2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Innovation is an important skill in engineering. Previous studies determined that experimentation skills contribute to innovation. This paper explored the role of experimentation in an open-ended team-based project, as described as part of a team-based reflective memo. The research is situated within a larger study exploring the extent to which an educational intervention in a junior-level environmental engineering course can foster innovation mindsets and confidence in students. The open-ended project asked teams of students to design a K-12 learning activity that would embed water chemistry concepts. Teams included three to five students who met with both a K-12 teacher mentor and an engineer mentor. To help foster innovation, the 10-week projects were scaffolded with a series of three team-based reflective memos and two individual reflective memos. The third memo in week 7 of the project specifically focused on experimentation, with the prompt: “For the activity you are designing, to what extent and how did experimenting assist you in searching for new ideas or creating your design?” Three undergraduate students, under the supervision of two engineering professors, conducted independent inductive coding of 7 team memos using Constant Comparison Analysis (CCA), followed by the Delphi Method to decide on final codes. Key themes included experimental design (objectives and methodology), the role of mentorship, consideration of project limitations (such as timelines), and stakeholder-centered design. A depth score analysis was performed using Moon’s Map of Learning scales to assess the memos, assigning a score of 0 to 5 for each code. The highest scores related to project timelines and performing feasibility studies. There were also significant differences among the 7 teams, with overall scores ranging from 5 to 21. The findings suggest that reflective memos can reveal how experimentation played a role in the projects. The process of engaging in reflection may also help foster critical thinking and analytical skills in engineering students.