The foundation for this Research Initiation Grant in Engineering Education is to understand whether the use of an immersive learning environment (epistemic game) can increase the ability of engineering students to develop innovative product designs. Innovation is a key 21st Century Skill and is important for allowing the United States to retain its competitive edge within industry. It is also a skill that can set engineering students apart when it comes time for them to seek a position within industry. The epistemic game being tested creates a virtual work environment for students, which allows them to actively participate in a product design company, interact with group design members, complete tasks for their virtual manager and gain input from consultants within the company on whether their design is meeting the needs of the company. Students will also interact with end use customers for their design which will help them develop a better understanding of the role customer input plays in the product design process.
This Research Initiation project will provide a unique opportunity for the PI to determine the effectiveness of epistemic games as an instructional tool for teaching engineering students about product design. This project will also provide a great opportunity for the PI and the graduate student involved to learn more about qualitative and quantitative research techniques in education and how these can be applied to measure innovation within product design. It is anticipated that this project will allow for the PI to make new connections with other researchers within the engineering education field that will lead to future projects exploring the coupling of innovation and game based instructional tools.
