The Web-Based Learning Environment for Creative Design Course

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The Web-Based Learning Environment for Creative
Design Course

• S. S. Hsiau, J. C. Wu, T. L. Yeh and S. J. Tsai
• Department of Mechanical Engineering
• National Central University
• Chung-Li, Taiwan 32054, R.O.C.

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Technological Creativity

• The importance of the technological creativity.
• Creativity cognition can be trained and learned.
• An interdisciplinary research team in NCU
  developed to cultivate the technological
  creativity in engineering students
• - A set of learning modules.
• - A web-based learning environment.

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Objectives

• Introducing creativity skills.
• Encourage students to think in depth and bring in
  the connotation of technological innovation.
• Develop students' self-confidence in implementing
  their creative ideas.
• Through the functions of computer and network,
  establish a collection of integrative courseware
  to empower the students with creative design
  capabilities.

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Structure
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Creative Activity Bulletin Board

• The main interface for all creative activities.
• Discussing creative design project ideas among
  students and teachers in multimedia fashion on
  Web-BBS.
• Announcing hot messages and team project status
  on the big board to inspire intra-team supports
  and a sense of accomplishments.
• Two-way FTP function for communicating ideas via
  the computer network.

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Hot message announcement
Titles
Project status
Managers

• Help wanted
• Resource acquiring
• Demo to come

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Creativity Supporting Tools

• MindManager as a PC-Web software in Chinese.
• Sorting and categorization of creative ideas.
• Orientation of creative brain storming.
• Supporting tools for creative problem solving
  process.

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MindManager

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Engineering Courseware of Domain Knowledge

• The creative activity cannot be successful
  without domain knowledge at its foundation.
• Working on their design projects, students need
  to integrate their previously learned knowledge
  while acquiring the new.
• Knowledge delivery just-in-time through full text
  web search.

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Integrated Courses

• The Machine Design Courses
• The Electric Circuits and Electronics with
  Laboratory
• The Innovative Application of Engineering
  Software
• The Creative Mechanical Design

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The Machine Design Courses

• An integrative course on the basic knowledge of
  machine parts, mechanism, design process,
  engineering analysis and engineering synthesis.
• Lecture notes, reference materials and quizzes
  provided on the web.
• Data-base of the utilities of physical effects,
  design tools and design examples provided on the
  web.

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The Electric Circuits and Electronics with
Laboratory

• Establish mechatronic design and implementation
  capability in ME students.
• Fundamental, integrative and application
  oriented.
• Contain pop quizzes, which require trials,
  on-site observations, comparisons and
  self-examinations.
• Action research on teaching performance and
  learning difficulties.

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The Innovative Application of Engineering Software

• Integrate fundamental engineering software into
  the project design.
• Apply CPS process in the class target ? search ?
  check ? action, enhancing the creative thinking
  and problem-solving skills early in the freshman
  year.
• Construct a multimedia learning environment to
  enhance the teaching and learning effectiveness.

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The Creative Mechanical Design - 1 Purposes

• Inspiring creativity.
• Provide students with an industrial working
  environment.
• - cooperative learning.
• Training students to solve open-ended industrial
  problems.
• - project-based learning.

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The Creative Mechanical Design - 2 1st semester
- A

• The introduction and incubation of creativity.
• The process of creative-problem-solving (CPS).
• The creativity techniques.
• The engineering design process.
• The methodology in engineering invention.

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The Creative Mechanical Design - 3 1st semester
- B

• The creativity contests
• Parachute contest
• Conquering the water (ship design)
• Vehicle with rubber bands as power.

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The Creative Mechanical Design - 4 Design
Project

• Topic selection.
• Necessity assessment.
• Information gathering.
• Proposal generation.
• Product drafting, design, and layout.
• Product pilot-testing.
• Product fine-tuning.
• Report and presentation.

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The Creative Mechanical Design - 5 WWW

• Establish excellent on-line cooperative learning
  environment, to encourage students to discuss
  their ideas creatively.
• Complete multimedia lecture notes with
  discussions and exercises in and after class.
• The procedures of the creative project design.
• The video records and reports of students
  creativity contests.
• The video records and reports of students final
  design projects.

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Search Engine

• Students may encounter many difficulties
  throughout their design projects
• - lack of initial stimulation
• - lack of know-how knowledge
• Stimulating ideas and domain knowledge exist in
  the on-line courseware and in the discussion
  contents in the creativity activity board.
• Students can retrieve relevant information easily
  using appropriate key words.

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Future Works

• Further development of creative supporting tools.
• The web activity recording and analysis
  facilities to evaluate individual student's
  creative problem solving process.
• The implementation of network classroom.
• Further expansion of courseware contents on
  domain knowledge.

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• Lets Show!
• http//lisant.src.ncu.edu.tw/cedesign/
• migrating to a linux based version
• http//creative.me.ncu.edu.tw/