Collaborative Research: RUI: Trust but Verify: The Use of Intuition in Engineering Problem Solving

合作研究：RUI：信任但验证：直觉在工程问题解决中的运用

• 批准号: 2325523
• 负责人: Elif Miskioglu
• 金额: $ 7.72万
• 依托单位: Bucknell University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-10-01 至 2026-09-30
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2325523&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; RUI; Trust; but

The project, “Collaborative Research: RUI: Trust but Verify: The Use of Intuition in Engineering Problem Solving” is a three-year study about engineering intuition conducted at Bucknell University, Arizona State University, and Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. The goal of this project is to examine the application of intuition by engineering practitioners and generate knowledge that promotes the professional formation of engineers and development of a stronger engineering workforce. Engineering intuition is a problem-solving skill developed through experience that engineering practitioners subconsciously use when under pressure from constraints (e.g., lack of time). Engineering practitioners regularly use and develop intuition on-the-job; however, the use of intuition is often discouraged in undergraduate education. Research questions in this study focus on the application of intuition in engineering problem solving, solving “ill” versus “well” structured engineering problems, and prior engineering experience levels when engineers solve structured problems. The study will use a variety of methods and techniques (such as Simulation Interviews). New engineering practitioners (senior undergraduates and those with less than one year of experience) and mid-career practitioners (6-10 years of experience) will participate. The knowledge generated from this study will provide a foundation for bridging the disconnect between classroom and real-world engineering practices, designing educational interventions that promote intuition development, and understanding how early intuition development can help level the playing field for all students regardless of individual background, including past engineering experiences.The project, “Collaborative Research: RUI: Trust but Verify: The Use of Intuition in Engineering Problem Solving” is a three-year study about engineering intuition conducted at Bucknell University, Arizona State University, and Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. The goal of this project is to examine the application of intuition by engineering practitioners and generate knowledge that promotes the professional formation of engineers and development of a stronger engineering workforce. Engineering intuition is a problem-solving skill developed through experience that engineering practitioners subconsciously use when under pressure from constraints (e.g., lack of time). Expertise in a specific area is a prerequisite of intuition and is a defining characteristic of the expert. Engineering practitioners regularly use and develop intuition on-the-job; however, the use of intuition is often discouraged in undergraduate education. The disconnect between intuition’s use in engineering practice and in engineering education, coupled with limited knowledge of the relationship between intuition, expertise, and experience, presents an important gap in our existing understanding of engineering problem solving and future workforce preparation. A qualitative approach will be employed to investigate four research questions: RQ1: How does the application of intuition manifest in engineering problem solving? RQ2: How does the application of intuition vary when approaching “ill” versus “well” structured engineering problems? RQ3: How does the domain of practitioner expertise influence the application of intuition when approaching “ill” versus “well” structured engineering problems? RQ4: How does prior engineering experience influence the application of intuition when approaching “ill” versus “well” structured engineering problems? Cognitive Task Analysis (CTA) will elicit expert knowledge from a sample of new engineering practitioners (senior undergraduates and those with less than one year of experience) and mid-career practitioners (6-10 years of experience). Per best practices, CTA methods (Simulation Interviews, Critical Decision Method, and Knowledge Audit Method) will be used to support robust data collection. The knowledge generated from this study will provide a foundation for bridging the disconnect between classroom and real-world engineering practices, designing educational interventions that promote intuition development, and understanding how early intuition development can help level the playing field for all students regardless of individual background, including past engineering experiences.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.

该项目名为“协作研究：RUI：信任但验证：直觉在工程问题解决中的运用”，是巴克内尔大学、亚利桑那州立大学和安柏里德尔航空大学进行的为期三年的关于工程直觉的研究的目标。该项目的目的是检查工程从业者对直觉的应用，并产生促进工程师专业形成和培养更强大的工程队伍的知识。工程直觉是工程从业者在压力下下意识地使用的经验所发展的解决问题的技能。不受约束（例如，缺乏时间）。工程从业者经常在工作中使用和发展直觉；然而，本研究中的研究问题通常不鼓励使用直觉在工程问题解决中的应用。解决“不良”与“良好”结构的工程问题，以及工程师解决结构问题时的先前工程经验水平。该研究将使用各种方法和技术（例如模拟访谈）。一年以上的经验）和职业中期从业者（6-10 年经验）将参与这项研究，所获得的知识将为弥合课堂与现实世界工程实践之间的脱节、设计促进直觉发展的教育干预措施以及了解如何尽早发展奠定基础。直觉发展可以帮助为所有学生提供公平的竞争环境，无论个人背景如何，包括过去的工程经验。该项目“协作研究：RUI：信任但验证：直觉在工程问题解决中的运用”是一个为期三年的项目巴克内尔大学进行的关于工程直觉的研究大学、亚利桑那州立大学和安柏里德尔航空大学该项目的目标是研究工程从业者对直觉的应用，并产生促进工程师专业形成和培养更强大工程队伍的知识。 - 工程从业者在受到限制（例如，缺乏时间）的压力下，通过经验发展出的解决技能。特定领域的专业知识是直觉的先决条件，也是专家经常使用和发展直觉的决定性特征。然而，在本科教育中，直觉的使用常常受到阻碍。直觉在工程实践和工程教育中的使用之间的脱节，加上对直觉、专业知识和经验之间关系的了解有限，提出了一个重要的问题。我们对工程问题解决和未来劳动力准备的现有理解存在差距，将采用定性方法来调查四个研究问题： RQ1：直觉的应用在工程问题解决中如何体现？接近“不良”与“良好”的结构化工程RQ3：在处理“不良”与“良好”结构化工程问题时，从业者的专业知识领域如何影响直觉的应用 RQ4：在处理“不良”与“良好”结构化工程问题时，先前的工程经验如何影响直觉的应用？认知任务分析 (CTA) 将从新工程从业者（高年级本科生和经验不足一年的人）和职业生涯中期从业者（根据最佳实践，6-10 年经验）中获取专业知识， CTA 方法（模拟访谈、关键决策方法和知识审核方法）将用于支持可靠的数据收集，本研究产生的知识将为弥合课堂与现实世界工程实践之间的脱节、设计促进的教育干预措施奠定基础。直觉发展，并了解早期直觉发展如何帮助所有学生创造公平的竞争环境，无论个人背景如何，包括过去的工程经验。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优点和更广泛的评估进行评估，被认为值得支持影响审查标准。