Noticing Critical Information for Productive Uncertainty Management During Engineering Design Activity

Abstract

The phenomenon of noticing information is crucial for experiencing uncertainties and influencing uncertainty management processes. This paper presents findings from an analysis of two sixth-grade teams engaged in a collaborative engineering design activity. We investigated how learners notice critical information during the problem-solving process and its role in resolving various uncertainties experienced by the team. Preliminary results show that three factors - mentors’ invention, physical artifacts in the environment, and setbacks experienced during troubleshooting enabled crucial noticing processes that engaged learners in productive uncertainty management practices. Based on the findings, we then briefly discuss how to start strategizing scaffolds to help learners notice important information.