Collaborative Research: Using Complex Problem Based Learning in Undergraduate Engineering Classrooms to Prepare Creative Engineers with the Skills to Solve Global Problems

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This project aims to serve the national interest by improving undergraduate engineering education. Specifically, it will create a new teaching approach called Complex Problem Based Learning and use it in undergraduate civil engineering courses. The approach is designed to enhance students' ability to solve transdisciplinary, complex problems. Such problems often have a global scope and can only be solved through the work of collaborative teams that include scientists, engineers, social scientists, humanities experts, and others. The ability to tackle such complex, global problems is important in today’s workplace. As a result, engineering graduates need both disciplinary knowledge and skills such as creativity, design thinking, trans-disciplinary teamwork skills, and the ability to communicate with non-technical stakeholders. The goal of the project is to use the Complex Problem Based Learning approach to provide multiple opportunities for civil engineering students to develop and practice these skills. This goal is well aligned with the National Academy of Engineering’s vision for engineering (The Engineer of 2020), which encourages recognition of the leadership role engineers will have in industry, government, and the non-profit sectors of the future economy. The project will also contribute new knowledge about engineering education by investigating the impact of this Complex Problem Based Learning approach.The Complex Problem Based Learning approach will be implemented in five engineering design courses ranging from freshman to senior year, enabling its impact to be evaluated across a range of student proficiency levels. Through this approach, students will be guided through a facilitated problem-solving process built around consensus, problem driven research, and stakeholder-driven problems. Multiple sources of data will be collected to evaluate the success of the Complex Problem Based Learning approach. Data from student self-assessments will be collected via survey tools. The CATME platform hosted by Purdue will be used to collect student self-assessments of teams and participatory decision-making. A factorial experimental design methodology will be used to investigate impacts of Complex Problem Based Learning on civil engineering education and outcomes. The assessments of creativity will focus on both the person and the product, and evaluate whether there is a strong correlation between the two. The Kaufman Domains of Creativity Scale instrument will be used for self-assessment of personal creativity and the Consensual Assessment Technique will be used for assessment of the product’s creativity. The broader impact of this award includes the development of the Complex Problem Based Learning approach, which might be used for education of students at any age and in any STEM discipline. By fostering creative mindsets and creative problem-solving skills, this approach can help develop a creative and reflective STEM workforce that can thrive in the future of increased automation. The NSF IUSE: EHR Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through the Engaged Student Learning track, the program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools.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.