Should they learn to know it first? On the role of critical interpretation and critique in introductory engineering design education

Engineering education at the university level typically includes a first-year course on engineering design. While critical interpretation skills are involved in teaching the design process, those skills themselves are not a main focus, or considered prerequisite to design learning. Other creative fields—including architecture, drama and creative writing—expect students to have experience interpreting and critiquing their art form before they begin creating at a university level. Based on experience teaching first year engineering design, our students are far less likely to have that experience. We investigate the impact of that gap, establish a basis for further research and gain a more coherent picture of how engineering design education compares to other creative fields, in particular as regards the role of critical interpretation and the related practice of critique.