Developing an Engineering Design Process Assessment Using Think-Aloud Interviews

Early exposure to engineering has been found to help students in their decision-making regarding engineering education and career pathways. Subsequently, an NSF-funded project is underway that is focused on development of an engineering curriculum for students in grades six through nine. The Engineering Design Process (EDP) frames this curriculum. The current study presents the validation methods and results of a multiple-choice assessment created to measure students' understanding of the EDP. The utilization of Think Aloud Interviews and the application and analysis of qualitative coding schemes for the purpose of systematically gathering evidence about the psychometric quality of the assessment are described. Findings from this study support the validity of the EDP assessment through evidence of alignment between the intended skills and the skills elicited in the student interviews.