Conducting a Delphi Study as the First Step in Developing a Concept Inventory for Engineering Design Graphics

Purdue University, West Lafayette IN

Investigators

Abstract

(59) Engineering and (R) Research/ Assessment. This project is developing agreement about (and a means for testing) the fundamental concepts in engineering graphics. Its goal is to begin the process of developing a validated and tested concept inventory. The first step, the primary objective of this project, is a Delphi Study to identify the fundamental concepts in engineering graphics. The results will subsequently be used to develop a concept inventory for engineering graphics. Engineering graphics is often one of the largest enrollment courses within engineering. Much of engineering graphics education today tends to focus on the "tool of the day" rather than the fundamental concepts. Students are enrolled in engineering graphics within high schools, community colleges, and four-year institutions. Engineering students, technology students, and technician students all take engineering graphics courses. There has been little attempt to articulate between these courses across the various levels in the educational spectrum. A concept inventory for engineering graphics would: (1) enable high school teachers to ensure that the topics they cover translate well to higher education settings; (2) ensure a greater degree of articulation between 2-year and 4-year institutions; and (3) enable graphics curriculum reform at all levels. Concept Inventories have been developed for many fundamental courses in the STEM fields. In the past few decades, much work has been done in developing concept inventories for engineering courses. Concept inventories are viewed as a means for spurring curriculum reform because they allow faculty to design their courses with a focus on the fundamentals and they provide them with a validated means of assessing student understanding of these basic concepts.