Pre-service teachers' modeling as away of thinking in engineering design

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to develop a framework for assessing students working through an engineering design challenge. Using a case study approach to theory building we collected artifacts from a pre-service teachers in a second level Engineering Design Thinking course. The students produced artifacts in the form of conceptual models, graphical models, mathematical models and finally working models. Student-generated mind maps, design journals, final design products and their accompanying documentation, and peer checking procedures were also collected and triangulated with the modeling artifacts for the purpose of this study. The result was a working framework that helps eliminate some of the ambiguity for students producing deliverables for a design challenge and provides the instructor with a practical approach to assessing student work. In addition to offering a new pedagogical approach to engineering design thinking, the following research offers empirical evidence of student cognition as they go through an engineering design process. Finally, we provide definitions and student generated examples of the four modeling artifacts to include; conceptual models, graphical models, mathematical models and working models. © American Society for Engineering Education, 2013.