BUILDING A MORE COMPLETE DESIGN EXPERIENCE: PHILOSOPHIES AND REFLECTIONS FROM A SECOND YEAR MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DESIGN PROJECT COURSE

Abstract

For undergraduate engineering students,
earlier exposure to and training in the design engineering
process hold much value for an enriched experience and
an in-depth understanding of engineering design.
Simultaneously, students in their earlier years require
more guidance and frequent feedback to inform their own
expectations of learning objectives, as well as develop
effective learning strategies. This paper focuses on the
design and implementation of a second year Mechanical
Engineering “Mini-Design Project” course, which had
four main goals: (1) provide students with their first
“complete” design experience, allowing them to take a
project from problem to produced solution; (2) integrate
knowledge and skills from other courses in the curriculum;
(3) allow for the enhancement of under-represented CEAB
graduate attributes, particularly design and teamwork;
and (4) prepare students for high performance in their
capstone projects. Several learning needs were
addressed: Effective teamwork skills, effective project
management, and systematic practice of engineering
design with an emphasis on the process. Students were
placed in teams of 4-5 and given a design problem with
specified evaluation criteria, and strict restrictions on
construction materials. Students were given milestones
throughout the term that encouraged them to follow the
design process, as well as build, test and evaluate their
designs. Mechanisms for creating and supporting design
teams are described, and students’ feedback and
comments on these mechanism are discussed.