Encouraging Information-Rich Engineering Design Michael Fosmire, Purdue University Laura Robinson, Worcester Polytechnic Institute SLA Annual conference, June 2016

Workshop Roadmap 7:30 Introduction 7:50 Organizing Teams 8:10 Identifying Stakeholders, Requirements, and Constraints 8:30 Finding and Evaluating Information 8:50 Design and Communicate 9:10 Reflective Practice and Scaffolding

Introduction [ch.1-4] Need for model recognizable to engineers and librarians Co-constructed by both to capture important components of each discipline A bridge to help start conversations and find common ground for collaborations

I-RED Design Model Note: Team dynamics Reflection Stages are unique

Connection to IL

Implications Resources needed depend on stage of design process Mixture of technical, social, economic, legal resources Metacognitive process threads throughout project Beginning and end focuses on Knowledge Management Can target appropriate stage, or try to integrate throughout design project

Let's Play: Our Challenge Your local community has come into possession of a parcel of land and wants to create a playground. As the resident engineer, you have been picked to design the playground. What aspects of the problem do you consider? What types of information do you need?

Example Project Designing Safe Playground for the Klong Toey Community Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) Completed by Undergraduates at the WPI Project Center in Thailand in 2010 Full text of report: project/Available/E-project / project/Available/E-project /

Results (Mentzer/Fosmire) 90% of online sources ‘.com’ sites

Organize the Team Developing a Knowledge Management Strategy How will the team acquire and manage information? How will they create new knowledge and share it with various audiences?

Challenges Making the importance of this part of the process meaningful to students. Learning new tool(s) and investing time up front without readily seeing results.

Let's Play: 1 [ch.6] Self-Inventory of Individual and Team Skills

Let's Play: 2 [ch.6] Organizing Information: –Breaking down the tasks –Using the best tools

WPI Student Teams, Fall 2015 Which of the following tools are you using this term to help you cite your sources? n = 184 responses = 56

Clarify the Task [ch.7-9] Find the Real Need and Provide Context What do the stakeholders want and what are the constraints?

Challenges Students may: Expect all relevant information is in the problem statement Expect communication of needs to be clear and direct Be unprepared for difference in language View projects through one lens: the technical

Let's Play: 3 Who are the stakeholders? What are the requirements? What are the constraints?

Let's Play: 4 –What types of information are needed? –Where can it be found? –What are the questions designers must ask?

Making Dependable Decisions [11] Students may: Have superficial evaluation criteria for information sources Use ‘what they get’ rather than locating and filling gaps in knowledge Have difficulty articulating ‘latent’ information in a report in addition to explicit information

Decision Matrix

Trustworthiness of Design Information Low High Impact of Design Information Low High Keep Information Potential for alternative solutions Consider Using Information Investigate further Discard Information No potential use Double Check Information Look for more trustworthy sources Information Decision Matrix

Let's Play: 5 Sketch your playground & report out

Capturing Lessons Learned; Disciplines Reflection [ch14] SAID framework –Situation –Affect –Interpretation –Decision Disciplined Reflection in Design

Scaffolding: What is it? [ch 15] Ongoing diagnosis of student skill levels. Calibrated support where needed. Fading or gradually reducing support as students gain skill and understanding

Scaffolding: Examples At Worcester Polytechnic Institute Introduction to Electrical & Computer Engineering Design (2nd year university course, see: Introduction to Mechanical Engineering Design (2nd year university course, see:

Let's Play: 6 What will you do next?

Thank You Michael Fosmire Laura Robinson Book available (free!):