Session: DEC-01-02-Implementation and Assessment Best Paper

Paper Number: 89412

89412 - Influences of Engineering Student Backgrounds and Experiences on Conceptions of Product Design 

In undergraduate engineering programs, recent emphasis has been placed on a more holistic, interdisciplinary approach to engineering education. Some programs now teach product design within the context of the market, extending the curriculum to topics outside of scientific labs and computational analysis. This study analyzes survey and concept map data collected from 154 students in a third-year engineering design course.  The aim is to evaluate the impacts of student backgrounds and experiences on their mental models of product design. Data were gathered from surveys on student backgrounds and experiences, along with concept maps that were generated by the students on the first day of a product design class. The concept maps were analyzed in a quantitative manner for structural and thematic elements. The findings show that several background attributes influence student conceptions of product design.  Academic major appeared to have the largest impact on a variety of variables.  Additionally, prior work experience of students, enrollment in a master's program, and the presence of an engineering role model at home all showed significant impacts on design conceptions. By analyzing and understanding unique backgrounds of students, educators can adjust their curricula to more effectively teach design concepts to students of various backgrounds and experiences.

Presenting Author: Steven Hoffenson Stevens Institute of Technology

Presenting Author Biography: Steven Hoffenson is an Assistant Professor in the School of Systems and Enterprises at Stevens Institute of Technology, where he directs the Design of Sustainable Products Across Complex Environments (Design SPACE) Laboratory. His research focuses on design, sustainability, and complexity, with projects in the areas of design education and training, design for market systems, multi-disciplinary design optimization, and policy modeling and analysis. Dr. Hoffenson holds degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland (B.S.) and the University of Michigan (M.S.E. and Ph.D.).

Authors:

Adam Corby Stevens Institute of Technology
Steven Hoffenson Stevens Institute of Technology
Nicole Pitterson Virginia Tech