Characterizing Student Work while Solving Ill-Defined Statics Problems in Groups

Field: Decision Sciences (Social Sciences)

Abstract Engineering problems are ill-defined, require assumptions and have multiple unique solutions. Industry engineers are often tasked with solving these kinds of problems in teams with other engineers, and having multiple engineers working on the same project brings a large variety of skills and diverse viewpoints to the task, which can result in a solution that wouldn't have been formed by an engineer working independently. Although most industry engineers solve ill-defined problems in groups, students typically only practice this in engineering design courses. Our research aims to expand these experiences to engineering science courses. Currently, most engineering science courses assign 'classic' textbook problems, where they are given certain physical parameters of a system, and are told to calculate an unknown value. An example of this is a mechanical engineering student who is tasked to find the strain in a perfectly cylindrical tube undergoes when a certain force is applied. This problem has one answer, and requires the student to plug values from the problem into an equation with little ability to practice engineering judgment. Although physics knowledge is an important aspect of engineering, students who only practice what they learn in class with these well defined questions are not getting an accurate representation of what they will be encountering when they join the workforce. Ill-defined modeling problems provide students with more opportunities to utilize engineering judgment when compared to traditional textbook problems, and when these problems are solved in a group setting, it is both a better representation of how engineering is performed in the industry, and can help students better understand the class concepts. An example of an ill-defined modeling task is a problem that asks students to design a portable pool lift. Most students don't have prior experiences with portable pool lifts, which will lead them to perform research, along with creating assumptions that may simplify their model while developing communication skills and engaging in discussion about how to arrive at the best solution. When working in a group, students have the opportunity to help each other understand what was taught in class, along with the ability to push back on other students' ideas. This will prepare students for their future career, lead to knowledge creation and help solidify concepts taught in class. This full paper analyzes data (approximately 15.5 hours) that was collected in the form of recordings of zoom meetings of two groups that were tasked with solving an ill-defined modeling problem in a second year statics course. Using comparative coding, we categorized how students spent time when working in their group. Preliminary results show students alternate between negotiating tasks, comparing assumptions, and aiding each other in understanding course concepts. Implications of this work include forming a better understanding of how students make decisions, judgments and build knowledge when working together on an ill-defined modeling problem. Similarly, the results may assist professors in iterating on assignment design to further engage students in knowledge creating and engineering judgment practices.