Work in progress — A conceptions of design instrument as an assessment tool

This study was conducted in spring of 2009 in a first year engineering course for honors students. 234 students completed a pre-test on what activities they considered most or least important in design; 191 students completed an identical post-test and of these 115 pairs of students completed both tests. Statistical analyses explored differences across five sections of the course and at the paired level. Overall, study findings identify improvements to the instrument and support the utility of the instrument as an assessment tool.