Team Based Engineering Design Thinking

The objective of this research was to explore design thinking among teams of high school students. This objective was encompassed in the research question driving the inquiry: How do teams of high school students allocate time across stages of design? Design thinking on the professional level typically occurs in a team environment. Many individuals contribute in a variety of ways to facilitate the successful development of a solution to a problem. Teachers often require students to work in teams, but little is known about how the team functions in the context of design and the potential interaction between team performance and authentic design challenges. Few research results are available to guide high school teachers in developing successful design teams and how to encourage teams in their efforts.