An engineering approach to teaching decision-making skills in schools using an engineering heuristic

Keen [1] and Wales, Nordi and Stager [2] have claimed that the heuristics they have described may be applied generally to the teaching of higher order thinking skills throughout the curriculum. Wales and his colleagues have shown how their model can be applied to mathematics [3], nursing, social studies and writing [4]. Wales and Stager's heuristic was originally devised as a method for improving the teaching of engineering design and was given the title of Guided Design [5]. The purpose of the study reported below is to examine the usefulness of this and similar heuristics in junior and senior high school teaching. It is concluded that the heuristic may be applied in most subjects of the curriculum and that learning may be enhanced especially among middle range and low achievers. The study shows how the ideas of engineering educators may contribute to teaching and learning in schools.