The Educational Value of Student Design Competitions

1
The Educational Value of Student Design
Competitions

• Ralph O. Buchal,
• Director of Integrated Engineering and Design
  Education
• Faculty of Engineering
• The University of Western OntarioLondon,
  Ontario, N6A 5B9, Canada

2
Outline

• Introduction
• Desired Learning Outcomes
• The Engineering Design Process
• Essential Elements for Design Projects
• Types of Design Projects
• The Case for Design Competitions
• Experiences at Other Schools
• Outreach Value
• Benefits to Industry
• Incorporation of Design Competitions into the
  Design Curriculum
• Resource Requirements
• Conclusions

3
Introduction

• Design is the essence of engineering
• There is increased emphasis on design education
• Large inter-university design competitions play
  an important role

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4
Desired Learning Outcomes

• Non-technical skills and competencies
• CEAB and ABET criteria
• Practical knowledge

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Non-technical skills and competencies

• Written, oral and graphical communication
• Teamwork
• Project management
• Problem solving
• Business skills
• International perspective

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6
CEAB Criteria

• Engineering design integrates mathematics, basic
  sciences, engineering science, and complementary
  studies in developing elements, systems and
  processes to meet specific needs. It is a
  creative, iterative and often open-ended process
  subject to constraints which may be governed by
  standards or legislation to varying degrees
  depending on the discipline. These constraints
  may relate to economic, health, safety,
  environmental, social or other pertinent
  interdisciplinary factors.
• The curriculum must culminate in a significant
  design experience which is based on the knowledge
  and skills acquired in earlier course work and
  which preferably gives students exposure to
  concepts of team work and project management.

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The Engineering Design Process
Problem Definition

• Details vary, but there is agreement that a
  design process should be used

Concept Generation
Evaluation of Alternatives
Iteration
Modelling and Analysis
Construction and Testing
8
Essential Elements for Design Projects

• Farr et al. 2001
• Real world problems
• Utilize a total design process
• Close non-technical competency gaps
• Utilize many analytical tools in a team-based
  environment

• Dutson et al. 1999
• Challenging
• Good chance for successful completion
• Common enough so that there is literature
  available
• Emphasize application of theory
• Involve engineering design work
• Meet specified standards and safety criteria
• Not involve proprietary information if industry
  projects involved

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Types of Design Projects Dutson et al. 1999

• Hypothetical projects
• Industry projects
• Student-defined projects
• Design competitions

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10
The Case for Design Competitions

• Interdisciplinary teams
• Motivation and dedication
• Self-directed and life-long learning
• Mentorship, apprenticeship and leadership
• Practical experience
• Self-managed teams
• Engineering challenge
• Real-world design
• Multi-year iterative design and improvement
• Learning from failures

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Experiences at Other Schools

• Faculty-run projects
• Low student morale and dedication
• High turnover
• Large faculty effort
• Students are followers

• Student-run projects
• High morale and dedication
• Multi-year participation
• Faculty as coaches only
• Students are leaders

12
Outreach Value

• Promotion of engineering
• Student recruitment
• Alumni relations

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Benefits to Industry

• Development of desired skills
• Recruitment of engineers
• Low-risk RD

Typical Class Project
Typical Competition Vehicle
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Incorporation of Design Competitions into the
Design Curriculum

• Learning Objectives
• Design process
• Teamwork
• Design communication
• Assessment and evaluation
• Use rubric
• Assess design portfolio
• Role of the instructor
• Guide on the side, not Sage on the stage
• Provide conditions to maximize learning

15
Resource Requirements

• Funding
• Workshop space
• Workshop equipment and training
• Technicians
• Advisors
• Computers and design software

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Conclusions

• Student design competitions develop desired
  design skills
• They should be incorporated into the design
  curriculum
• Resources are needed

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