Abstract
Design fixation is a phenomenon impacting students when they generate ideas for an engineering challenge and subsequently hesitate to consider alternative ideas throughout the design activity. Research into fixation with post-secondary students has shown that fixation can limit the quantity and the quality of design solutions. This research brief will describe how fixation has been measured at the post-secondary level and suggest the need for complementing quantitative with qualitative analyses.
Document Type
Brief
DOI
10.5703/1288284317831
Recommended Citation
Seng, Sopheak and Walker, William S. III, "Observing Evidence of Fixation during K-12 Engineering Design Challenges using Variables Adapted from Post-Secondary Research" (2025). Indiana STEM Education Conference. 4.
https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/instemed/2025/briefs/4
Observing Evidence of Fixation during K-12 Engineering Design Challenges using Variables Adapted from Post-Secondary Research
Design fixation is a phenomenon impacting students when they generate ideas for an engineering challenge and subsequently hesitate to consider alternative ideas throughout the design activity. Research into fixation with post-secondary students has shown that fixation can limit the quantity and the quality of design solutions. This research brief will describe how fixation has been measured at the post-secondary level and suggest the need for complementing quantitative with qualitative analyses.