Integrating Field Research, Problem Solving, and Design with Education for Enhanced Realization

Developing the right set of educational objectives and activities are some the key factors for a successful education program. Since almost all educational processes intend to improve quality of life or realty it is important to consider the human interaction with reality and its objectives before designing the educational experience. In this paper the concept of realization or dealing with reality is revisited in an attempt to address why the field activities of research, problem solving and design should be integrated with the educational programs. The expanded realization concept includes the virtual and perceptual realities as valid domains of realization. These domains of realization and their interactions with the physical reality are studied along with the relationships between research, problem solving, and design. Bloom’s cognitive domain educational objectives are also aligned with the expanded realization concept. Finally, to provide a model for how the field activities of research, problem solving and design could be integrated with an education program, and to assess the role of different learning experiences in achieving enhanced realization, an engineering case study utilizing alumni survey data is presented.