Students from a middle school (N=152) and from a high school (N=33) completed the same energy-efficient home design challenges in a simulated environment for engineering design (SEED) supported by rich design tool with construction and analysis capabilities, Energy3D. As students design in Energy3D, a log of all of their design actions are collected. In this work-in-progress a subsample of the five most engaged students from both the middle and high school samples are analyzed to identify similarities and differences in their design sequences through Markov chain models. Sequence learning is important to many fields of study, particularly fields that have a large practice component such as engineering and design. Design sequences represent micro-strategies for developing a design. By aggregating these sequences into a model we aim to characterize and compare their design process. Markov chains aid in modeling these sequences by developing a matrix of transition probabilities between actions. Preliminary results suggest we can identify similarities and differences between the groups and that their design sequences reflect important considerations of the design problem. We conclude that Markov chains hold promise for modeling student practices.
http://orcid.org/https://0000-0003-2706-3282
The Concord Consortium
[biography]
Corey Schimpf is a Learning Analytics Scientist with interest in design research, learning analytics, research methods and under-representation in engineering, A major strand of his work focuses on developing and analyzing learning analytics that model students’ cognitive states or strategies through fine-grained computer-logged data from open-ended technology-centered science and engineering projects. His dissertation research explored the use of Minecraft to teach early engineering college students about the design process.
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2382-4745
Purdue University, West Lafayette (College of Engineering)
[biography]
Dr. Molly H. Goldstein is a Teaching Assistant Professor and Product Design Lab Director in Industrial and Enterprise Systems Engineering at the Grainger College at the University of Illinois. She is also courtesy faculty in Mechanical Science and Engineering, Curriculum & Instruction (College of Education) and Industrial Design (School of Fine and Applied Arts). Dr. Goldstein’s research focuses on student designers through the study of their design actions and thinking.
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7721-9188
Purdue University, West Lafayette (College of Engineering)
[biography]
Robin S. Adams is Professor in the School of Engineering Education at Purdue University and holds a PhD in Education, an MS in Materials Science and Engineering, and a BS in Mechanical Engineering. She researches cross-disciplinarity ways of thinking, ac
Jie Chao is a learning scientist with extensive research experience in technology-enhanced learning environments and STEM education. She completed her doctoral and postdoctoral training in Instructional Technology and STEM Education at the University of Virginia. Her past research experiences ranged from fine-grained qualitative mental process analysis to large-scale quantitative and longitudinal investigations. She is currently focusing on learning analytics research in open-ended domains such as engineering design and authentic scientific inquiry. With insights in learning sciences and a strong, computationally oriented mindset, she hopes to utilize learning analytics to investigate important questions with unprecedented granularity and generate actionable knowledge for the design of technology and curriculum.
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0784-6079
Purdue University, West Lafayette (College of Engineering)
[biography]
Ṣenay Purzer is an Associate Professor in the School of Engineering Education. She is the recipient of a 2012 NSF CAREER award, which examines how engineering students approach innovation. She serves on the editorial boards of Science Education and the Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education (JPEER). She received a B.S.E with distinction in Engineering in 2009 and a B.S. degree in Physics Education in 1999. Her M.A. and Ph.D. degrees are in Science Education from Arizona State University earned in 2002 and 2008, respectively.
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