Collaborative Research: RUI: Trust but Verify: The Use of Intuition in Engineering Problem Solving

The project, “Collaborative Research: RUI: Trust but Verify: The Use of Intuition in Engineering Problem Solving” is a three-year study about engineering intuition conducted at Bucknell University, Arizona State University, and Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. The goal of this project is to examine the application of intuition by engineering practitioners and generate knowledge that promotes the professional formation of engineers and development of a stronger engineering workforce. Engineering intuition is a problem-solving skill developed through experience that engineering practitioners subconsciously use when under pressure from constraints (e.g., lack of time). Engineering practitioners regularly use and develop intuition on-the-job; however, the use of intuition is often discouraged in undergraduate education. Research questions in this study focus on the application of intuition in engineering problem solving, solving “ill” versus “well” structured engineering problems, and prior engineering experience levels when engineers solve structured problems. The study will use a variety of methods and techniques (such as Simulation Interviews). New engineering practitioners (senior undergraduates and those with less than one year of experience) and mid-career practitioners (6-10 years of experience) will participate. The knowledge generated from this study will provide a foundation for bridging the disconnect between classroom and real-world engineering practices, designing educational interventions that promote intuition development, and understanding how early intuition development can help level the playing field for all students regardless of individual background, including past engineering experiences. The project, “Collaborative Research: RUI: Trust but Verify: The Use of Intuition in Engineering Problem Solving” is a three-year study about engineering intuition conducted at Bucknell University, Arizona State University, and Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. The goal of this project is to examine the application of intuition by engineering practitioners and generate knowledge that promotes the professional formation of engineers and development of a stronger engineering workforce. Engineering intuition is a problem-solving skill developed through experience that engineering practitioners subconsciously use when under pressure from constraints (e.g., lack of time). Expertise in a specific area is a prerequisite of intuition and is a defining characteristic of the expert. Engineering practitioners regularly use and develop intuition on-the-job; however, the use of intuition is often discouraged in undergraduate education. The disconnect between intuition’s use in engineering practice and in engineering education, coupled with limited knowledge of the relationship between intuition, expertise, and experience, presents an important gap in our existing understanding of engineering problem solving and future workforce preparation. A qualitative approach will be employed to investigate four research questions: RQ1: How does the application of intuition manifest in engineering problem solving? RQ2: How does the application of intuition vary when approaching “ill” versus “well” structured engineering problems? RQ3: How does the domain of practitioner expertise influence the application of intuition when approaching “ill” versus “well” structured engineering problems? RQ4: How does prior engineering experience influence the application of intuition when approaching “ill” versus “well” structured engineering problems? Cognitive Task Analysis (CTA) will elicit expert knowledge from a sample of new engineering practitioners (senior undergraduates and those with less than one year of experience) and mid-career practitioners (6-10 years of experience). Per best practices, CTA methods (Simulation Interviews, Critical Decision Method, and Knowledge Audit Method) will be used to support robust data collection. The knowledge generated from this study will provide a foundation for bridging the disconnect between classroom and real-world engineering practices, designing educational interventions that promote intuition development, and understanding how early intuition development can help level the playing field for all students regardless of individual background, including past engineering experiences. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.