Research Agenda

This research team explores questions associated with how people learn engineering. Below is a short description of research themes with questions and projects we are working on –

How People Learn Framework From Bransford, JD, Brown, A, and Cocking, (2000) How People Learn: Mind, Brain and Experience and School, National Research Council.

Systems thinking Ø A fundamental skill engineers need to comprehend and solve complex problems, such as design and troubleshooting. Ø Research and teaching explores how engineering students approach the initial stages of design and problem solving activities to comprehend a new context. Adaptive expertise Ø An ability to adapt to novel problem solving conditions is a quality of engineers that is the foundation of innovative thinking. Ø Research and teaching involves how people acquire and apply knowledge to notice critical features of systems to inform how they approach a complex system. Learning environments Ø Effective learning environments balance needs of learners, the knowledge to be learned, mechanism to assess progress and community. Ø Research and teaching involves designing and documenting learning experiences that consider these multiple factors and use technology to enable the experience.