Research: Engineering Students' Beliefs about Decision-Making

工程师的决策驱动着我们不断变化的世界的设计，影响着我们的生活质量。在做决定时，每个人，包括工程师，至少使用三种不同的推理形式：理性、直觉和情感。每种推理模式在决策中都发挥着重要作用，人们对不同形式推理的潜在信念影响着他们的决策方法。由于我们的社会依赖工程师做出可靠的决策，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，我们对工科学生在这方面的信念知之甚少。我们所知道的是，工科本科学生通常很少接受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。典型的工程教学可能会向理性、直觉和情感地做出决定的学生传达，只有理性的方法才是有价值的。对理性推理形式的唯一关注可能会使一些学生不愿继续学习工程学。本项目将调查工科学生对决策的信念，以及这些信念如何受到他们在工程课程中的经历的影响。该项目的研究结果将用于改变决策教学方式，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工程专业本科阶段结束时对不同形式的决策推理的看法，这项定性的探索性研究将：(i)制定和验证访谈和反思协议，（ii）在顶点设计经历期间和一年后，通过半结构化的一对一访谈和书面反思，使用这些协议收集和分析数据，以及（iii）聘请顶点设计导师将研究结果转化为实践建议。研究小组将利用一个决策框架，该框架至少重视三种不同的推理形式：理性、直觉和情感，以指导他们的调查。一年级的试点研究将在二年级进行更大规模的研究之前验证数据收集协议。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经验背景下决策的信念。此外，面试将在参与者接受顶点设计课程的正式决策指导之前和之后进行。在对书面反思和访谈数据进行分析后，研究结果有望揭示学生的信念。研究结果将转化为具体的建议，通过参与顶点设计从业人员的背景，在工程决策的教学和学习；包括工业设计、工业工程和创业。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。这项工作可以通过改善本科生发展他们对不同形式推理的信念的方式，有助于将工程教育转变为更具包容性。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

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.