2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Cognitive Flexibility and Sense Making in High vs. Low Cognitive Closure Undergraduate Engineering Students

Presented at Student Division (STDT) Technical Session 4

Understanding how students persevere through uncertainty and ambiguity is critical for evolving engineering education that values creativity, adaptability, and open-ended problem solving. The Need for Cognitive Closure (NFCC), a cognitive construct reflecting an individual’s desire for firm answers and discomfort with ambiguity or uncertainty, has been shown to shape reasoning patterns, decision-making, and problem-solving behaviors. This research investigates how engineering students with differing NFCC levels exhibit sense-making and cognitive flexibility while solving an engineering problem. This research is guided by one major research question: How do engineering students with low versus high need for cognitive closure demonstrate sense-making and cognitive flexibility during problem solving?

Eight engineering undergraduate students were purposively selected from a larger dataset of 103 based on their low and high NFCC scores as determined by a validated Need for Cognitive Closure questionnaire. Qualitative data collected through a think-aloud technique, intended to record reasoning processes in real-time, participants completed a structured problem-solving activity. Audio-recorded data by using think-aloud protocols were transcribed and analyzed by thematic analysis using an inductive coding approach.

Findings revealed that low NFCC students, when facing conceptual uncertainty, demonstrated more exploratory reasoning, frequent strategy shifts, and greater reflection. Conversely, high NFCC students exhibited decreased tolerance for ambiguity, early commitment to single-solution approaches, and rigid thinking tendencies. These findings shed light on how motivational disposition, like NFCC, influences reasoning flexibility and cognitive engagement through perseverance in engineering problem solving. This study contributes to expanding efforts in fostering epistemic openness and cognitive adaptation in engineering education.

Authors

Dr. Zain ul Abideen Utah State University [biography]

Zain ul Abideen holds a Ph.D. in Engineering Education from Utah State University, where he also served as a Graduate Researcher. He is a computer engineer and earned his bachelor’s degree in computer engineering and master’s degree in engineering, and brings over a decade of experience in teaching and research with undergraduate engineering students. He actively contributes to several technical committees and serves as a reviewer for leading journals and international conferences. His doctoral research focused on cognitive engagement, AI in education and engineering design, self-regulated learning, and mobile learning. His work seeks to deepen our understanding of how these elements influence learning and success in engineering education. With a strong commitment to educational advancement and a robust academic background, Zain is recognized as a dedicated and emerging scholar in the field of engineering education.
Dr. Talha Naqash Dickinson State University [biography]

Dr. Talha Naqash completed his doctoral studies in Engineering Education at Utah State University. With a diverse academic foundation, he also holds a Master’s degree in Telecommunication and Networking. He is currently serving as a faculty member at Dickinson State University in the School of Applied Sciences. Dr. Naqash’s research focuses on cognitive engagement analysis, assessment methods in engineering education, and the role of facial expressions and emotions in the learning process. His scholarly contributions include numerous publications and presentations at prestigious venues such as IEEE, ASEE conferences, and leading Wiley and Springer journals. He is an active member of several technical committees and serves as a reviewer for reputable journals and international conferences, including the ASEE and IEEE Transactions on Education. Dr. Naqash’s dedication to advancing educational research, combined with his broad academic and professional experience, underscores his commitment to fostering innovation and excellence in engineering education.
Sehrish Jabeen Utah State University [biography]

Sehrish Jabeen is currently a Ph.D. student and Graduate Research/Teaching Assistant. She brings over five years of teaching experience across K–12 and undergraduate educational settings, along with seven years of professional experience in the field of information technology, where she worked in the banking sector. Her research interests include mathematical well-being, mathematical modeling and problem-solving, and the application of Cognitively Guided Instruction (CGI) in mathematics and engineering education. Through her work, Sehrish aims to explore how instructional practices and learning environments can support students' mathematical thinking and their engagement with engineering and mathematics problem-solving.
Dr. Oenardi Lawanto Utah State University [biography]

Dr. Oenardi Lawanto is an associate professor in the Department of Engineering Education at Utah State University, USA. He received his B.S.E.E. from Iowa State University, his M.S.E.E. from the University of Dayton, and his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Lawanto has a combination of expertise in engineering and education and has more than 30 and 14 years of experience teaching engineering and cognitive-related topics courses for his doctoral students, respectively. He also has extensive experience in working collaboratively with several universities in Asia, the World Bank Institute, and USAID to design and conduct workshops promoting active-learning and life-long learning that is sustainable and scalable. Dr. Lawanto’s research interests include cognition, learning, and instruction, and online learning.
Dr. Angela Minichiello P.E. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4545-9355 Utah State University [biography]

Angela (Angie) Minichiello, PhD is a military veteran, licensed mechanical engineer, and Associate Professor of Engineering Education at Utah State University.
Mr. Rifatul Islam Himel http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0415-4774 Utah State University [biography]

Rifatul Islam Himel is a doctoral candidate in Engineering Education at Utah State University (USU), Logan, Utah, US. His doctoral research focuses on understanding human cognition in engineering problem-solving. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering and a Master's degree in Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering. With over six years of professional experience in the Information Technology industry and a strong background in teaching and research, Rifatul brings a unique interdisciplinary perspective to his work. His research interests include Human and Machine Cognition, Applied Artificial Intelligence in Engineering Education, Information Processing, and the study of Consciousness.
Mr. Assad Iqbal http://orcid.org/https://0000-0002-8060-7384 Ohio State Department of Education [biography]

Assad Iqbal (Sid) is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Engineering Education in the College of Engineering, Ohio State University. Assad has been working with the National Science Foundation (NSF) funded national collaboration research project, "Engineering For Us All (e4usa) since October 2022. The core mission of this project is to increase student and teacher access to engineering with a focus on reaching traditionally underrepresented populations in this field.

With a BS in Computer Information Systems Engineering, a Master of Science in Engineering Management, and a Ph.D. in Engineering Education, Assad's long-term research goal is to converge his varied research experiences and endeavors to explore the possibilities of an inclusive instructional design to promote self-directed, self-regulated, life-long learning among pre-college and undergraduate engineering students.

Note

The full paper will be available to logged in and registered conference attendees once the conference starts on June 21, 2026, and to all visitors after the conference ends on June 24, 2026

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