Full Paper: A Framework for Engineering Problem Scoping Leading to Mindful Engineering Problem Solving

The title of engineer is becoming increasingly synonymous with "problem-solver," which is accurate given the responsibly of engineers to actively participate in innovating solutions to industry and societal challenges both small and large. First-year engineering students in a Foundations of Engineering course are excited and eager to begin their journey as engineers. As such, they are often so eager to put on the "problem solver" hat that they jump to a single design solution before fully considering and understanding all aspects of the problem they seek to solve as well as the ethical, societal, environmental, and economic impacts (value added / created or potential shortcomings / unintended consequences) of multiple possible solutions – skipping an important step in the engineering design process we call problem scoping. We define problem scoping (which precedes problem solving) as learning all there is to know about the problem, its direct and indirect stakeholders and their relationships with one another, current solutions, and their widespread social, economic, and environmental impacts, as well as the ethical and social responsibilities of engineers prior to designing and evaluating possible design solutions. A series of modules (lessons, activities, and assignments) were designed using the KEEN Network's 3C Framework for Entreprenurial Mindset and implemented to help "slow down" students' problem-solving process and have them spend more time scoping a problem before creating their own innovative solutions through design ideas while simultaneously engaging with an entrepreneurial mindset. These modules were implemented through the "problem scoping" portion of the design process early in a semester-long first year engineering design project. While these modules were designed to aid students in engaging in an entrepreneurial mindset throughout problem scoping, we were curious to know if introducing and practicing EM at the problem scoping phase of the engineering design process led to an increase in EM later in the semester when students were in the problem solving (design, build, test, revise) phase of their design project. To answer this question, two first-year engineering course sections (both completing the same design project) were asked the same question on an in-class weekly check-in regarding their approaches to their design project. One section worked through the 3Cs problem scoping modules, and the other section did not. Both sections' student responses were analyzed using the KEEN Networks Habits of EM framework to identify if students who were introduced to EM through problem scoping exercises self-reported higher instances of engaging with EM as they continued their design project. Results indicate that leveraging the 3Cs as a framework for the problem scoping modules in the earliest phases of engineering design does increase instances in students self-describing engaging in habits of entrepreneurial mindset in the problem-solving phases of engineering design compared to the section that did not complete the problem scoping modules.