Collaborative Research: Identifying and Assessing Key Factors of Engineering Innovativeness

这一工程教育研究项目包括一项访谈研究，旨在更好地衡量工科学生的创新能力。该项目探索了促进工程学创新的多种因素，更具体地说，是对学生创新能力的贡献。这项研究试图确定哪些因素是与生俱来的(与认知风格有关)，哪些因素可以在设计良好的学位课程中改变或增强。该项目的更广泛的意义和重要性源于目前公认的工程学创新对美国繁荣的重要性。该项目涉及来自经济不同部门的多个利益攸关方，并计划制定有效的外联战略，将成果传播给这些利益攸关方。该项目与NSF的战略目标重叠，即通过培养一支具有新能力和专业知识的工程队伍来改造边境。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来实现的，这些成果和研究通过为教育政策和实践提供信息来实现。

This engineering education research project involves an interview study designed to better measure innovativeness in engineering students. The project explores multiple factors that contribute to innovation in engineering and more specifically to student innovativeness. The study seeks to determine which factors are innate (linked to cognitive style) and which can be changed or enhanced in a well designed degree program.The broader significance and importance of this project arises from the currently recognized importance of innovation in engineering on the prosperity of the United States. The project involves multiple stakeholders from different sections of the economy, and plans effective outreach strategies to disseminate results to these stakeholders. 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.