CAREER: Linking Motivation to Conceptual Change

本工程教育研究启动基金旨在了解学生动机和意向对概念理解的影响；概念理解对于工程实践和创新是非常重要的。这项研究将通过一项全国性的调查，对学生进行广泛的调查，随后进行实时数据收集；该项目将开发使用智能手机“应用程序”收集数据的新方法。当结果通过与工程学院成员的合作转化为多个机构的课堂实践时，该项目将具有更广泛的意义和重要性。该项目将利用各种媒体向多个受众广泛传播研究成果。该项目与NSF的战略目标重叠，即通过培养具有新能力和专业知识的工程人才来改变前沿。此外，NSF为社会创新的目标是通过创造对社会有用的结果和研究，为教育政策和实践提供信息。

This engineering education research initiation grant seeks to understand the effect of student motivation and intention on conceptual understanding; conceptual understanding is important for engineering practice and innovation. The study will look broadly at students using a national survey which is followed by real time data collection; the project will develop new ways to collect data using smart-phone "apps". The broader significance and importance of this project will occur when the results are translated into classroom practice at multiple institutions through partnerships with engineering faculty members. The project will broadly disseminate the results to multiple audiences using a range of media. This project overlaps with NSF's strategic goals of transforming the frontiers through preparation of an engineering workforce with new capabilities and expertise. Additionally NSF's goal of innovating for society is enabled by creating results and research that are useful for society by informing educational policy and practices.