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1. Engineering Faculty’s Beliefs About Teaching and Solving Ill-structured Problems

   Akinci, S (July 2021, ASEE Annual Conference proceedings)

   Problem solving is an essential part of engineering. Research shows that students are not exposed to ill-structured problems in the engineering classrooms as much as well-structured problems and do not feel as confident and comfortable solving them. There have been several studies on how engineering students solve and perceive ill-structured problems, however, understanding engineering faculty’s perceptions of teaching and solving such problems is important as well. Since it is the engineering faculty who teach students how to approach engineering problems, it is essential to understand how they perceive solving and teaching of these problems. The following research question has guided this research: What beliefs do engineering faculty have about teaching and solving ill-structured problems? Ten tenure-track or tenured faculty in civil engineering from various universities across the U.S. were interviewed after solving an ill-structured engineering problem. Their responses were transcribed and coded. The findings suggest that faculty generally preferred to teach both well-structured and ill-structured problems in their courses. They also acknowledge the advantages of ill-structured problems, in that they promote critical thinking, require creativity, and are more challenging. However, the results showed that some are less likely to use ill-structured problems in their teaching compared to well-structured problems. We also found that faculty became more comfortable teaching ill-structured problems as they gain more experience in teaching these types of problems. Faculty’s responses showed that while they solve ill-structured problems as part of their research on a regular basis, some faculty do not integrate these problems in the classes that they teach. These results indicate that although faculty recognize the importance of using ill-structured problems while teaching, the lack of experience with teaching these problems, other faculty responsibilities, and the complex nature of these problems make it challenging for engineering faculty to incorporate these problems into the engineering classroom. Based on these findings, in order to improve faculty’s comfort and willingness to use ill-structured problems in their teaching, recommendations for faculty are provided in the paper. 

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2. Characterization of problem types in statics textbooks.

   Therriault, D. J. (January 2022, Proceedings of the American Society for Engineering Education)

   This work in progress research paper considers the question, what kind of problems do engineering students commonly solve during their education? Engineering problems have been generally classified as ill-structured/open-ended or well-structured/closed-ended. Various authors have identified the characteristics of ill-structured problems or presented typologies of problems. Simple definitions state that well-structured problems are simple, concrete, and have a single solution, while ill-structured problems are complex, abstract, and have multiple possible solutions (Jonassen, 1997, 2000). More detailed classifications have been provided by Shin, Jonassen, and McGee (2003), Voss (2006), and Johnstone (2001). It is commonly understood that classroom problems are well-structured while workplace problems are ill-structured, but we cannot find any empirical data to confirm or deny this proposition. Engineers commonly encounter ill-structured problems such as design problems in the field therefore problem-solving skills are invaluable and should be taught in engineering courses. This research specifically looks at the types of problems present in the two most commonly used statics textbooks (Hibbeler, 2016; Beer, et al., 2019). All end-of-chapter problems in these textbooks were classified using Jonassen’s (2000) well-known typology of problem types. Out of 3,387 problems between both books, 99% fell into the algorithmic category and the remaining fell into the logic category. These preliminary results provide an understanding of the types of problems engineering students most commonly encounter in their classes. Prior research has documented that textbook example problems exert a strong influence on students' problem-solving strategies (Lee et al., 2013). If instructors only assign textbook problems, students in statics courses do not see any ill-structured problems at that stage in their education. We argue that even in foundational courses such as statics, students should be exposed to ill-structured problems. By providing opportunities for students to solve more ill-structured problems, students can become more familiar with them and become better prepared for the workforce. Moving forward, textbooks from several other courses will be analyzed to determine the difference between a fundamental engineering course such as statics and upper-level courses. This research will allow us to determine how the problem types differ between entry level and advanced classes and reveal if engineering textbooks primarily contain well-structured problems. Keywords: problem solving, textbooks, ill-structured problems 

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3. Developing Problem Solving Skills using Student Generated Problems that Reverse Engineer YouTube Videos

   Asogwa, Uchenna (January 2020, Master of Science Thesis)

   Problem solving is a signature skill of engineers. Here, problem solving is employed when students apply course concepts to reverse engineer YouTube videos and solve new student-written, homework-style problems (YouTube problems). Replacing textbook problems with YouTube problems, this research focuses on examining the rigor of YouTube problems as well as students’ problem-solving skills on textbook and YouTube problems. A quasi-experimental, treatment/control group design was employed, and data was collected and evaluated using multiple instruments. First, rigor of homework problems was examined using the NASA Task Load Index. Also, problem solving was assessed using a previously-developed rubric called PROCESS Problem definition, Representing the problem, Organizing the information, Calculations, Evaluating the solution, Solution communication, and Self-assessment. PROCESS was modified to independently measure completeness and accuracy of student responses, as well as identify errors committed in material and energy balances. In the treatment group, students were assigned ten textbook problems and nine YouTube problems. In addition to obtaining an evidence-based assessment of problem solving via PROCESS, students’ learning attitudes, overall and with respect to problem solving, were measured via a self-reported survey known as Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS). Utilizing YouTube problems in classroom did not influence learning attitudes of students negatively. Students reported that YouTube problems possessed similar rigor as Textbook problems. Instead, students solving YouTube problems measured small effect size improvement in problem- solving skills. 

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4. Comparing engineering problem-solving ability and problem difficulty between Textbook and student-written YouTube problems

   Asogwa, U.; Duckett, T.R.; Malefyt, A.P.; Stevens, L.; Mentzer, G.; Liberatore, M.W. (January 2021, IJEE International Journal of Engineering Education)

   Problem solving is a signature skill of engineers. Incorporating videos in engineering education has potential to stimulate multi-senses and further open new ways of learning and thinking. Here, problem solving was examined on problems written by previous students that applied course concepts by reverse engineering the actions in videos. Since the videos usually come from YouTube, the student-written problems are designated YouTube problems. This research focused on examining the rigor of YouTube problems as well as students’ problem-solving skills when solving YouTube problems compared to Textbook problems. A quasi-experimental, treatment/control group design was employed, and data collected was evaluated using multiple instruments. NASA Task Load Index survey was used to collect 􏰗1200 ratings that assessed rigor of homework problems. Problem-solving ability was assessed using a previously-developed rubric with over 2600 student solutions scored. In the treatment group where students were assigned ten Textbook and nine YouTube problems, students reported an overall similarity in rigor for both YouTube and Textbook problems. Students in the treatment group displayed 􏰗6% better problem solving when completing YouTube problems compared to Textbook problems. Although higher perceptions of problem difficulty correlated with lower problem-solving ability across both groups and problem types, students in the treatment group exhibited smaller decreases in problem-solving ability as a result of increasing difficulty in the Textbook problems. Overall, student-written problems inspired by YouTube videos can easily be adapted as homework practice and possess potential benefits in enhancing students’ learning experience. Link: https://www.ijee.ie/contents/c370521.html 

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5. Characterization of Problem Types in a Statics Textbook

   Douglas, E. P. (October 2020, Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE))

   null (Ed.)

   Abstract— In this Work in Progress Research paper, we present preliminary results on the analysis of the problems present in a common engineering textbook. In order to transition students from novice to expert problem solving, they must have practice solving problems that are typical of engineering practice, i.e. illstructured and complex. While it is generally believed that classroom problems are for the most part closed-ended and not complex, there is no work in the literature to confirm this belief. In order to address this gap, we analyzed the types of problems present in a commonly used statics textbook, using Jonassen’s well-known typology. Our findings show that almost all of the problems are algorithmic, with a few rule-based and story problems. There were no problems with higher levels of illstructuredness, such as decision-making, diagnosis-solution, or design problems. Some educators may believe that because statics is an introductory level class, it is appropriate to only present wellstructured problems. We argue that it is both possible and necessary to include ill-structured problems in classes at all levels. Doing so could potentially support students’ critical transition from novice to expert problem solvers. Keywords—problem-solving, statics, ambiguity 

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