Collaborative Research: Research Initiation Grants in Engineering Education: Development of Innovation Capacity in Engineering Students through Virtual Internships

合作研究：工程教育研究启动资助：通过虚拟实习培养工程学生的创新能力

• 批准号: 1340426
• 负责人: Cheryl Bodnar
• 金额: $ 12.5万
• 依托单位: University of Pittsburgh
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2013-10-01 至 2016-02-29
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1340426&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Initiation; Grants; Engineering

Collaborative Research: Research Initiation Grant in Engineering Education: Development of Innovation Capacity in Engineering Students through Virtual InternshipsThe foundation for this Research Initiation Grant in Engineering Education is to understand whether the use of an immersive learning environment (epistemic game) can increase the ability of engineering students to develop innovative product designs. Innovation is a key 21st Century Skill and is important for allowing the United States to retain its competitive edge within industry. It is also a skill that can set engineering students apart when it comes time for them to seek a position within industry. The epistemic game being tested creates a virtual work environment for students, which allows them to actively participate in a product design company, interact with group design members, complete tasks for their virtual manager and gain input from consultants within the company on whether their design is meeting the needs of the company. Students will also interact with end use customers for their design which will help them develop a better understanding of the role customer input plays in the product design process.This Research Initiation project will provide a unique opportunity for the PI to determine the effectiveness of epistemic games as an instructional tool for teaching engineering students about product design. This project will also provide a great opportunity for the PI and the graduate student involved to learn more about qualitative and quantitative research techniques in education and how these can be applied to measure innovation within product design. It is anticipated that this project will allow for the PI to make new connections with other researchers within the engineering education field that will lead to future projects exploring the coupling of innovation and game based instructional tools.

协作研究：工程学教育中的研究启动赠款：通过虚拟实习的工程学生创新能力的发展，工程教育中的研究启动基金会是了解使用身临其境学习环境（认知性游戏）是否可以提高工程学生开发创新产品设计的能力。创新是21世纪的关键技能，对于允许美国在行业内保持竞争优势很重要。这也是一项技能，可以使工程专业的学生与他们在行业中寻求职位的时间。经过测试的认知游戏为学生创造了虚拟的工作环境，这使他们能够积极参与产品设计公司，与小组设计成员进行互动，为其虚拟经理完成任务，并从公司内的顾问中获得有关其设计是否满足公司需求的投入。学生还将与最终使用客户进行设计互动，这将帮助他们更好地了解客户在产品设计过程中的作用。此研究发起项目将为PI提供一个独特的机会，以确定认知游戏作为教学工具的有效性，以教授工程学生有关产品设计的教学工具。该项目还将为PI和参与的研究生提供一个绝佳的机会，以了解有关教育中定性和定量研究技术的更多信息，以及如何应用这些技术来衡量产品设计中的创新。预计该项目将允许PI与工程教育领域的其他研究人员建立新的联系，这将导致未来的项目探索创新和基于游戏的教学工具的耦合。