Resumen de Problem solving personas of civil engineering practitioners using eye tracking techniques
Sean L. Gestson, Matthew S. Barner, Masoud Ghodrat Abadi, David S. Hurwitz, Shane A. Brown
Engineering practitioners solve problems in various ways; it is plausible that they often rely on graphs, figures, formulas and otherrepresentations to reach a solution. How and why engineering practitioners use representations to solve problems can characterizecertain problem-solving behaviors, which can be used to determine particular types of problem solvers. The purpose of thisresearch was to determine the relationship between time spent referring to various representations and the justifications for thedecisions made during the problem-solving process of engineering practitioners. A persona-based approach was used to characterizethe problem-solving behavior of 16 engineering practitioners. Utilizing eye tracking and retrospective interview techniques, theproblem-solving process of engineering practitioners was explored. Three unique problem-solver personas were developed thatdescribe the behaviors of engineering practitioners; acommittedproblem solver, anevaluativeproblem, and anindecisiveproblemsolver. The three personas suggest that there are different types of engineering practitioner problem solvers. This study contributesto engineering education research by expanding on problem-solving research to look for reasonswhydecisions are made during theproblem-solving process. Understanding more about how the differences between problem solvers affect the way they approach aproblem and engage with the material presents a more holistic view of the problem-solving process of engineering practitioners.
