Work in Progress: A Cognitive Apprenticeship Approach to Instruction in Engineering: Lessons Learned from the Design of Field Research in the Classroom

This work in progress describes a study that attempts to answer the following research question: How does using a cognitive apprenticeship approach to instruction in engineering affect the ability and motivation of students to engage in self-directed learning? The design of a pilot study conducted January-May 2006 will be discussed, followed by some initial observations based on preliminary analysis of the data. Finally, we will discuss plans for a larger scale study based on the lessons learned from conducting the pilot study.