Undergraduate research and complex problem solving: Understanding and translating such experiences to the classroom

There has been much criticism about undergraduate engineering education not focusing on authentic real-world contexts which are most often associated to ill-structured domains. Undergraduate research experience is one context which provides a strong basis for our students to learn essential problem solving skills. Yet, although such experiences enable engineering students to begin the practice of solving complex problems in authentic contexts, there is a lack of understanding of the nature of these research projects. To fill this gap, we conducted in-depth interviews with students and utilized qualitative data analytic methods in tandem with the Problem-based Learning theory to classify research projects. Initial findings indicate that the research projects tend to be highly complex, moderately structured, and very different from the course-based projects. These findings are important for educators looking to incorporate research-based PBL projects into the classroom.