2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

ABET Criterion 3, Student Outcome (6) requires engineering programs to showcase student ability to develop and conduct appropriate experiment, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions. The breadth of this requirement may be achieved by wide varieties of pedagogical approaches. Regardless, the core challenges facing students are: recognizing the actual problem, developing potential solutions, applying experimental methods, understanding the significance of appropriate data collection, and ability to execute engineering judgement. These outcomes is often realized in labs and upper level courses once technical knowledge is solidly mastered. Mapping learning outcomes in the architectural engineering program, we recognized the need to institute a disciplined inquisitive mindset early on, therefore, establishing the foundation for future advanced coursework. The resulting project known as the “Foggy Mirror” exercise, deployed in the first AE in-major course, provided opportunities to realize multiple pedagogical outcome. Foggy Mirror challenges students to develop a method to clear a bathroom mirror without physical contact with the mirror. The exercise is carried out over a period of several weeks in successive exercises, allowing for feedback at each step. Having repeatedly assigned the Foggy Mirror exercise to new to the major 2nd year Architectural Engineering students over several years, we uncovered other invaluable pedagogical opportunities embedded in this simple exercise.

• Better understanding - Appreciate the learning phenomenon of “illusion of explanatory depth”. Can students explain the subject matter?
• Better storytelling - Learning to write clearly and concisely.
• Better methodology - Appreciate the importance of developing a detailed proposal. Look for opportunities to discover the total process, not simply confirm the phenomenon.
• Better data collection - Deciphering the critical data points for collection and presentation.

This paper will attempt to detail the Foggy Mirror exercise so that the ideas can be adopted in other curriculum, provide insights into successes and challenges, and how to meaningfully encourage students to become disciplined inquisitive engineers.