( Léger et al., 2020 )

The study used two groups of civil engineering students by comparing their findings to solve the same environmental problems. One group used a conventional-based approach, and another group used a more innovative design thinking approach. This study shows that students who used a design thinking approach are more competent in finding solutions that are creative and appropriate to the needs of users as they used more time talking to the affected community in the early stages of their problem-solving process. The design thinking group likely gained deeper insight into the needs of the people. They also showed more tendency towards innovation and adaptability. Finally, they also demonstrated competencies in collaboration and communication. Moreover, finding from this study also suggest that future engineers should be taught design thinking as an alternative strategy for solving problems by comparing view of the overall problem-solving experience in both groups.

( King & English, 2016 )

Researchers plan engineering activities in the context of real-world problems and contextualize students' STEM conceptual learning. Therefore, this study examines the learning that occurs in the training of fifth grade students in completing engineering activities using repetitive engineering design models through student design sketches from eight focus groups. As a result, they concluded that, first, the design sketch afforded opportunities for the integration of science, technology and mathematics concepts. Second, students’ design sketches enabled them to conceptualise an optical instrument that was translated into a working model albeit with some modifications. Third, the redesign process enabled students to improve physical characteristics of the model. Furthermore, the study identified the importance of the first drawing or first ‘design sketch’ stage for students actively applying their STEM ideas to the design.

( English et al., 2016 )

A longitudinal study for 3 years on grade six students by solving engineering-based problems involving integrated STEM learning about earthquakes in government and independent school. Students use STEM discipline knowledge and engineering design process to plan, make sketches and after that, a building designed to withstand earthquake damage is built, taking obstacles into account. During testing, students need to redesign to build a better structure. Using the design process framework, researchers report students' abilities in designing, making annotated sketches, and transforming them into 3D models. The decline in annotations from the first to second design could be due in part to time limits as well as student fatigue. The government school students appeared to have a better understanding of how to make their structure strong, with over half of the students making the relatively advanced observation about the importance of stability, rigidity, and balance in contrast to the independent school students, who generally attributed performance to the quantity or quality of materials. The outcome revealed students’ application of design processes and STEM disciplinary knowledge as they worked the problem. Students identified the problem goal and constraints, debated ideas on their designs and subsequent constructions, sketched and interpreted their designs, transformed their designs into constructions, tested their first structure, and redesigned and tested their second.

( Hacioglu & Donmez Usta, 2020 )

Students are given digital game design challenges that reflect real life problems based on design-based science learning by applying knowledge and skills in every field of STEM. During this design challenge, students worked as scientists and engineers. They conduct research and scientific research processes in science disciplines, understand engineering design processes in engineering disciplines, establish mathematical relationships in mathematical disciplines, learn how to make coding in technology disciplines, and apply these knowledge and skills to their proposed solutions to design challenges. They design digital games by encoding and presenting the knowledge and skills of science gained from the inquiry process.