Teaching Engineering in NY
Understanding the Engineering Design Process

Brainstorming in Action

Watch this video from the PBS program Zoom to observe how students brainstorm solutions to an engineering design challenge.

Pay close attention between 0:36 (when the cast members start drawing) and 1:16 (when the cast members stop drawing).

Keyboard Shortcut Action
Space Pause/Play video playback
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0-9 Fast seek to x% of the video.
f Enter or exit fullscreen. (Note: To exit fullscreen in flash press the Esc key.
c Press c to toggle captions on or off

Use the space below to answer the following questions:

  • How did the Zoom cast members use sketching to facilitate the brainstorming process?
  • Did the Zoom team explore multiple possibilities or focus on one idea? How can you help your students explore many ideas?