Epistemography of an engineering practicum
As is the case with any epistemic game, the first step in designing the 45-hour version of Digital Zoo was to conduct an epistemography: a type of ethnographic study that gains insight into both the learning practices of a profession as well as its underlying epistemology. Understanding how novices develop the particular ways of knowing, doing, being, caring, and thinking – or epistemic frame – of their profession allows us to better model and adapt these learning practices within an epistemic game.
To inform Digital Zoo gameplay, we conducted an epistemography on BME 201, an undergraduate design course for sophomore biomedial engineering students.
During the semester, students work in teams to solve actual design problems posed by real clients, engaging in authentic engineering tasks such as:
* researching the problem,
* brainstorming design alternatives,
* documenting the design process,
* meeting with the client,
* meeting with a design advisor,
* giving presentations, and
* writing reports.
These activities certainly make BME 201 an authentic context for developing the engineering epistemic frame. However, do they also serve a more important pedagogical role than increasing authenticity? The main goal of the study was to uncover the reflective learning processes experienced by the students in the course. In particular, we examined two activities for their pedagogical significance: the weekly design meeting between the (students and the design advisor) and the student design notebook.
Publications
Design meetings and design notebooks as tools for reflection in the engineering design course.
Svarovsky, G. N., & Shaffer, D. W. (2006). Design meetings and design notebooks as tools for reflection in the engineering design course. Paper presented at the Paper presented at the 36th ASEE/IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference, San Diego, CA.
