Design Cognition and Student Performance

Abstract

The teaching of engineering in US schools has seen a surge in popularity since the turn of the twenty-first century, and as design is considered a defining characteristic of engineers, the practice of engineering design has become a critical component of technology education. Consequently, research related to design cognition in engineering/technology education has become more prevalent in the literature. However, there are often minimal discussions on bridging design research with practice. Therefore, this chapter will present a design cognition research methodology developed to help inform engineering/technology education practice, the results of a study employing this method, and the implications for teaching and learning.