A Synergistic Approach to Prevent Persistent Misconceptions with First-year Engineering Students

This engineering education research project seeks to understand how to prevent, rather than repair, misconceptions in engineering. Misconceptions-students' misunderstandings of basic scientific principles-are very difficult to correct once they are established. The investigators will undertake a longitudinal study with both control and sample groups to investigate the effects of a series of interventions to prevent misconceptions from developing in thermodynamics and fluids, areas critical to much engineering practice. The interventions developed have the potential to be broadly applicable in other STEM disciplines.

The broader significance and importance of this project will be to demonstrate a path to improve the efficiency of engineering programs by reducing the amount of time that is spent to correct, or remediate, stubborn misconceptions. The PIs plan a series of workshops for K-12 teachers following successful demonstration so that the techniques researched can be applied earlier in STEM programs, thus further minimizing misconceptions. This project overlaps with NSF's strategic goals of transforming the frontiers through preparation of an engineering workforce with new capabilities and expertise. Additionally NSF's goal of innovating for society is enabled by creating results and research that are useful for society by informing educational policy and practices.