Collaborative Research: Using Innovations In Cognitive Science To Monitor The Development Of Design Thinking In Engineering Students - A Longitudinal Study

该奖项由2009年《美国复苏和再投资法案》(公法111-5)资助。这一授予弗吉尼亚理工大学的工程教育研究奖将利用认知科学的创新和新的分析方法，研究工程学本科生的工程设计思维发展。这项研究将在乔治梅森、弗吉尼亚理工学院和州立大学两所工程学院进行，为期三年。所使用的技术将来自设计理论、认知科学、数学建模和信息理论以及工程教育研究。对设计教学和学生学习之间的关系的理解还远远不够，这个项目的结果将有助于填补这一空白。研究结果将在技术会议上公布，并在专业期刊上发表。其目标是通过更有效地发展学生的设计才能，为工程实践做好更好的准备。这一结果将提高S学生对工程学的兴趣，并将增加完成工程学学位并准备从事工程工作的学生数量。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5) This engineering education research award to VA Polytechnic Inst & State University will study the development of engineering design thinking in undergraduate engineering students using innovations in cognitive science and new methods of analysis. The study will take place over three years at two engineering schools, George Mason and Virginia Polytechnic and State University. The techniques to be used will be drawn from design theory, cognitive science, mathematical modeling and information theory plus engineering education research. The understanding of the relationship between design teaching and student learning is far from complete and the results from this project will help to fill the gap. The results will be presented at technical conferences and published in professional journals. The goal is to better prepare students for the practice of engineering through more effective development of their design talents. The results will increase student?s interest in engineering and will enhance the number of students who complete engineering degrees and are ready to fill engineering jobs.