information use in design · 2019. 2. 25. · amy s. van epps associate professor of library...

INFORMATION USE IN DESIGN:WHAT SHOULD WEBE TEACHING?

Amy S. Van EppsAssociate Professor of Library Science, Engineering Librarian

Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Libraries, 20171

INTRODUCTION

▪ Purdue University


INTRODUCTION

3

▪ Purdue University

• 40,000 students

• West Lafayette, IN


INTRODUCTION

4

▪ Purdue Core Curriculum

• 8 Foundational Outcomes

– Includes Information Literacy

▪ Information Literacy

• Embedded in classes

– Avenue into the Transdisciplinary Studies in

Technology (TST) program development


BACKGROUND

5

▪ Transdisciplinary Studies in Technology

(TST)

• New degree, competency based

– Integration – Technology / Humanities

– Studio learning, design projects

▪ Seeking : best ways to teach– Students discovery, evaluation, synthesis, and use


BACKGROUND

6

▪ Studies of Information Use in Engineering

• Simple concepts re: evaluation, use, citations

• Design report analysis

• Embedded in Design

– Integrating Information into the Engineering Design

Process, Purdue University Press, 2014

– http://docs.lib.purdue.edu/purduepress_ebooks/31/


http://docs.lib.purdue.edu/purduepress_ebooks/31/

RESEARCH STUDY

7

▪ Question • How students articulate their use of information in

design work.

▪ Case Study design• Data – focus group interview transcript

▪ Study population: TST students• Spring 2016, Design class

• 8 students


DATA ANALYSIS

8

▪ Deductive (theoretical) thematic analysis

• Theoretical Framework (I-RED model)


THEMES

9

▪ Develop Knowledge Management Strategy

• Information Filtering

▪ Establish Project Context

▪ Investigate Prior Art

▪ Assess Technologies and Approaches

▪ Investigate Technical Details

▪ Communicate Effectively

▪ Incomplete citations

▪ Synthesis


THEMES

10

▪ Develop Knowledge Management Strategy

• Plan for organizing the information found“I looked at 20 different sources. I just forgot to do that. I was just reading too much […] First few days, we tried to do it a specific way and then just fell off an stopped doing it.”

▪ Establish Project Context

• Stakeholder input, environmental constraints“Because we had to delve into the whole cultural set of

norms and what not. Which they did too but we, we had to become familiar with all kinds of different culture.”


THEMES

11

▪ Investigate Prior Art

• Discovering what already has been invented

– Students see this as part of the context

▪ Assess Technologies and Approaches

• Selecting between possible solutions

• Calculations, derived information


THEMES

12

▪ Investigate Technical Details

• Specific technical information to build / test“What is the evaporation rate of a certain body of water, with certain salinity level.”

▪ Communicate Effectively

• Presentation back to stakeholders, documentation of process

“… a clear reason why anybody ever did a citation at all […] it all comes down to legality and everything.”


THEMES - DISCOVERED

13

▪ Incomplete citations

• Perhaps a sub-theme to communication“Where we’re at now is, we’re doing citations for a grade.”

▪ Synthesis

• Integrating information from multiple sources“[…] once you find the contradiction, you feel that

all the work that you’ve done up to that point is useless.”


DISCUSSION / FINDINGS

14

▪ Context and Prior Art

• One category

▪ Minimal information acknowledgement / attribution

• Time, unsure, academic hoop

▪ Inability to synthesize

• Minimal focus within IL instruction presently


CONCLUSIONS

15

▪ What should we be teaching?

• Attribution as a professional skill

– “Real world”, non-litigious examples

• Information synthesis

– Understanding different information contexts

– Combining differing results to strengthen a design


16 Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Libraries, 2017

information use in design · 2019. 2. 25. · amy s. van epps associate professor of library...

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