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Does context matter? Engineering students' approaches to global vs. local problems

While realistic projects make learning activities more authentic and contextualized, the context of the problem may affect how students approach the problem and what and how much they learn during the process. This study investigated how engineering students in dyads approached problems about clean water need differently when the problem was embedded in a local or a global context. Differences in both solutions and information gathering behaviors were evident. Dyads solving the problem with a global context started their process by researching information about the location. They also gathered information about the water quality, water resources, and weather at this location. Dyads solving the problem with a local context started their information gathering by researching information on average water consumption by humans. Findings from this qualitative study can be used to inform future studies that employ design experimentation methods.