Using Design Case Studies to Promote Group Learning and Foster Teamwork Skills

Abstract

Waterloo Cases in Design Engineering (WCDE) has been established to enhance engineering design education by developing case studies from student cooperative work term reports, and implementing them across the entire Faculty of Engineering. One design case, developed from a student report, was used in three (3) different courses during one academic term as a precursor activity to a class or term design project. The results of a student survey indicate that the design case was an engaging application and that group discussion and interaction helped to enhance students’ understanding of the design method, and the specific design challenge described in the case. Instructor perspectives are summarized on using design cases and the case method with students in teams to develop teamwork and other complementary abilities.

Engineering Design Case Studies: Effective And Sustainable Development Methods

“…We have learned that students very much appreciate design case studies, believe that they help them understand course concepts, that they provide relevance to the material presented in class, and that the group and classroom discussions further help them to understand the course concepts. We believe this is an ideal opportunity for the student group to develop teamwork skills as well [15,16].…”