USING AGENT-BASED MODELLING FOR PRELIMINARY EER EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

In this paper, we explore the use of agentbased modelling for preliminary engineering education research design. The motivation for this work is to help researchers understand the behaviour of the system being studied (e.g., classroom, program, etc.) before embarking on the, often, long process of an engineering education research study. We provide an example model of the effect of homework difficulty on homework completion and study group formation to demonstrate this approach. The results indicate this approach holds considerable promise as a preliminary modelling tool that can help focus longer-term engineering education research studies.