Showing papers by "Colleen M. Seifert published in 2020"

texSketch: Active Diagramming through Pen-and-Ink Annotations

Abstract: Learning from text is a constructive activity in which sentence-level information is combined by the reader to build coherent mental models. With increasingly complex texts, forming a mental model becomes challenging due to a lack of background knowledge, and limits in working memory and attention. To address this, we are taught knowledge externalization strategies such as active reading and diagramming. Unfortunately, paper-and-pencil approaches may not always be appropriate, and software solutions create friction through difficult input modalities, limited workflow support, and barriers between reading and diagramming. For all but the simplest text, building coherent diagrams can be tedious and difficult. We propose Active Diagramming, an approach extending familiar active reading strategies to the task of diagram construction. Our prototype, texSketch, combines pen-and-ink interactions with natural language processing to reduce the cost of producing diagrams while maintaining the cognitive effort necessary for comprehension. Our user study finds that readers can effectively create diagrams without disrupting reading.

Design Fixation From Initial Examples: Provided Versus Self-Generated Ideas

Abstract: Jansson and Smith (1991, “Design Fixation,” Des. Stud., 12(1), pp. 3–11) demonstrated that design fixation occurs when an example solution is provided along with a design problem. After seeing an example concept—even with its flaws pointed out—new designs often share its features. In Jansson and Smith’s studies, a control group saw no example and showed less fixation to the example provided only in the other group. However, another source of fixation from an initial example may arise in the control group from the designer’s own first-generated concept. We conducted a large-scale experiment with beginning engineers to investigate whether design fixation occurs even without seeing a provided example. Half of the participants saw an example solution and half were given no example; instead, they generated their own initial design. Next, all students were individually brainstormed ideas for 30 min. We analyzed both groups’ concepts for fixation on the first solution they saw—either the example provided or their own initial concept. The results showed that the students provided with an example concept experienced less fixation on the initial example than those in the control group, whose concepts were evaluated for similarity to their own initial concept. To consider whether fixation on initial examples (provided or self-generated) might be mitigated, we asked these students to complete a second (30 min) idea generation phase using Design Heuristics for idea inspiration. The results showed that both groups experienced less fixation during the second-generation phase. These findings suggest that fixation on first solutions occurs in individual idea generation arising from both provided examples and self-generated concepts. However, more divergent idea generation can be facilitated through the use of design tools, such as Design Heuristics, to mitigate the consequences of design fixation. [DOI: 10.1115/1.4046446]

Start With Problems or Solutions? Medical Device Design in Industry and Academia

Abstract: Design processes can be influenced by their practice environments. Although design processes of industry engineers have been examined in multiple research studies, few studies have investigated design processes of academic engineers. As academia and industry have different sociocultural norms and constraints, their design processes likely also differ. To examine this question, we conducted semi-structured interviews with both academic and industry engineers who had successfully designed medical devices. Our qualitative findings revealed that engineers in industry described their design process as a sequence with problem definition, solution exploration, detail design, evaluation, and communication. Academic engineers, in contrast, described their design process as beginning with a discovered solution, then searching for application problems, evaluating compatibility between problems and solution, and finally, communicating their findings through publications. Understanding differences in design processes of academic and industry engineers can facilitate knowledge sharing and promote collaboration between academia and industry. The findings also highlight the impact of sociocultural norms on practices, even in disciplines with highly trained and clearly defined processes.

Idea Generation Practices in a Biomedical Engineering Capstone Course

Abstract: Contribution: This paper examines ideation practices of biomedical engineering (BME) students in a capstone design course during a designated team ideation session and provides recommendations for structuring idea generation instruction. Background: Capstone courses provide students with opportunities to engage with open-ended and complex engineering problems requiring knowledge from multiple disciplines. Limited work has focused on how BME students engage in idea generation in capstone courses. Yet, success in solving problems depends on how students engage with and organize their idea generation efforts. Research Questions: What design activities do BME students engage in during a session designated for idea generation? What factors impact how students approach their ideation sessions and select the ideation approaches to use in a design course? Methodology: Five student teams were recorded during their idea generation sessions. Post-session interviews were conducted with a subset of students. Qualitative analysis of transcripts revealed themes related to design activities and factors impacting idea generation. Findings: Students commonly moved into convergent idea evaluation activities during generation. Their approaches to ideation were influenced by course activities and structures, design requirements, and sponsor feedback.