Systems Engineering Entrepreneurship Modules Across Aerospace Engineering Curriculum

Abstract

Abstract"Systems engineering" is concerned with the effective management of complex systems over the entire product lifecycle. Good systems engineering practice is essential for the effective design, fabrication, testing and operation of complex systems, such as spacecraft and aircraft. However, teaching good systems engineering to undergraduates is often viewed as either impossible (because "true" systems engineering capabilities must be developed in real, professional settings) or impractical (because it requires sophisticated tools that are best covered at the Masters level). While we do not dispute that years of practical experience and solid technical fundamentals are necessary to master the concepts and application of systems engineering, we believe that undergraduates are capable of learning some of the fundamental tools, and applying them to relevant projects. We modified a five-course focus area in the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering of Saint Louis University to introduce systems-engineering modules with an entrepreneurship mindset. The sequence spans the first three years of undergraduate studies in the department, and the students' learning will be further demonstrated in the capstone design course sequence. And while these modules will be tailored to space-systems applications, we will show that these systems engineering modules can be beneficial to a wider range of engineering majors. We created ten modules that introduce the field of systems engineering as it applies to space missions. Students learned key topics related to spacecraft and mission design, including requirements development, trade studies, the project life cycle, system hierarchy, risk analysis, and cost analysis. The concepts presented in this course were demonstrated with examples from recent space missions. The students were exposed to concepts regarding team organization, design fundamentals, and work ethics. These topics are in preparation for the capstone design course experience. They learn that systems engineering is iterative and develop judgment that will allow them to compare and evaluate engineering alternatives. They learn to discuss systems engineering methods and processes as well as engage in systems thinking. Material covered in lectures and tutorials is complemented by hands-on laboratory exercises and real-world examples of space missions, which will be used to illustrate the use of the analytical techniques and demonstrate the relevance of the material. IntroductionFaculty members across the engineering disciplines are aware of the importance of Systems Thinking capability of engineering students, yet find it very hard to implement the same concepts in a meaningful way in the curriculum. There are enough literature published in this and other conferences highlighting the fact that Systems engineering educators are struggling to address workforce development needs required to meet the emerging challenges posed by increasing systems complexity 1 and the widening gap in systems engineering expertis...

Impact of Integrated E-Learning Modules in Developing an Entrepreneurial Mindset based on Deployment at 25 Institutions

“…In an effort to more broadly expose engineering students to entrepreneurial skills and topics, some programs aim to embed the topic within the engineering curriculum via case studies, 12 capstone projects, [13][14][15][16] or modules. 17,18 In the Tagliatela College of Engineering at the University of New Haven we employ an innovative curricular model to develop an entrepreneurial mindset in students that is based on integrating short e-learning modules into existing engineering courses. 19,20 There have been many studies about the effectiveness of e-learning, and some still question it.…”

Using the Entrepreneurial Mindset to Master Kinematics and Human Body Motion in a Biomechanics Course

“…This leads to a mismatch where the workforce is composed of business people who lack the technical knowledge combined with engineers without business acumen unable to translate these skills to their engineering domain [3]. Effective modules have been implemented in higher-level engineering courses such as in courses in thermodynamics [4] and aerospace engineering [5] but there are few business technology applications available in the field of biomechanics. Those that are published in the field of motion analysis for applied biomechanics [6] and motion capture design projects [7] could benefit from a more in-depth approach to business and entrepreneurial thinking and could be implemented through a semester long project.…”