Figuring "It" Out: Informational Literacy for Problem Scoping in Engineering Design (Theory)

We live in a digital age, where we have access to a plethora of information at our literal fingertips. The relative speed of getting an answer has fundamentally changed the way that individuals locate and process information. The intersection of engineering and library science has delved into the field of informational literacy, which investigates the skills necessary to locate, evaluate and effectively use the needed information. This information gathering stage is important in the problem scoping stage for "wicked" open-ended engineering design problems. Studies have shown that differences exist in how high schoolers, first-year students, senior students, experienced engineers and even preschoolers approach problem scoping and information gathering. This paper will outline the key research at each of the stages (preschool to engineering expert) to determine what key differences and/or similarities exist such as the source of information gathering, relation to context, and the ability of the individual to discern the necessary information. Observations from a unit on informational literacy for problem scoping in a first-year engineering program will be presented.