A Funds of Knowledge Approach to Developing Design Problem-Framing Skills

• In Event: AERA Poster Session 12
  In Poster Session: Instructional Strategies and Learning Tools to Support STEM Learning

Abstract

Canonical design fields have placed greater emphasis on earlier design training in undergraduate programs, but understanding the impact of such experiences on problem framing ability is still poorly understood. To investigate this, we compared students' performance on a measure of design problem framing ability in the first and senior years in an engineering program. We coded students' work and conducted descriptive and inferential statistics. First year students tended to begin framing design problems by stating the problem and generating ideas. Those who experienced first year design tended to consider underlying causes and use-cases. These findings suggest funds of knowledge design challenges can contribute significantly to first-year students' design problem framing ability.

Authors

• Yan Chen, University of Nevada - Las Vegas

• Vanessa Svihla, University of New Mexico

• Lindsey White, The University of New Mexico

• S. Pil Kang, University of New Mexico

• Jordan Orion James, The University of New Mexico