Design Education
Engineering Education Research Center (EERC) scholars have collaborated with other universities and colleges to address student learning of engineering design since the 1980s. Initial research efforts focused on integrating design across engineering curricula to increase student understanding and motivation for engineering careers.
Subsequent work established learning outcomes and developed educational materials that integrated assessments with design instruction, especially for the first two years of engineering curricula.
Over the past decade , EERC researchers have focused on understanding student growth and achievement occurring in senior capstone design courses. This recent work is producing cognitive models for design learning and assessments for student achievement. The vision for design education is assessments integrated seamlessly throughout the design curriculum to guide student learning and to provide ongoing feedback that supports exceptional student achievement.
Research Projects
Transferable Integrated Design Engineering Education (TIDEE): Developing definitions of design learning outcomes for freshmen and sophomore students. Curricular materials and assessments for mid-program achievement in engineering design.
Capstone Design Assessment: Developing an assessment framework and cognitive model for design achievement in capstone design courses. Creation of assessment instruments with measurement scales to document achievement of learner and solution development.