Reflection in Problem Solving and Design
Publication: Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice
Volume 118, Issue 3
Abstract
This paper describes and discusses how the principles enunciated by Schon were applied in teaching a senior‐level course in problem solving and design. The main objective in teaching students to be reflective is to develop higher cognitive skills, enabling them to be independent and creative problem solvers. By providing students with an active learning environment, it is possible to introduce them to the control and regulation aspects of metacognition.The paper describes the problem solving and design process, and demonstrates how Schon's concepts are applied in a classroom situation for encouraging reflection. The effectiveness of this approach is evaluated through observations made by students as well as by the instructors. The effort needed to apply Schon's ideas are by no means easy. Probably, the most difficult part is in descending from the hard, high ground of the theorist to the messy, boggy swamp below of the practitioner. The results of the study demonstrate how stereotyped classroom instruction can be modified to develop reflection in action, thus enhancing the problem solving abilities of students.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
1.
Archer, B. L. (1969). “The structure of the design process.” Design methods in architecture, G. Broadbent and A. Ward, eds., Lund Humphries, London, U.K., 76–102.
2.
Bateson, G. (1942). “Social planning and the concept of deuterolearning.” Steps to an ecology of mind, Chandler, San Francisco, Calif., 159–176.
3.
Bijl, A. (1987). “An approach to design theory.” Design theory in CAD, H. Yoshikawa and E. A. Warman, eds., North‐Holland, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, 3–25.
4.
Carpenter, T. P. (1980). “Results of the second NAEP mathematics assessment: Secondary school.” The Math. Teacher, May, 329–338.
5.
Dewey, J. (1933). How we think: A restatement of the relation of reflection thinking to the educative process. D. C. Heath, Chicago, Ill.
6.
Goodson, C. E. (1981). “An approach to the development of abstract thinking.” Annual Conf. Proc, American Society of Engineering Educators, 187–193.
7.
Novak, J. D., and Gowin, D. B. (1984). Learning how to learn. Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge, U.K.
8.
Popper, K. (1972). Conjectures and refutations: The growth of scientific knowledge. Ronteledge and Kegan Paul, London, U.K.
9.
Rittel, H. W. J., and Weber, M. M. (1973). “Dilemmas in a general theory of planning.” Policy Sci., 4(2), 155–169.
10.
Schoenfeld, A. H. (1985). “Artificial intelligence and mathematics education.” Teaching and learning mathematical problem‐solving, E. A. Silver, ed., Erlbaum, Hillsdale, N.J., 177–187.
11.
Schoenfeld, A. H. (1987). “What's all the fuss about metacognition.” Cognitive science and mathematics education, A. H. Schoenfeld, ed., Erlbaum, Hillsdale, N.J., 189–215.
12.
Schon, D. (1979). “Generative metaphor: A perspective on problem‐solving in social policy.” Metaphor and thought, A. Ortony, ed., Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge, U.K., 254–283.
13.
Schon, D. (1983). The Reflective practitioner: How professionals think in action, Basic Books, New York, N.Y.
14.
Schon, D. (1987). Educating the reflective practitioner: Toward a new design for teaching and learning in the professions. Jossey‐Bass, San Francisco, Calif.
15.
Schon, D. (1988). “Coaching reflective teaching.” Reflection in teacher education, P. P. Grimmet and G. L. Erickson, eds., Teachers College Press, New York, N.Y.
16.
Simon, H. A. (1983). “Search and reasoning in problem‐solving.” Artificial Intelligence, 21(2), 7–29.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Copyright
Copyright © 1992 ASCE.
History
Published online: Jul 1, 1992
Published in print: Jul 1992
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.