Document Type

Article

Publication Date

January 2010

Publication Title

International Journal of Engineering Education

Volume

26

Issue Number

4

First Page

846

Last Page

859

Abstract

Several core aerospace engineering courses at SJSU have been re-designed in an effort to help students develop problem-solving skills. This re-design includes (a) explicit definition of skills and attributes students need to develop to become capable problem-solvers, (b) inclusion of open-ended problems in each of several key, junior-level, core courses, (c) coaching students in the use of Wood’s Problem-Solving Methodology, and (d) development of rubrics to evaluate student performance at each step of this methodology. The paper discusses the application of this process and, in particular, it presents an assessment of student performance in two courses: fluid mechanics and aerodynamics. The focus of this study is to identify specific difficulties students face while solving open-ended problems and specific steps they can take to overcome these difficulties.

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