WORK IN PROGRESS: Quantitative Information Acquisition and Utilization by First-Year Engineering Students

Abstract

Findings from previous research focused on decision making and judgement in engineering design process show that both the quantity and type of information gathered distinguish experts from novice designers. As a component of a larger investigation of the interplay between students' mathematical and design thinking processes in design tasks, we focus this study on quantitative information acquisition and utilization.This analysis focuses on a sample of five first-year engineering students who attend an ABET accredited university in the Midwestern U.S. During the study session, students "think aloud" as they designed a playground for a fictional neighborhood. The students were encouraged to request information from the facilitator, as necessary. Using critical incident analysis, we identified each request for quantitative information and then determined whether the student used that information for design or mathematical purposes. The results of this investigation show that each student has a unique approach to acquire and utilize information. In addition to what is already known about information gathering, this study contributes additional insights into the ways that first-year engineering students acquire, evaluate and utilize quantitative information and its role in the overall quality of the final design solution.