Integrating problem-solving skills across an engineering curriculum: a web resource

Many engineering students do not develop the problem-solving skills necessary to function effectively in upper-division design courses and in professional practice. Instead, they demonstrate "dead-end" strategies that work well in solving textbook problems and passing course exams. To address this issue, our cross-disciplinary team at the University of Idaho is developing an across-the-curriculum program that promotes teaching engineering problem solving and content knowledge simultaneously. A component of this project is the Idaho Strategy for Engineering Thinking (Iset), a web-based resource that mirrors effective engineering practice by describing an iterative, nonlinear approach to problem solving that can be applied to straightforward textbook problems as well as to open-ended design projects. The Iset resource emphasizes powerful methods and procedures that can help students develop the ability to apply appropriate engineering concepts and principles in a wide range of contexts.