The C-PIECE Framework: Documenting Group Engineering Practices Elicited by Design Challenge Exhibits

Abstract

This article describes the Collaborative Practices at Interactive Engineering Challenge Exhibits (C-PIECE) Framework, a new engineering design practices framework for informal exhibit settings. It outlines the development of instruments to document these practices and presents findings from a study of visitor use of engineering practices at design challenge exhibits. The work was conducted as part of The study of collaborative practices at interactive engineering challenge exhibits (the C-PIECE Study), and addresses two aims, (1) develop indicators and methods of measurement of engineering design practices exercised by visitor groups within an engineering exhibit context, and (2) speculate on those practices’ associations with the exercise of beginning, intermediate, and informed engineering proficiency levels within an exhibit context. The framework is intended to be used to inform the development of informal engineering education experiences, not to assess individual performance.