Assessing civil engineering students perceptions of their problem solving ability

• Autores: Adam R. Phillips, Colin Lambie
• Localización: The International journal of engineering education, ISSN-e 0949-149X, Vol. 35, no. Extra 5, 2019, págs. 1551-1560
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • The most widely utilized metric for judging academic achievement is grade point average (GPA). However, GPA is not alwaysindicative of critical thinking and problem-solving ability, which are the universal traits required of engineers. This paper presents anew assessment tool for measuring an individual’s self-appraisal of their technical problem-solving ability and the initial validationof the tool using a pilot study involving 73 undergraduate Civil Engineering students and faculty. The new assessment tool is calledthe engineering modified problem-solving inventory (EM-PSI) and is an adaptation of a more general problem solving inventorythat has been utilized throughout psychology and counseling research. This paper investigates three pertinent questions: (1) Whatrelationship, if any, exists between undergraduate students and faculty and EM-PSI score, (2) What relationship, if any, existsbetween gender and EM-PSI score, and (3) What relationship, if any, exists between undergraduate students with or withoutparents who are engineers and EM-PSI score? Internal reliability assessment of the EM-PSI was evaluated using Cronbach’s alphaand determined that the modified survey was acceptably reliable. The results of a Wald ANOVA and post-hoc tests showed thatthere were significant differences in EM-PSI and subscale scores between undergraduate students and faculty members. Facultyself-appraisal of their problem-solving ability was higher than that of students. Additionally, two dimensions of problem-solving,approach-avoidance style and personal control, were identified to be most different between faculty and students. This paperdemonstrates that the EM-PSI is a promising new assessment tool that may assist instructors in evaluating student problem-solvingability.