2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Evidence-based Practice paper

Rationale: In the context of engineering design of energy-efficient homes, effective decision-making involves integrating energy science and economic considerations. When faced with the complexity of ill-defined problems, engineering students often rely on trial and error rather than leveraging scientific knowledge. This study examines the educational impact of an Argumentation Framework, guiding students to apply scientific knowledge in design decisions critically. The evidence-based practice manuscript introduces a lesson design in engineering education to analyze and improve educational strategies, reflective practices, and instructional materials.

Assessment methods: This study outlines a lesson design utilizing the Argumentation Framework to support first-year engineering students in overcoming conceptual challenges while developing engineering projects. This approach was implemented in an Engineering Technology undergraduate course at a Midwestern university, whose curriculum covered foundational topics in Energy Science. The task involved designing a zero-energy home using Aladdin software, as an integrated CAD/CAE platform for design and simulation. Students documented their analysis, inferences, and decisions in a design journal with columns for factor, claim, evidence, and reasoning. Hence, this study explored how students integrate science knowledge and economic considerations in decision-making during an engineering project development, part of the lesson design.

Achievement of desired outcomes: Engineering students enrich from applying theoretical knowledge in practical design. This study introduces the Argumentation Framework involved in a lesson design approach, for first-year engineering undergraduate students, fostering critical thinking and practical application of theoretical knowledge in practical design. Emphasizing evidence-backed claims enables students to articulate compelling arguments, enhancing effectiveness in real-world applications. Sankey and Radar charts support these claims, facilitating reflection on how science knowledge guides energy-efficient home design and analyzing emerging trends in economic decision-making and energy science within students' designs.