Research Design Becomes Research Reality: Colorado School Of Mines Implements Research Methodology For The Center For The Advancement Of Engineering Education

In 2003, NSF funded development of the Center for the Advancement of Engineering Education (CAEE) at University of Washington, Colorado School of Mines (CSM), Howard University, University of Minnesota, and Stanford University [1] (ESI-0227558). Any research requires adapting design into practice, as reality impinges on the researchers’ free-ranging ideals. A multi-institutional, multi-year grant multiplies opportunities for reality to interfere with design. As engineering education evolves, many more researchers must become familiar with methodologies outside traditional technical disciplines. Mixed-methods research calls for documentation of processes of research so subsequent projects can benefit from the learning curve of prior research activities [2]. This paper examines CSM’s implementing research design into practice, describing both successes and stumbling blocks.