Creativity Problem Solving And Aesthetics In Engineering

This book illuminates what engineering is and how it relates to other disciplines such as art, architecture, law, economics, science, technology, and even religion. The author explains, from an intrinsic as well as descriptive perspective, why engineering is essential for our collective well-being, and how, like medicine, it is undertaken by people, and for people, to improve the human condition. He brings out the 'magic' of engineering practice as well as addressing the darker aspects such as warfare and the misuse of the internet. A too commonly held view assumes that the practice of engineers is a cold, purely quantitative and wholly technical enterprise of applying know science, and devoid of creativity or aestheticism. In 2013 the United States National Academy of Engineering launched a campaign called “Changing the Conversation, Messages for Improving Public Understanding of Engineering” with four messages to impart about engineers: that they make a world of difference; are creative problem solvers; that they help shape the future, and are essential to health, happiness, and safety. In this volume, Professor Blockley incorporate these messages into an engaging exposition of engineering accomplishment in all of its evolving diversity, from the technician to the academic research engineer, illustrating the continuum of thinking and purpose from the fixer of the gas boiler to the designers of the A380 and the iPhone.

The purpose of this book is to enable engineers and technologists to be more innovative in conceptual design. Depending on the degree of emphasis placed on process (creative problem solving) or product (a rigorous yet innovative design project outcome) this text can be used for a variety of different ways: introductory courses (freshmen), multidisciplinary courses and team projects, senior capstone design; workshops for engineers and managers in industry and business. Free TEACHING MANUAL available at www.engineering-creativity.com

The Creative Engineering Design Assessment or CEDA is a newly developed tool to assess creativity specific to engineering design which is vital for innovation. The revised CEDA assesses usefulness in addition to originality. Both originality and usefulness are key constructs in creativity but are primarily essential and emphasized ever more in engineering design. Since the preliminary research was presented to the National Science Foundation, further reliability and validity has been developed and established. The CEDA is different from other general creativity measures as it demonstrates discriminant validity with the Creative Personality Scale, Creative Temperament Scale, and the Cognitive Risk Tolerance Scale, and has demonstrated convergent validity with the Purdue Creativity Test and the Purdue Spatial Visualization Test- Rotations. It focuses on engineering specific measures, measuring engineering creativity and spatial skills. The aim of this book is to disseminate the CEDA tool for use in engineering educational programs, industry, NASA and the military. Creative Engineering Design Assessment (CEDA) Background, Directions, Manual, Scoring Guide and Uses discusses and outlines the need for creativity in our global economy and in engineering design and provides the CEDA tool in effort to achieve this.

This edited book will address creativity and innovation among the two cultures of science and art. Disciplines within science and art include: medicine (neurology), music therapy, art therapy, physics, chemistry, engineering, music, improvisation, education and aesthetics. This book will be the first of its kind to appeal to a broad audience of students, scholars, scientists, professionals, practitioners (physicians, psychologists, counsellors and social workers), musicians, artists, educators and administrators. In order to understand creativity and innovation across fields, the approach is multidisciplinary. While there is overlap across disciplines, unique domain specific traits exist in each field and are also discussed in addition to similarities. This book engages the reader with the comparison of similarities and differences through dialog across disciplines. Authors of each chapter address creativity and innovation from their own distinct perspective. Each chapter is transdisciplinary in approach. These perspectives entail a representation of their field through research, teaching, service and/or practice.

This book highlights the unique need for philosophy among engineers, which stems from issues regarding their knowledge (epistemology), role or being (ontology) and influence (ethics). It discusses practice, context, ethics, models and failure as key aspects of engineering, and provides an easy but essential introduction to philosophy for engineers by presenting four key philosophers and linking them to these aspects: Karl Popper (failure), Thomas Kuhn (models), Michael Polanyi (practice & ethics) and Martin Heidegger (context & ethics). Popper, Kuhn and Polanyi are philosophers of science (epistemologists) who have challenged the view that science is a ‘cool, detached’ discipline, since it also depends on human imagination (Popper), consensus (Kuhn) and judgment plus artistry (Polanyi); factors that are central to engineering. Heidegger (an ontologist) critiqued technology on the one hand (ethics), but also stressed the importance of ‘doing’ over ‘knowing,’ thus ‘authenticating’ the highly pragmatic engineering profession. Science is the ‘core’ component of engineering, which is overlaid by a variety of heuristics . Practice-based knowledge can be formalized, with artificial intelligence (AI) offering a valuable tool for engineering, just as mathematics has done for science. The book also examines systems thinking in engineering. Featuring numerous diagrams, tables and examples throughout, the book is easily accessible to engineers.

Developing students’ creative problem-solving skills is paramount to today’s teachers, due to the exponentially growing demand for cognitive plasticity and critical thinking in the workforce. In today’s knowledge economy, workers must be able to participate in creative dialogue and complex problem-solving. This has prompted institutions of higher education to implement new pedagogical methods such as problem-based and case-based education. The Handbook of Research on Creative Problem-Solving Skill Development in Higher Education is an essential, comprehensive collection of the newest research in higher education, creativity, problem solving, and pedagogical design. It provides the framework for further research opportunities in these dynamic, necessary fields. Featuring work regarding problem-oriented curriculum and its applications and challenges, this book is essential for policy makers, teachers, researchers, administrators, students of education.