This engineering education research initiation grant seeks to develop ways to measure the innovation skills of engineering students, and use the tools developed to design engineering degree programs that produce more innovative graduates. The research study uses a mixed methods approach to identify innovation skills then measure them in students.
The broader significance and importance of this project lies in the potential impact it can have on workforce needs in the United States. The project will widely disseminate its findings on innovation to education scholars as well as academic decision makers. The project also seeks to provide outreach to the K-12 teachers through support of workshops. This project overlaps with NSF's strategic goals of transforming the frontiers through preparation of an engineering workforce with new capabilities and expertise. Additionally NSF's goal of innovating for society is enabled by creating results and research that are useful for society by informing educational policy and practices.
