Work in progress: How engineering students define innovation

Abstract

Innovation is defined in diverse ways in the literature and often assessed in ways synonymous with creativity. As these arguments continue it is also important to identify student perspectives. In this pilot study, we examine how engineering students define innovation. Fifty-four first-year engineering students were asked to define innovation in an open response survey. Their answers were first reviewed to identify emerging patterns and then a detailed coding method was used to categorize students' responses. The analysis examined students' focus on feasibility, desirability, and viability as well as other important aspects of innovative design. The findings from this open-ended survey will be used to develop an assessment tool that is easy to administer and score.