Defining and Measuring Innovative Thinking Among Engineering Undergraduates

Innovative thinking skill development among engineering undergraduates is of critical importance to the global economy. Instructional technology, when used effectively, has been shown to enhance educational environments facilitating active and engaging learning strategies such as providing access to information and collaborative exchanges focused on generating innovative solutions. Recent advancements in tablet computers, a form of instructional technology, and their impact on innovative thinking skills have been relatively unexamined. This paper provides a descriptive overview of the quasi-experimental mixed method approach utilizing a control and treatment group that is being used to explore whether effective use of instructional technology, specifically tablet technology, has an impact on the innovative thinking skills among engineering undergraduates enrolled in large lecture classes. Early results indicate that engineering undergraduates may start off with similar levels of innovative thinking skills and certain pedagogical approaches, including use of slate technology by instructors, can enhance those skills. Innovative thinking has been defined as a “complex thinking process that is used to transform creative ideas into useful products and services 1 .” In the context of educating undergraduate science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) majors, included in the definition is the assumption that an innovative individual has the skills necessary to accept change, the ability to problem-solve by applying known information to unknown situations, the ability to find unknown information and assess its value or worth, and the ability to collaborate to synergistically develop new ideas 1, 2, 3 . Innovative thinking also includes the ability to carefully select tools employed in the thinking and design process 1, 2, 3, 4 . Literature has attempted to highlight skills that innovative engineering undergraduates would demonstrate. Using TRIZ theory (e.g., a theoretical model for inventive problem solving), problem-solving methodologies, and a variety of corporate based literature as references, engineering educators suggest that students would be able to set goals for their own learning and identify when they need to seek new knowledge to solve problems. Innovative thinkers should be able to give and receive feedback on new ideas as well as possess the ability to represent those ideas visually and contextually. Students should also be able to think critically so that they can assess the value of their prior knowledge and elaborate, translate, and summarize known and new information 2, 3, 4 . Documented attempts to develop and assess these skills among engineering undergraduates have been limited to senior capstone design courses and an approach that includes additional classes or a new curriculum coupled with workshops and training for both faculty and students that introduces students to the concept of innovative thinking 2, 3, 4 . Recent literature describes how these skills can be learned if individuals are provided with the opportunity to exercise and practice thought processes associated with innovative thinking. For instance, engaging in questioning that challenges commonly known or accepted behavior, critically observing processes in order to identify new ways of doing things, networking in order to meet people with different ideas, and having the opportunity to experiment to identify new insights allow for associational thinking. The steps tied to Page 23366.2 associational thinking allow individuals to draw connections between ideas or problems from unrelated fields and generate innovative ideas 5 . Conceptual Framework Instructional technology, when used effectively, has been shown to enhance educational environments facilitating active and engaging learning strategies. These strategies can provide opportunities for associational thinking such as providing access to information, ideas, and collaborative exchanges focused on generating innovative solutions 5 . Recent advancements in slate enabled laptop computers and smaller slate hand-held devices (e.g., Tablet PCs, iPads, HP Slate 500s), a form of instructional technology, and their impact on innovative thinking skills have been relatively unexamined. Previous studies provide a framework to examine how instructor-led use of slate enabled technology might impact students’ innovative thinking skills 6 . Structured use of instructional technology is when the instructor has embedded specific strategies into their lectures or teaching such as short lectures following by practice sessions using similar forms of technology 7 , collaboration sessions within the lecture format where students communicate with one another using similar forms of technology 8 , case studies 8 , or use of software within the course 8 . Research has shown that structured use of instructional technology can encourage student learning behaviors that support learning 6, 8 and increase student engagement among engineering undergraduates 9 . In contrast, unstructured use allows the students to choose what they do with the instructional technology and whether they utilize features of the tablets and slates or opt to use paper, pen, or typing their notes. While the instructor might use the technology, there are no class assignments that would require students to have the technology in their class as doing so does not hinder participation 6 . This paper shares the methodology being used in a NSF funded study to examine whether instructor use of instructional technology, specifically slate enabled technology, has an impact on the innovative thinking skills among engineering undergraduates enrolled in large lecture classes and if there is an impact, what type of use by the instructor (i.e., structured use, unstructured use, or not using technology) influence that skill development. Initial findings from this exploratory study including the pre-survey and course observations are also shared.