Investigating Engineering Student Estimation Processes: A Pilot Study

Education-related engineering economy research focuses on solution methodology and lacks an emphasis on data modeling and estimation. Estimation of cash flows is a vital component of engineering economic analysis and should be effectively taught to undergraduate engineers. The first step in investigating estimation pedagogy is to study and document the estimation processes of engineering students. This paper describes ongoing research focused on collection and documentation of engineering student estimation processes, including description of data collection materials, methodology, and preliminary results. The long-term goal of this research is to develop educational materials to improve estimation pedagogy for undergraduate engineering students. This paper imparts a continuation of work presented to the Engineering Economy Division at the 2002 ASEE Conference.