"I just Google It": A qualitative study of information strategies in problem solving used by upper and lower level engineering students

Engineers must be adept in finding, evaluating, and using information in order to create quality designs. Previous research has found first year engineering students frequently do not use sufficient sources to support their design decisions. To further understand what strategies engineering students use in seeking, evaluating, and using information, we interviewed 21 engineering students at a large research university. Results show that while there is variation between students in each group, higher level engineering students reported use of broader and more complex search strategies to assist in finding information for completing projects. In addition, higher level students discussed applying information they found to better understand their design problem, whereas lower level students discussed the application of information less frequently. These results provide insight into how students conceive of the role of information in solving problems at different stages of their educational careers, and can be used to inform teaching and learning in engineering classrooms. These research findings will be used to help inform the development of assessment tools to provide more quantitative evidence of actual skill levels and students' perception of their skills.

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