Utilizing the Engineering Design Process to Create a Framework for Curricula Design

Abstract

Project-based…inquiry-driven…student-centered…all keywords found when reading literature about techniques used in the engineering classroom. It is clear there is a large community of engineering educators that feels these techniques need to be integrated in the classroom. Research has shown that these pedagogies create an environment that is more engaging to the students. However, a possible downfall of these techniques is that they can become time consuming and if not integrated properly can become the focus of a course taking away from learning the fundamentals.Engineering educators can "fit a project in" on a micro level by the addition of new techniques periodically in class. On the macro level, the question is how one can create a complete overhaul of a particular curriculum while maintaining the integrity of the content. To answer this question we look to the engineering design process. The same principles of engineering design can be applied to curriculum design. The engineering educator has a productthe courseand is told to make it better for the consumerthe students. This paper will present a framework that describes in detail the engineering design process and how it relates to each step of our curriculum design process. Because of the active research methodology, examples from curriculum redesigns that were used to help develop this model of curriculum design will be highlighted. This innovative approach on the curriculum design process for engineering education will be discussed in detail.