TY - GEN
T1 - Analyzing students' mental models of technical systems
AU - Vogel-Heuser, Birgit
AU - Loch, Frieder
AU - Hofer, Sarah
AU - Neumann, Eva Maria
AU - Reinhold, Frank
AU - Scheuerer, Sarah
AU - Zinn, Jonas
AU - Reiss, Kristina
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 IEEE.
PY - 2019/7
Y1 - 2019/7
N2 - Successful innovation processes require communication between different disciplines, such as mechanical and electrical engineering or software development. However, such communication is hampered by differences in individual mental models. This paper presents two studies that investigate mental models of engineering students. The studies apply SA/RT and card sorting to analyze mental models and were conducted at the beginning of their academic education to understand influences on discipline-specific mental models that are observed in practice. The studies indicate that mental models of engineering students are typically based on structural properties of the machines. A second study identified nine dimensions that classify mental models of students. Future work that facilitates the analysis of mental models on a larger scale is proposed. The aim of this work is to understand these differences and inform educational mechanisms that teach mental model flexibility and perspective change.
AB - Successful innovation processes require communication between different disciplines, such as mechanical and electrical engineering or software development. However, such communication is hampered by differences in individual mental models. This paper presents two studies that investigate mental models of engineering students. The studies apply SA/RT and card sorting to analyze mental models and were conducted at the beginning of their academic education to understand influences on discipline-specific mental models that are observed in practice. The studies indicate that mental models of engineering students are typically based on structural properties of the machines. A second study identified nine dimensions that classify mental models of students. Future work that facilitates the analysis of mental models on a larger scale is proposed. The aim of this work is to understand these differences and inform educational mechanisms that teach mental model flexibility and perspective change.
KW - Education courses
KW - Engineering education
KW - Mental models
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85078011310&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1109/INDIN41052.2019.8972071
DO - 10.1109/INDIN41052.2019.8972071
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:85078011310
T3 - IEEE International Conference on Industrial Informatics (INDIN)
SP - 1119
EP - 1125
BT - Proceedings - 2019 IEEE 17th International Conference on Industrial Informatics, INDIN 2019
PB - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
T2 - 17th IEEE International Conference on Industrial Informatics, INDIN 2019
Y2 - 22 July 2019 through 25 July 2019
ER -