Design is a core attribute of engineering practice; in fact, the etymology of the word engineer is traced to the Latin “ingeniare,” which translates as inventor or designer. In order to prepare our students for success in an engineering career, they must be proficient at design and able to think creatively and flexibly about optimal solutions to problems. Additionally, numerous studies have demonstrated the need for well-developed spatial skills for success in engineering, especially in engineering problem solving. Studies also show a link between spatial thinking and technical creativity. The focus of this research is on understanding the relationship between spatial visualization skills and engineering design. As a first phase of testing, 127 undergraduate engineering students completed four tests of spatial ability. In a second phase, 102 students returned and were asked to complete three tasks. The first was designing a ping pong ball launcher to hit a target at a specific height from a given distance. They were then asked to list as many factors as possible that should be considered when designing a retaining wall for mitigating flood damage along the Mississippi River in the Midwest in the United States. The third task was to sketch as many ideas as possible in a given timeframe for a rainwater collection system in a remote location. This research paper will present preliminary analysis of the Midwest Flood problem and spatial ability data. The initial insights will be discussed relative to the overall study and how this work could inform undergraduate engineering education, and specifically the provision of design education.
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Exploring the Development of Engineering Design Creativity and the Role of Spatial Skills in this Process
This study aims to investigate the development of creativity in engineering education
and how spatial skills relate to creativity of design solutions.
Undergraduate students in the first (n=86) and fourth/fifth year (n=48) of their
engineering programme were invited to participate. Students completed four spatial
tests to precisely measure visualisation skills. In a separate session, students were
invited back to solve two engineering design tasks: a ping pong problem where they
designed a ping pong ball launcher game to meet specified criteria and a rain catcher
problem where they were tasked with developing as many ideas for capturing
rainwater as a water source for a remote location as they could. Students were asked
not to consider feasibility, cost, etc. and to come up multiple radical solutions to the
rainwater capture problem.
The creativity of design solutions was assessed using Adaptive Comparative
Judgement. Statistical analysis indicated significant relationships between spatial
skills, students’ year of study and gender. A statistically significant relationship was
also found between students’ creativity scores on both design challenges. No
statistical differences were determined in the creativity of first and fourth/fifth year
students’ solutions. These findings will be discussed relative to existing research,
future work, and potential implications for education practice.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2020785
- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10480535
- Publisher / Repository:
- SEFI Conference Proceedings
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- SEFI Conference Proceedings
- Subject(s) / Keyword(s):
- Spatial skills creativity design problem solving
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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