DAA activities as reverse discovery: a discovery-based pedagogy that starts with the expert artefact

Design · All designs
Evidence · 2 claims (2 for) · 1 study (1 causal), q3 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 2 claims rest on one study

Description

Disassemble/Analyze/Assemble (DAA) activities are described as an inherently discovery-based pedagogy that starts with the artefact, an instance of a typically well-engineered solution. Through systemized disassembly and subsequent analysis of components, students engage in an iterative process of observation and follow-up probing to understand component functions and their interconnection. The article frames DAA as overcoming a flaw of typical discovery activities, which tend to be unable to constrain students' explorations, by starting with the expert version. In engineering education, DAA is positioned as nurturing engineering thinking through interactions with artefacts.

Design Implications

Context

Requirements

• Requires an artefact that is an instance of a typically well-engineered solution for students to disassemble and analyze

Constraints

• Both studies by the authors used a camera, a tangible and predominantly mechanical device; the authors state new types of engineering artefacts, beyond those that are predominantly mechanical and/or tangible, need to be assessed

Target Learners

• first-year engineering students

Learning Goals

• understanding part-function relationships of engineered artefacts
• transfer to novel design and diagnosis problems
• motivation for engineering

Claims

• Daa More Motivating Than Lecture [+M]
• Daa Transfer Variant Design Controlled Prior Knowledge [+M]

Related Designs

Examples

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Key Sources

• Dalrymple, O., Sears, D. A., & Evangelou, D. (2013). The Relative Pedagogical Value of Disassemble/Analyze/Assemble (DAA) Activities. Advances in Engineering Education. https://advances.asee.org

Page metadata

Field	Value
type	design
id	daa-reverse-discovery-pedagogy
title	DAA activities as reverse discovery: a discovery-based pedagogy that starts with the expert artefact
description	Disassemble/Analyze/Assemble (DAA) activities are described as an inherently discovery-based pedagogy that starts with the artefact, an instance of a typically well-engineered solution.
status	review
generated	by process:settle-candidates on 2026-11-01
trust	unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content
sources	1 — dalrymple-2013

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