Collaborative Research: Research: Investigating Jonassen’s Design Theory of Problem Solving in Support of Pedagogical Change in Introductory Aerospace Engineering

合作研究：研究：调查乔纳森的问题解决设计理论以支持航空航天工程入门教学的变革

基本信息

批准号：
2117224
负责人：
Andrew Olewnik
金额：
$ 25.02万
依托单位：
SUNY at Buffalo
依托单位国家：
美国
项目类别：
Standard Grant
财政年份：
2021
资助国家：
美国
起止时间：
2021-09-01 至 2024-08-31
项目状态：
已结题

来源：
https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2117224&HistoricalAwards=false
关键词：
Collaborative Research Investigating Jonassen Design

项目摘要

This project is focused on the design and facilitation of problem based learning experiences for engineering undergraduates. Problem based learning provides students with real world problem solving experiences similar to those faced in the profession. It has been embraced by universities that train healthcare workers for several decades and more recently for the training of engineers. However, faculty find the creation and management of problem based learning experiences quite challenging. This can lead to negative experiences for both students and faculty, which can undermine learning and lower overall interest in the profession. Further, it can lead faculty to abandon such practices for more traditional, less effective teaching approaches. This project will improve our understanding of faculty-student interaction in problem based learning environments. Additionally, this project will lead to methods that help faculty in the design and facilitation of formative problem solving experiences for engineering students. This work is important to supporting faculty in the creation and facilitation of problem-based learning which will improve the professional preparation of engineering students.Problem based learning (PBL) has demonstrated promise in providing a range of desirable learning outcomes that are often deficit in engineering undergraduates. However, implementation is challenging for faculty for a variety of reasons. In this research, we will investigate two acute challenges of PBL implementation; generating appropriately ill-defined problems and facilitating students’ problem solving. Two research questions govern the proposed work: RQ1) How can Jonassen's design theory of problem solving be operationalized to help faculty in developing a range of authentic problem-solving opportunities? and RQ2) How can Jonassen’s design theory of problem solving be operationalized to facilitate faculty-student interaction and scaffolding of problem solving? We will develop problem solving experiences for an introductory aerospace engineering course at an R1 institution as it transitions to integrate PBL experiences. This transition will be guided by the theoretical foundations of problem typology and problem-solving characteristics as described by Jonassen. Four central research activities are planned: 1) sampling and characterizing current problems used in introductory aerospace engineering education; 2) capturing and analyzing the problem generation process for four different problem types at varying levels of difficulty using structuredness and complexity serve as “controllable factors”; 3) observing and analyzing faculty-student interactions and student problem-solving trajectories with and without an instructional scaffold; and 4) discussion of this research with engineering faculty to understand issues impacting extensibility and scalability of findings. To ground this research, we will use Jonassen’s widely cited design theory of problem solving as a theoretical foundation. Specifically, we will leverage two facets of his theory – problem variation as characterized by “structuredness” and “complexity,” and problem typology, which recognizes distinct problem types that provoke distinct problem-solving strategies. Through a mixed-methods, design-based research protocol, we will use these facets to map the current state-of-the art of problem creation, capture the process of engineering problem development within a single course context, and trace the problem-solving facilitation process to evaluate the degree to which faculty design intent (i.e. learning outcomes) is realized by students. The research will lead to two outcomes. First, it will improve our understanding of the problem development process for faculty in terms of “PBL overhead” - i.e. time, resources, and alignment with intended learning outcomes (RQ1). Second, it will improve our understanding of the dynamics of faculty-student interaction in PBL environments (RQ2). The proposed work will lay foundations for the development of standards and methods that can support faculty in more systematic development of problem-solving experiences that are well-aligned with engineering practice. This research project is a collaboration between the University at Buffalo and North Carolina State University.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

该项目的重点是针对工程本科生的基于问题的学习经验的设计和设施。基于问题的学习为学生提供了与专业相似的现实世界问题解决经验。它被培训医疗工作者培训数十年的大学所接受，最近为工程师培训。但是，教师发现基于问题的学习经验的创建和管理挑战。这可能会导致学生和教职员工的负面经历，这可能会破坏学习并降低对专业的整体兴趣。此外，它可以导致教师放弃这样的实践，以采用更传统的，效率较低的教学方法。该项目将提高我们对基于问题的学习环境中教师互动的理解。此外，该项目将导致帮助教师在工程专业学生的形成问题解决经验的设计和设施中的方法。这项工作对于支持基于问题的学习的创建和设施的教师很重要，这将改善工程专业学生的专业准备。基于问题的学习（PBL）在提供一系列理想的学习成果方面表现出了希望，这些学习成果通常是工程学本科生的赤字。但是，由于各种原因，实施是教师的挑战。在这项研究中，我们将调查PBL实施的两个严重挑战。产生适当定义的问题并支持学生的问题解决。两个研究问题控制了拟议的工作：RQ1）乔纳森的设计解决问题如何实现以帮助教师学生的互动和解决问题的脚手架？我们将在R1机构的简介航空工程课程中开发解决问题的经验，因为它过渡到整合PBL体验。该过渡将以乔纳森（Jonassen）描述的问题类型和解决问题特征的理论基础为指导。计划了四项中央研究活动：1）对航空航天工程教育中使用的当前问题进行抽样和表征； 2）使用结构性和复杂性作为“可控制因素”，在不同水平上捕获和分析四种不同问题类型的问题产生过程； 3）观察和分析的教师互动和学生解决问题的轨迹和没有教学脚手架的轨迹； 4）与工程学院讨论这项研究，以了解影响发现的可扩展性和可伸缩性的问题。为了基础这项研究，我们将使用乔纳森广泛引用的问题解决的设计理论作为理论基础。具体来说，我们将利用他的理论的两个方面 - 问题变化，其特征是“结构性”和“复杂性”以及问题类型学，这些问题识别出引起不同问题解决策略的不同问题类型。通过混合方法，基于设计的研究协议，我们将使用这些方面来绘制问题创建的当前最新技术，捕获单个课程环境中工程问题发展的过程，并追踪解决问题的设施过程，以评估教师设计意图的程度（即学习局面）。这项研究将导致两个结果。首先，它将在“ PBL开销”（即时间，资源和与预期的学习成果的一致性（RQ1））方面提高我们对教师问题发展过程的理解。其次，它将提高我们对PBL环境中教师互动动态的理解（RQ2）。拟议的工作将为制定标准和方法的基础奠定基础，这些标准和方法可以支持教师在更系统地发展问题的解决经验，这些经验与工程实践结盟良好。该研究项目是布法罗大学和北卡罗来纳州立大学大学之间的合作。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并使用基金会的知识分子优点和更广泛的影响标准，被认为值得通过评估来获得支持。