Learning Conceptual Knowledge in the Engineering Sciences: Overview and Future Research Directions

Learning conceptual knowledge in engineering science is a critical element in the development of competence and expertise in engineering. To date, however, research on conceptual learning in engineering science has been limited. Therefore, this article draws heavily on fundamental research by cognitive psychologists and applied research by science educators to provide a background on fundamental issues in the field and methods for assessing conceptual knowledge. Some of the most common conceptual difficulties from three domains: mechanics, thermal science and direct current electricity, are discussed to provide concrete examples of what students find difficult to learn. The article concludes with a discussion of possible sources of these difficulties, implications for instruction, and suggestions for future research.

[1]  L. McDermott,et al.  Investigation of student understanding of the concept of velocity in one dimension , 1980 .

[2]  Robert S. Siegler,et al.  The relation between conceptual and procedural knowledge in learning mathematics: A review , 2021, The Development of Mathematical Skills.

[3]  Richard W. Schwenz,et al.  College physical chemistry students' conceptions of equilibrium and fundamental thermodynamics , 1998 .

[4]  M. Linn,et al.  Heat energy and temperature concepts of adolescents, adults, and experts: Implications for curricular improvements , 1994 .

[5]  M. McCloskey.  Naive Theories of Motion. , 1982 .

[6]  J. Creswell.  Qualitative inquiry and research design: choosing among five traditions. , 1998 .

[7]  L. McDermott,et al.  Investigation of student understanding of the concept of acceleration in one dimension , 1981 .

[8]  Sheri Sheppard,et al.  What is Engineering Practice , 2006 .

[9]  Ruth A. Streveler,et al.  Preliminary Results From The Development Of A Concept Inventory In Thermal And Transport Science , 2004 .

[10]  Margot A. Vigeant,et al.  Using inquiry-based activities to promote understanding of critical engineering concepts. , 2006 .

[11]  R. Hake.  Interactive-engagement versus traditional methods: A six-thousand-student survey of mechanics test data for introductory physics courses , 1998 .

[12]  P. Pintrich,et al.  Beyond Cold Conceptual Change: The Role of Motivational Beliefs and Classroom Contextual Factors in the Process of Conceptual Change , 1993 .

[13]  Ela Hunt,et al.  A cognitive approach to the teaching of physics , 1994 .

[14]  K. Allen,et al.  The Statistics Concept Inventory: Development and Analysis of a Cognitive Assessment Instrument in Statistics , 2006 .

[15]  Ann L. Brown,et al.  How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school. , 1999 .

[16]  M. Linn,et al.  Teaching thermodynamics to middle school students: What are appropriate cognitive demands? , 1991 .

[17]  J. Lochhead,et al.  Student conceptions of simple circuits , 1980 .

[18]  Jan H. F. Meyer,et al.  Overcoming Barriers to Student Understanding: Threshold Concepts and Troublesome Knowledge , 2006 .

[19]  J. Clement.  Students’ preconceptions in introductory mechanics , 1982 .

[20]  J. Minstrell.  Explaining the ’’at rest’’ condition of an object , 1982 .

[21]  Frederick Reif,et al.  Cognition for Interpreting Scientific Concepts: A Study of Acceleration , 1992 .

[22]  James D. Slotta,et al.  Helping Students Understand Challenging Topics in Science Through Ontology Training , 2006 .

[23]  L. McDermott.  Research on conceptual understanding in mechanics , 1984 .

[24]  Reed Stevens,et al.  Becoming an Engineer: Toward a Three Dimensional View of Engineering Learning , 2008 .

[25]  D. Hestenes,et al.  Force concept inventory , 1992 .

[26]  Paul S. Steif,et al.  Feeding Back Results From A Statics Concept Inventory To Improve Instruction , 2006 .

[27]  Cameron H. G. Wright,et al.  The signals and systems concept inventory , 2002, IEEE Transactions on Education.

[28]  P. K. Imbrie,et al.  Panel - tools to facilitate better teaching and learning: Concept inventories , 2007 .

[29]  Ibrahim A. Halloun,et al.  Common sense concepts about motion , 1985 .

[30]  Ronald L. Miller,et al.  Using A Delphi Study To Identify The Most Difficult Concepts For Students To Master In Thermal And Transport Sciences , 2003 .

[31]  Barbara M. Olds,et al.  Concept Inventories Meet Cognitive Psychology: Using Beta Testing As A Mechanism For Identifying Engineering Student Misconceptions , 2005 .

[32]  Paul S. Steif,et al.  Student Thinking about Static Equilibrium: Insights from Written Explanations to a Concept Question , 2008 .

[33]  Paula V. Engelhardt,et al.  Examining students' understanding of electrical circuits through multiple-choice testing and interviews , 1997 .

[34]  Peter Goodhew,et al.  Threshold concepts in engineering education - Exploring potential blocks in student understanding , 2006 .

[35]  Michelene T. H. Chi,et al.  Commonsense Conceptions of Emergent Processes: Why Some Misconceptions Are Robust , 2005 .

[36]  D. Perkins.  Constructivism and troublesome knowledge , 2006 .

[37]  M. Hewson,et al.  The Influence of Intellectual Environment on Conceptions of Heat. , 1984 .

[38]  Gaalen Erickson.  Children's viewpoints of heat: A second look , 1980 .

[39]  Lucia Mason,et al.  Introduction: Bridging the Cognitive and Sociocultural Approaches in Research on Conceptual Change: Is it Feasible? , 2007 .

[40]  M. Chi,et al.  Naive Physics Reasoning: A Commitment to Substance-Based Conceptions , 2000 .

[41]  Geoff N Masters,et al.  Displacement, velocity, and frames of reference: Phenomenographic studies of students’ understanding and some implications for teaching and assessment , 1992 .

[42]  B. Rittle-Johnson,et al.  Promoting transfer: effects of self-explanation and direct instruction. , 2006, Child development.

[43]  K. A. Ericsson,et al.  Protocol Analysis: Verbal Reports as Data , 1984 .

[44]  B. Eylon,et al.  Potential difference and current in simple electric circuits: A study of students’ concepts , 1983 .

[45]  V. Picciarelli,et al.  A Study of University Students' Understanding of Simple Electric Circuits. Part 1: Current in d.c. Circuits. , 1991 .

[46]  Robert J. Beichner,et al.  Students’ understanding of direct current resistive electrical circuits , 2004 .

[47]  Barbara M. Olds,et al.  2006-1653: IDENTIFYING AND INVESTIGATING DIFFICULT CONCEPTS IN ENGINEERING MECHANICS AND ELECTRIC CIRCUITS , 2006 .

[48]  Ruth A. Streveler,et al.  Misconceptions About Rate Processes: Preliminary Evidence For The Importance Of Emergent Conceptual Schemas In Thermal And Transport Sciences , 2006 .

[49]  Paul S. Steif,et al.  A Statics Concept Inventory: Development and Psychometric Analysis , 2005 .

[50]  Paul S. Steif,et al.  New Practices for Administering and Analyzing the Results of Concept Inventories , 2007 .

[51]  A. Gopnik,et al.  The theory theory. , 1994 .

[52]  L. Vygotsky,et al.  Thought and Language , 1963 .

[53]  Ibrahim A. Halloun,et al.  The initial knowledge state of college physics students , 1985 .

[54]  Douglas B. Clark,et al.  Helping students revise disruptive experientially supported ideas about thermodynamics: Computer visualizations and tactile models , 2004 .

[55]  Kevin J. Carlton,et al.  Teaching about heat and temperature , 2000 .

[56]  David G. Pollock,et al.  An Investigation of Students' Conceptual Understanding in Related Sophomore to Graduate‐Level Engineering and Mechanics Courses , 2009 .

[57]  Peter S. Shaffer,et al.  Research as a guide for teaching introductory mechanics: An illustration in the context of the Atwood’s machine , 1994 .

[58]  Isabel Malaquias,et al.  An Attempt to Overcome Alternative Conceptions Related to Heat and Temperature. , 1995 .

[59]  P.S. Steif,et al.  An articulation of the concepts and skills which underlie engineering statics , 2004, 34th Annual Frontiers in Education, 2004. FIE 2004..

[60]  T. Reed-Rhoads,et al.  Progress on concept inventory assessment tools , 2003, 33rd Annual Frontiers in Education, 2003. FIE 2003..

[61]  K. Smith,et al.  Looking Beyond Content: Skill Development for Engineers , 2008, 0802.2950.

[62]  P. Alexander,et al.  Nurturing the seeds of transfer: a domain-specific perspective , 1999 .

[63]  Lillian C. McDermott,et al.  Research as a guide for curriculum development: An example from introductory electricity , 1992 .

[64]  Andrea A. diSessa,et al.  Coherence versus fragmentation in the development of the concept of force , 2004, Cogn. Sci..

[65]  Marcia C. Linn,et al.  Curriculum Reformulation: Incorporating Technology into Science Instruction. , 1988 .

[66]  Robin Millar,et al.  Learning the scientific “story”: A case study in the teaching and learning of elementary thermodynamics , 1996 .

[67]  Caroline Baillie,et al.  Building knowledge about the interface , 2001 .

[68]  B. Rittle-Johnson,et al.  Developing Conceptual Understanding and Procedural Skill in Mathematics: An Iterative Process. , 2001 .