Improving Students' Problem-Solving Abilities in Thermodynamics

研究与评估（89分）和工程-其他（59分）正如一份颇具影响力的美国国家工程院评估所指出的那样，工程师的两项技能属性越来越重要，一是运用科学和实践智慧来发现问题并解决问题的能力，二是非常强的分析能力（《2020年的工程师：新世纪的工程愿景》，美国国家科学院出版社，2004年）。本项目致力于在热力学基础领域的本科工程课程中发展这些属性。该项目的第一步是研究学生在这一领域有效运作的能力，以同一团队的工程师和教育心理学家最近完成的工程力学（特别是静力学）研究为基础。这个项目的研究将通过设计教育干预和创建一个评估工具来加强，该工具侧重于学生解决热力学问题的能力。研究重点是热力学问题求解中的建模步骤，要求学生阅读问题，抽象出要分析的系统模型，通常是热力学过程图或能量流图，然后使用过程描述符和状态关系或应用能量守恒来创建系统的数学模型。研究的第一步是解决以下问题：“学生在解决热力学问题时遇到的主要困难是什么？”和“学生对自由体图的了解能否作为培养创建能量流或过程图的技能的基础？”为了探讨这些问题，该小组正在以其在静力学方面的工作和就此主题发表的大量文献为指导，制定书面和口头协议。这项工作的结果旨在用于设计初始干预措施，以提高学生解决问题的能力。这些初步干预措施将进行试点和改进。正在设计评估工具和干预措施，以便适合大规模使用、评价和传播。计划传播该项目的结果的方法之一是使用剑桥大学出版社的网站进行全球传播。

Research and Assessment (89) and Engineering - Other (59)As noted in an influential National Academy of Engineering assessment, two skill attributes of engineers that are of growing importance are the ability to use science and practical ingenuity to identify problems and solve them and very strong analytical skills (The Engineer of 2020: Visions for Engineering in a New Century, National Academy Press, 2004). This project is working to develop these attributes in undergraduate engineering programs in the foundational area of thermodynamics. The project's initial step is research into the ability of students to function effectively in this area, building on research that the same team of engineers and educational psychologists has recently completed in engineering mechanics - specifically statics. The research in this project will be augmented by designing educational interventions and the creation of an assessment tool focused on student ability to problem solve in thermodynamics. The research focuses on the modeling steps in thermodynamics problem solving that require students to read the problem, to abstract a model of the system to be analyzed, typically a thermodynamic process plot or an energy-flow diagram, and then to create a mathematical model of the system using process descriptors and state relations or applying energy conservation. The first step in the research is addressing the questions: "What major difficulties do students encounter in solving problems in thermodynamics?" and "Can what students know about free-body diagrams be used as scaffolding to develop skills in creating energy flow or process diagrams?" To explore these questions, written and verbal protocols are being developed by the team, guided by its work in statics and the extensive published literature on this subject. The results of this work are intended for use in designing initial interventions to improve students' problem-solving abilities. These initial interventions will be piloted and refined. The assessment instruments and interventions are being designed to be suitable for large-scale use, evaluation, and dissemination. Among the methods planned for disseminating the results of this project is the use of the Cambridge University Press's website for worldwide dissemination.