Fostering Electronic Engineering Students' Problem-Framing Skills in a Client-Based Project

Abstract

Problem-framing skills are central to engineering design, yet traditional engineering curricula often emphasize well-structured, algorithmic problems that limit students’ engagement in problem framing. Client-based projects offer a promising means of creating authentic design experiences that support students’ problem-framing skills, but their effective implementation in engineering courses represents several pedagogical and logistical challenges. Consequently, this study asks: How might a client-based project promote students’ problem-framing skills in a fourth-year electronic engineering design course? Using a design-based research approach, we examined an iteration of a redesigned electronic design course that integrated a client-based project. Data included student team artifacts, video-recorded client–student interactions, and interviews with students, the client, and the instructor. Findings indicate that students were able to translate client needs into design requirements while meeting course learning outcomes, and that engagement with multiple stakeholders supported deeper evaluation of solutions and richer understanding of the problem space.