Engineering Design Education Research Articles

Understanding the Impact of Applying Large Language Model in Engineering Design Education

Understanding the Impact of Applying Large Language Model in Engineering Design Education

Towards Computer-Supported Functional Modelling in Engineering Design Education

The growing need for solutions that can support the computer-based and distant assessment of functional models has resulted in ad hoc implementations of various diagramming tools. These tools are typically not intended for the purpose of functional modelling and lack the flexibility and efficiency of the traditional pen-and-paper approach. This paper reports on an experimental study of 42 students who were introduced to functional modelling through either printed vocabulary materials for pen-and-paper modelling or a specifically developed software application for computer-based modelling. All participants received an identical task—model an electric citrus juicer—with a brief description of how one operates and a photograph of a commercial example. The results show no significant difference in their total scores. However, the pen-and-paper group performed significantly better when it came to the selection of appropriate functions and creating plausible function–flow pairs. These results suggest that the current version of the software alters the functional modelling process in which the students typically engage. Also, it has been hypothesised that the software tool’s lack of flexibility and dynamism in presenting the predefined function vocabulary, when compared to the traditional printouts, might result in earlier fixation and the selection of less appropriate functions. On the other hand, the computer-supported approach can be better controlled and is less prone to critical errors, such as disregarding functional modelling conventions.

Adapting engineering design thinking for sustainability

AbstractThe nature of engineering design thinking needs to change drastically to address the climate crisis, as the technologies and activities that damage the environment are generated by engineering design. Current engineering design practices, as well as engineering design education (EE) pedagogies, are driven by formal knowledge structures, such as mathematical models and optimization techniques, that are far removed from concerns about the environment. To adapt engineering design thinking for sustainability, a clear characterization of the thinking roles played by various design components, including the role of formal structures in sustainable engineering design, is needed. As a first step towards developing this characterization, we investigated the way sustainable micro-hydro power systems were designed by two grassroots technology designers. Our analysis indicated that artifact-based imagination (mental simulation of material structure and dynamics), including artifact-based reasoning (manipulation of imagined artifacts), and synthesis (of requirements and constraints) were key to integrating the eco-social context into the design. Formal structures played a supportive role to these core design thinking processes. To examine the validity of this analysis, we studied two engineering design cases from other areas, exploring whether the patterns we identified using the micro-hydro turbine cases extended to these cases. Results suggested that artifact-based imagination and reasoning and synthesis are common threads across different kinds of engineering design. Based on this finding, we suggest that the ongoing redesign of EE—to support ecological sustainability—needs to focus on artifact-based imagination and synthesis of eco-social factors, in addition to formal structures.

Digitalisation of engineering design education: structured freedom, flipped engagement, hybridity, and transparency

ABSTRACT This paper contributes to current discussions of digital teaching and technology within the field of engineering design education. We enter this dialogue by analysing a hybrid digital learning design for a 15-ECTS engineering design course. The course design pedagogically integrates principles from networked learning research, Problem-Based learning (PBL), as well as established pedagogical traditions. Specifically, we analyse and discuss the case based on four pedagogical principles underpinning the course: structured freedom, flipped engagement, hybridity, and transparency. The purpose of our discussions is to understand and contribute knowledge of digitalising engineering design education. Specifically, our pedagogical approach to hybrid and digital modes of learning rethink and expand the integration of digital technologies in physical design studios in a PBL context by employing networked learning principles. Following this, we draw out interesting contributions that have emerged and use the discussions to feed into the ongoing research on digitalising engineering design education.

Fostering innovation through bio-inspired projects in engineering design education

AbstractThis paper discusses the C-K theory approach and developing templates for student's use in design courses, specifically for the conceptual design phase. Examples of C-K templates are reviewed to demonstrate the process leading to a design solution. Analysis of student's work using these templates are presented and discussed with respect to design learning attributes and design innovation during the conceptual design. Student reflections from their final design reports indicated that students did develop knowledge and skills in bio-inspired design, collaboration, and interdisciplinary mindsets.

Engineering design education at German universities: potential for a common basis to create personalized e-learning content

AbstractE-learning materials require a high initial development effort but can then be used by a large number of students with little effort. It therefore seems reasonable to develop and use these across universities. Particularly in the field of Engineering Design Education, standardized principles through norms and guidelines lead to a high degree of transferability. For the development of such e-learning offers, however, the context of application must be identified. As a fundament for the development, this publication analyzes Engineering Design Education in Germany.

Reframing engineering design: integrating design thinking and systems thinking in engineering education and practice to address wicked problems

The conceptualization of “engineering design”, as outlined by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB), has shifted over the years, however, the gap in engineering education remains a prevailing deficiency in engineering education and practice lies in the exclusion of non-technical competencies (such as empathy, communication, innovation, and creativity) that are impeding engineers from effectively addressing complex issues. These frameworks offer a robust methodology for tackling complex, dynamic, and interconnected challenges—referred to as “wicked problems”. In addition, this paper proposes a fourth-year engineering design course that explicitly incorporates these approaches, addressing the identified gap in social competencies within engineering education. By integrating these approaches into the foundation of engineering design education, there may be an avenue to equip engineers with the skills needed to empathize with stakeholders, understand contextual landscapes and generate meaningful solutions that contribute positively to society.

Inclusive Learning Through Equity-Driven Approaches to Design in Engineering Education

Despite it being widely acknowledged that integrating principles of equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility (EDIA) in engineering has numerous benefits such as more innovative and inclusive design outcomes, there have been ongoing challenges in addressing equity, promoting diversity, and fostering inclusive teaching and learning strategies in higher education. If EDIA is taught separately from coursework in engineering, students are unlikely to engage with or incorporate EDIA principles in their work. Moreover, the pedagogical approaches for EDIA concepts, which include exploratory discussion and reflection, can be a barrier for student learning if they are not valued in the same way as traditional engineering epistemology and ideologies that prioritize a technical space and objective data. Lastly, evidence demonstrates that a lack of sense of belonging for underrepresented students can impact their learning experience. It is important to address how teaching approaches impact the shift of student mindsets in their design work and their engagement with the learning environment. In this exploratory project, we seek to understand the ways in which learning equity-driven approaches to design, such as design thinking, may impact engineering students’ perceptions of inclusivity in their learning environment and the quality of inclusivity in the work that they design and engineer. We focus on the rationale and development of the methodology in this paper since the work is still in progress. We are working with a diverse team of educators and researchers to review and revise course goals, student learning outcomes and related course content for two design thinking courses in a master’s level engineering program. Changes to the course material include further integrating EDIA principles and the “Liberatory Design framework” described by the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design as “a process and practice to liberate designers from habits that perpetuate inequity.” The impact of such revision is examined through qualitative analysis of students’ written reflections with prompts that focus on EDIA themes. A post-course survey is also used to assess students’ perceptions of EDIA in relation to their academic, professional, and personal learning experiences throughout the program and, more specifically, the design thinking course learning outcomes. Preliminary findings suggest that students connect design thinking approaches with an awareness of the value of diversity in their design teams and with more inclusive design outcomes for the end-user. This exploratory work can inspire research to further examine the role of design thinking and related pedagogical approaches in supporting the integration of EDIA principles in teaching engineering design.

Developing a Catalogue of Environmental Sustainability Tools to Inform Biomedical Engineering Design Education

Despite the negative impact that the environmental crisis can have on human health, the healthcare sector is a significant contributor of greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. However, biomedical engineering design has primarily focused on human safety, with limited attention to environmental sustainability. To address this, we conducted a review of tools to support environmental sustainability analysis and proposed how we think they can support biomedical engineering design education. We conducted a literature search to identify available tools and categorized them according to the biomedical engineering design process taught at the University of British Columbia. We found that there was a lack of tools to support sustainability at early design stages, limiting student’s ability to take a proactive approach to sustainable design. Moving forward, we plan to use this review as a reference tool to guide curriculum improvements for biomedical engineering design courses to include a greater focus on environmental sustainability.

INTEGRATING PREVENTION THROUGH DESIGN (PTD) INTO ENGINEERING CURRICULA

For many years, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and construction safety experts have advocated for implementing the Prevention through Design (PtD) concept in the United States. PtD aims to eliminate construction hazards during the design phase to prevent or reduce occupational injuries, illnesses, and fatalities during the construction phase. PtD is achieved by incorporating prevention considerations into all designs that may impact workers' safety. Civil and architectural engineers are considered the primary initiators of PtD in the construction industry, with the ability to educate project owners and construction practitioners about its benefits and importance. However, this group has a few, if any, educational interventions or training opportunities to develop PtD knowledge and skills in the United States. As a result, faculty members who may be willing to teach the PtD concept in their design courses (e.g., concrete, steel, foundation and traffic design courses) have limited exposure to the PtD concept and no clear guidelines to integrate PtD into their courses. This study surveys engineering department chairs in the United States to assess their perceptions about integrating PtD into the engineering curriculum. The findings showed that most participants do not favor incorporating PtD as a standalone course in the engineering curriculum. However, they expressed their support for integrating the concept as small modules within existing engineering design courses. Faculty members, teaching engineering design, should be provided the necessary resources to achieve this. This study contributes to our understanding of PtD integration strategies within engineering programs.

Effects of a first-year undergraduate engineering design course: survey study of implications for student self-efficacy and professional skills, with focus on gender/sex and race/ethnicity

BackgroundStudents’ academic self-efficacy maximizes likelihood for success and retention, yet prior research suggests that historically underrepresented (minoritized) undergraduate students in higher education and in college-level engineering show lower self-efficacy, which has been linked to histories of systemic exclusion. To address such gaps in student success, this work examines the effect of a new first-year undergraduate engineering design course on students’ self-efficacy, as measured by students’ assessment of their ability to achieve engineering design goals, and their confidence in their professional skills such as teamwork, communication, and leadership. It draws upon two aligned survey studies that examine this development (a) among the students participating in the course during the academic semester and (b) among both course participants and non-participants in the year following the course. Survey results for all students were considered, with attention to specific demographic subgroups traditionally underrepresented in engineering.ResultsAnalyses indicate effect of the course on self-efficacy and other examined constructs, such as communication and teamwork, during the course semester and continued effects in engineering design self-efficacy and tinkering self-efficacy in the year following course participation. Results also reveal differences for specific racial/ethnic and gender/sex subgroups in numerous constructs, including suggestion of specific effect for female students.ConclusionsThis study’s focus on the implication of engineering design education on self-efficacy and other critical professional outcomes, as well as its attention to specific demographic subgroups, adds to research on engineering education and the effect of design-focused coursework using project-based learning. The study indicates an increased potential role for such coursework, as early as the first year of a university trajectory, in fostering student growth and increased representation in the field. Findings on differences by gender/sex and by racial/ethnic groups, including clearer positive effect for female students but more complexity in effect for underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, support added research probing experience and outcomes within and across these groups.

Facilitating Students’ Adaptive Help-seeking and Peer Interactions through an Analytics-enhanced Forum in Engineering Design Education

Design often takes place in collective and collaborative settings, and interactions and mutual support among peers have been a critical component of design education. However, in most of the existing design courses, students often work in small groups and peer interactions are limited to group members, which limits the range and depth of knowledge exchange. To complement the group-based activities, this study designs and assesses an analytics-enhanced discussion forum for whole-class interactions. The forum adopts ontology-based recommender systems and anomaly detection techniques to tailor the threads and contents for individual students in a personalized way. This analytics-enhanced forum was implemented in a large-size undergraduate design course (n = 313), and data about student responses to this forum was compared with data from the previous year’s course that adopted a conventional forum (n = 280). From the statistical analysis, students learning with the analytics-enhanced forum demonstrated significantly higher degrees of design practices (specifically, empathize, define, ideate, and test), collaborative learning, and course satisfaction. Qualitative analysis of students’ focus-group interviews shows their perceived benefits and concerns of the analytics-enhanced forum. The study also suggests integrating generative artificial intelligence and large language models to support students’ design thinking and collaborative design.

Practice and Evaluation of Design Engineering Education Introducing Prototyping Method

Practice and Evaluation of Design Engineering Education Introducing Prototyping Method

Augmented Reality in A Sustainable Engineering Design Context: Understanding Students’ Collaboration and Negotiation Practices

This study reports on the use of augmented reality (AR) within the context of sustainable engineering design education. The objective of this study is to understand students’ collaboration and negotiation practices in a sustainable engineering design context using AR. The technology used in this study includes MERGE Cube (a physical cube that acts as a digital canvas for AR) and CoSpaces Edu (an online platform for students to build 3D creations and animate them with code). There have been 48 instances of student participation from upper elementary to middle school in four iterations of this study since February 2022. The research was conducted based on a design-based research methodology, and the data was collected through qualitative methods and analyzed using the intra-action analysis method. This study’s outcome revealed that interactions among participant dyads and with the technology shed light on distinct dynamics within collaborative sustainability-oriented learning and design processes. These diverse interactions collectively emphasize the multifaceted nature of collaborative design, where individual experiences, communication styles, and technological proficiency all play integral roles in shaping the collaborative process. In addition, the results of our research showed that the complexities inherent in negotiating ownership and collaboration dynamics are influenced by individual attitudes, timing of involvement, and previous experiences. Given the importance of collaboration in achieving sustainability-oriented goals, these findings are relevant to the field of sustainable engineering education, especially when working with younger children.

Collaborative Learning in Engineering Design Education: A Systematic Literature Review

<italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Contribution:</i> This article presents a comprehensive overview of characteristics of educational designs of collaborative engineering design activities found in literature and how these characteristics mediate students’ collaboration. <p xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <i>Background:</i> Engineers have to solve complex problems that require collaboration. In education, various collaborative engineering design activities have been implemented to prepare students for these professional practices. According to cultural historical activity theory (CHAT), educational activities can be described in terms of interrelated elements, i.e., subject, object, tools, rules, division of labor, and community, that influence learning outcomes. A key issue is how these elements mediate students’ collaborative efforts and how they contribute to learning. <p xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <i>Research Questions:</i> 1) How is collaborative learning implemented in engineering design education? 2) How do the elements of CHAT and their interrelations mediate collaborative learning? and 3) What is the evidence that the implementation of collaborative learning contributed to the achievement of desired learning outcomes? <p xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <i>Methodology:</i> A systematic literature review following preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analyses protocols guidelines was conducted, including 111 articles published between 2011 and 2021. CHAT was used as analytical framework. <p xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <i>Findings:</i> Collaborative learning was implemented in engineering design activities to develop technical as well as nontechnical skills. For the CHAT elements, it was found that establishing a common object, rules for collaboration, and division of labor are essential for effective collaboration and can be enhanced through digital technologies (tools) and support from a community, for example, educators. Finally, results showed that there is evidence that described implementations contribute to learning. However, this evidence needs to be interpreted with care, due to methodological issues in some included articles.

Review on Chemical Engineering Capstone Design Teaching Model to Drive Continuous Improvement and Achieving Program Outcomes

Project-based Learning (PjBL) is a well-known paradigm for engineering design education, with numerous case studies published in the literature. Capstone is intended to provide students with an opportunity to demonstrate their readiness for professional practice. Consequently, this paper suggests a teaching and learning model as a new paradigm for capstone design projects in an effort to perpetually enhance engineering education, particularly in chemical engineering design courses. Rigorously assessing students’ knowledge of the design process is essential for understanding how to best create learning environments to facilitate the development of such knowledge. Such assessment is also quite difficult and hence there is a lack of assessment tools capable of measuring the design process knowledge of every student. The model also intends to assess whether students can explain their tasks through PBL. Besides, it provides such a structure for aligning course learning outcomes, methods of teaching including teaching strategy and learning activity, and methods for assessing students’ performance. Instead of prioritizing student outcomes and mapping them to direct metrics related to curriculum, the model is also used to highlight areas of engineering education where significant opportunities exist for improving the preparedness of our students for capstone and ultimately for professional practice. This paper also addresses an early stage of a study to seek the challenges in incorporating complex engineering problems during designing a capstone design model.

Latest trends in design engineering education

Latest trends in design engineering education

A framework for using data and collaboration to drive prevention through engineering design: Reducing injury and severity in greenhouse and nursery workers

Introduction: A framework of collaboration between safety professionals and design engineers was proposed that provided direction for utilizing analysis of quantitative and qualitative data to prevent worker injury. This interdisciplinary, context-steeped approach can be utilized across a variety of industries to promote risk reduction by designing equipment and processes to prevent common workplace injuries in the first place. Safety professional expertise in regional worker’s compensation claims analysis (including statistical analysis on a quantitative basis and qualitative analysis of trends in written injury descriptions of circumstance) provided the starting point for identifying industries of interest for this approach. Method: Followed by education of design engineers on safety approaches (including hazard identification, the ANSI/ASSP Z590.3 consensus-based standard), tools such as risk assessment matrices and methods for effective on-site work observation and interviews with workers affords transfer of knowledge. Design engineers then utilize safety influenced design problem identification and goal criteria to create and select concepts for eventual detail design and prototype testing on-site. This approach was implemented in a case-study at a Midwest greenhouse industry facility site in summer of 2019. Two problem areas were identified and addressed with two unique engineering designs that were prototyped and utilized at the facility with success. Practical Application: This approach can apply to other industries and collaborative teams in the future to prevent worker injury by design.

An importance-performance analysis of teachers’ perception of STEM engineering design education

There is an increasing worldwide trend toward the development of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education using engineering design (ED) practice. Considering that teachers play pivotal roles in terms of student interest in STEM subjects and careers, it is important to explore teachers’ perceptions of STEM-ED education. We analysed survey data from 184 technology teachers who participated in empowerment training (using a STEM-ED curriculum) in 2017, 2018, 2021, and 2022. We used an importance-performance analytical model to investigate the teachers’ perceptions of STEM-ED itself, its impact on students, and the challenges experienced during implementation. The results showed that various improvements were required for STEM-ED promotion and for the preparation of STEM-ED lessons. Analysis of variance revealed that the age groups taught and the number of weekly teaching hours significantly affected the teachers’ perceptions of STEM-ED. These findings will assist educational institutions worldwide in planning future education policies, designing teacher empowerment courses, and understanding teachers’ needs in efforts to improve STEM-ED.

Research and Evaluation of Robot Engineering Design Education in Science Leader Training Course

Research and Evaluation of Robot Engineering Design Education in Science Leader Training Course