工科生复杂工程问题解决能力量表的编制与初步应用

Development of a Scale for Students’ Ability of Solving Complex Engineering Problems

现代工程特性决定了复杂工程问题解决能力成为新工科教育的核心目标。然而,如何理解和评估复杂工程问题解决能力,则成为新工科教育实践中重要而紧迫的问题。研究旨在开发适用于工科本科生复杂工程问题解决能力的量表。文章在构建复杂工程问题解决能力框架的基础上,编制了《复杂工程问题解决能力量表》(SCEPSA),通过工科教师和学生咨谈对其进行调试。探索性因素分析结果表明,复杂工程问题解决能力是由方案研制、启发式策略和方案实施构成的“三因素结构”,可通过27个项目予以测量;二阶验证性因素分析结果支持了这一结构。该量表具有较高的可靠性和有效性,为工科本科生复杂工程问题解决能力的培养、评估及相关研究提供了可供参考的标准和工具。

Engineers are hired,retained,and rewarded for their abilities to solve engineering problems.Under the pressure from the Outcome-Based Accreditation in engineering education,the enhancement and assessment of engineering students’abilities to solve complex engineering problems have attracted increasing attention.This study aims to develop a scale to assess engineering undergraduates’abilities to solve complex engineering problems.A complex engineering problem-solving framework was first constructed based on the literature,and then the scale items were collected,selected,and adjusted through interview with engineering teachers and students.It shows that complex engineering problem-solving ability consists of three factors,which are plan development,heuristic strategy and project implementation.The scale developed in this study contains 27 items,showing high reliability and validity.This scale could provide an instrument for engineering teachers and researchers to cultivate and assess students’complex engineering problem-solving ability.