ENGR 71 STEM Study Skills

Source: Brockman, Intro to Engineering: Modeling and Problem Solving John Wiley & Sons, 2008, ISBN 0471431605 amazon

Draw A Picture Find a Related Problem

Getting Unstuck, Strategy #3

Draw A Picture• What it is: – Sketch the situation depicted in the problem

statement– Label the important parts of the picture with text– Indicate how the parts interact– Similar to "Restate in simpler terms"• But more powerful because emphasizes pictures

– Especially useful for physics problems– Can even use while reading your text!

Getting Unstuck, Strategy #3

Draw A Picture• Why it works:– Provides insight not available to the verbal part of

our thinking process– Lays out the problem so both the whole and the

parts can be identified – Combining words and pictures activates both sides

of the brain (verbal and non-verbal)• Creates deeper connections between concepts

Dan Roam, Author, "The Back of the Napkin"

Example 1

Example 2• An archer shoots an arrow with a velocity of 30 m/s at

an angle of 20 degrees with respect to the horizontal. An assistant standing on the level ground 30 m downrange from the launch point throws an apple straight up with the minimum initial speed necessary to meet the path of the arrow. What is the initial speed of the apple and at what time after the arrow is launched should the apple be thrown so that the arrow hits the apple?

Getting Unstuck, Strategy #4

Find a Related Problem• What it is: – Look for a problem in some ways similar to what

you are trying to solve– Stumped on homework? Look at examples in text– The most often used problem solving strategy

Getting Unstuck, Strategy #4Find a Related Problem

• Why it works:– planning a solution involves thinking in analogies

• situation A is very similar to situation B, which I can solve

– brings more focus to reading a problem solution• solving two problems at the same time

– brain makes connections between current and example• deepens connections in one's mental concept maps

• Caution: – look beyond surface similarities

• find a problem with similar structural features you can apply

Example 1

Example 2