ABSTRACT
Many engineers and scientists will agree that the purpose of their work is to
solve problems. Scientists search for solutions to questions about how the world works, and engineers search for design solutions that make the world work more efficiently. According to the Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy (1986), “the work of managers, of scientists, of engineers . . . is largely work of making decisions and solving problems” (p. 19). ABET, the organization that accredits engineering schools, requires engineering degrees to promote “an ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems” (Engineering, 2003, p. 2). The U.S. Secretary of Labor’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills, which was intended to guide curriculum reform, listed problem solving as a foundational skill (Secretary, 1991). Other empirical studies of workplace competencies have reached the same conclusion (National Science Board, 1983; Stasz, Ramsey, Eden, Melamid, & Kaganoff, 1996). Despite their importance, however, problem-solving skills are lacking in job seekers, according to studies by organizations such as the American Society for Training and Development (Taylor, 1997) and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (Rogers, Stratton, & King, 1999).
