Information Seeking, Evidence Evaluation, and Problem Framing During Undergraduate Engineering Design Activities

Abstract

Engineering design is an iterative process in which problem understanding, information acquisition, evidence assessment, and decision-making interact throughout the development of technical solutions. Undergraduate engineering students, however, often encounter difficulties determining what information is needed, locating appropriate sources, judging evidence quality, and translating ambiguous design requirements into defensible problem representations. This study examines information seeking, evidence evaluation, and problem framing during undergraduate engineering design activities, focusing on how students construct and refine design understanding while addressing open-ended problems. It considers students’ search strategies, source selection, information needs, credibility judgments, evidence integration, assumptions, constraints, stakeholder considerations, and reformulation of problem boundaries. Particular attention is given to the relationships among information-seeking behavior, epistemic judgment, and evolving design frames as students move from initial problem interpretation toward solution development. The study provides a framework for identifying productive and less-effective practices across design stages and examining how evidence informs design decisions. The findings can support engineering educators in developing instructional approaches that strengthen information literacy, critical evidence evaluation, reflective problem framing, and evidence-informed engineering design competence among undergraduate students.