Creativity under constraints: The affect of problem space on design learning among engineering students

An understanding of the factors that facilitate creativity in the design process is essential to construct and implement educational engineering design activities. While experts agree that it is necessary to include design constraints in learning environments, it is unclear exactly how the constraints contribute to the decision-making process and final design choice. This study examines the creative practices among college students engaging in an authentic engineering project situated within a design based learning environment, specifically investigating the role of design constraints on creative processes. The study compares the effects imposed by the design space at two different levels: (1) goal constraints, where the overall goal of the design is specified, and (2) task constraints, where the only the task is defined and the goal is not. One section of student design teams was required to create design solutions for a specific site utilizing renewable energy sources, implementing goal constraints; the second grouping of design teams created design solutions for a broader context only constrained by the utilization of a renewable energy source.