs about different forms of reasoning for decision-making near the end of undergraduate engineering formation, this qualitative, exploratory study will: (i) develop and validate interview and reflection protocols, (ii) collect and analyze data using these protocols through semi-structured, one-on-one interviews and written reflections both during a capstone design experience and one year later, and (iii) engage capstone design instructors in translating the findings to recommendations for practice. The research team will utilize a framework for decision-making that values at least three different forms of reasoning: rational, intuitive, and emotive to guide their investigation. The pilot study in Year 1 will validate the data collection protocols before performing a larger study in Year 2. In both studies, written reflections will be submitted by participants at regular intervals to capture their beliefs about decision-making in the context of a capstone design experience. Also, interviews will be conducted both before and after participants receive formal instruction on decision-making in their capstone design courses. After written reflections and interview data have been analyzed, findings from the study are expected to shed light on students' beliefs. The findings will then be translated to concrete recommendations for the teaching and learning of decision-making in engineering through the engagement of capstone design practitioners with backgrounds; including industrial design, engineering industry, and entrepreneurship. The purpose is to change how engineering decision-making is taught and to hopefully change students' beliefs about engineering decision-making and their commitment to engineering. This work could be instrumental in transforming engineering education to be more inclusive though improving the ways in which undergraduates develop their beliefs about different forms of reasoning.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.