Enhancing the Educational Development of Individuals in Group Projects Paul Hermon

Programme Director, Product Design & Development School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering 5th International CDIO Conference Singapore Polytechnic 7 - 10 June 2009

Overview

• CDIO Standard 5 • Integrated curriculum with group DBT projects at core of each year • Staged educational development • Mechanisms for enhancing learning • Observations

CDIO Standard 5 – Design Build Experiences

A curriculum that includes two or more design-build experiences, including one at a basic level and one at an advanced level

Armstrong, P.J. & Niewoehner, R.,

The CDIO Approach to the Development of Student Skills and Attributes

, 4 th International CDIO Conference (2008) Suggested that standard 5 should be extended to include a project based course in every year of a program and that these projects should progressively include more lifecycle stages in each year building towards the capstone

Educational Psychology

Perry, W. G.,

Forms of Ethical and Intellectual Development in the College Years: A Scheme

, Holt, Rinehart, & Winston (1970) Cognitive development is a multi stage process with growth happening in major steps as a response to challenges just above the current level of ability.

Csikszentmihalyi, M.,

Flow – The Psychology of Optimal Experience

, Harper & Row (1990) Defined a +1 principle of tasks of an appropriate level; between boredom, where no learning occurs and panic, where survival strategies rather than deep learning dominate.

CDIO Integrated Curriculum

Stage 1 Skills & Attributes Stage 2 Skills & Attributes Stage 3 Skills & Attributes Stage 4 Skills & Attributes DesignBuildTest DesignBuildTest DesignBuildTest DesignBuildTest Technical Knowledge Technical Knowledge Technical Knowledge Technical Knowledge

CDIO Integrated Curriculum – Stage 1 PDD

SEMESTER 1 SEMESTER 2

Computer-Aided Design 1 (1.0)

MEE1020

Product Design Methods & Practice 1 (1.0)

MEE1024 Creative Design Skills 1

(0.5)

MEE1030 Design Project 1

(0.5)

MEE1025

Introduction to Product Design 1 (1.0)

MEE1033 Materials 1

(0.5)

MEE1021 Statics 1

(0.5)

MEE1022

Mathematics for Product Design 1 (1.0)

MEE1026 (BEng) Engineering Mathematics 1

(0.5)

MEE1036 (MEng) Electrical Engineering 1

(0.5)

FOE1006 (MEng)

CDIO Integrated Curriculum – Stage 2 PDD

SEMESTER 1

Manufacturing Processes and Systems (1.0)

MEE2025 SEMESTER 2

Computer-Aided Design 2 (0.5)

MEE2036

Design & Prototyping Projects 2 (1.0)

MEE2026

Polymer Properties for Design 2 (1.0)

MEE2033

Design & Manufacturing Studies 2 (0.5) Mathematics for Product Design 2 (0.5)

MEE2035

Solids & Structures (P) 2 (0.5)

MEE2027 (MEng) MEE2022 (BEng)

Electronics 2B (0.5)

ELE2032

Fluids & Thermodynamics (P) 2 (0.5)

AER2020

Dynamics (P) 2 (0.5)

MEE2037

Bloom’s Taxonomy

Cognitive Level (Revised) 1: Remember 2: Understand 3: Apply 4: Analyse 5: Evaluate 6: Create Appropriate Verbs define, describe, enumerate, examine, identify, label, list, name, quote, reproduce, select, show, state, tabulate. contrast, convert, describe, differentiate, discuss, distinguish, estimate, extend, generalizes, give examples, interpret, paraphrase, predict, summarize. apply, assess, calculate, compute, construct, control, demonstrate, determine, develop, establish, examine, illustrate, modify, relate, show, solve. analyse, classify, compare, connect, divide, explain, infer, order, separate. assess, compare, conclude, criticize, critique, decide, discriminate, evaluate, interpret, judge, justify, recommend, reframes, select, summarise, support, test. adapt, anticipate, compare, compose, contrast, create, design, devise, formulate, generalize, generate, integrate, model, modify, plan, reconstructs, revise, structure, synthesize, validate.

DBT Learning Outcomes & Bloom’s Taxonomy

Stage 1 - MEE1025 – Design Project1 (1 group project, 12 weeks duration)

Use creative and lateral thinking tools

and techniques in the

creation of ideas

and concepts for an innovative new product.

Perform

market

analysis

to compare products of competitors.

Conduct product dissection to

analyze

existing products.

Apply

critical thinking and problem solving techniques in the development of a new design.

Use

sketching, rendering and CAD skills to

illustrate

design concepts.

Produce a technical report and presentation,

referencing

relevant sources.

Develop Develop

time management, project management and team working skills Stage 2 - MEE2026 – Design and Prototyping Projects 2 (3 group projects, 8 weeks each) design briefs into viable physical prototypes involving a number of assembled components.

Use

a range of Rapid Prototyping and virtual prototyping hardware and software tools along with physical

testing

to iteratively

Utilize Plan

and

revise

design concepts to

establish

an optimal solution.

a number of tools and techniques introduced in the Stage 1 “Product Design Methods & Practice” module, further developing the skills required of professional product designers.

organize

a project.

Run

effective formal design review meetings.

Develop problem solving

and effective decision making skills.

Refine

time management and team working skills.

Stage 3 - MEE3052 – Project 3P (1 group project, 24 weeks duration)

Identify

an unfulfilled customer need and assess the potential for a viable new product in the market.

Apply review Utilize

knowledge and understanding of a specialist subject and related elements of professional product design practice.

Collate information, .

of a project.

Communicate analyze

and

solve

a technical problem.

Design or develop a system, component or process and recognize opportunities for improvements in a design through appropriate laboratory equipment, computer software and instrumentation, in order to accomplish the objectives effectively the results of a project in oral presentations and written reports.

Design and plan a project and manage

the time involved to complete all tasks to the respective deadlines.

Work and learn independently .

Work and

communicate effectively

as a member of a project team.

Critically

review

all aspects of the completed design build and test project

So that’s the plan – but what happens ?

• Problems occur » Students build on strengths and avoid weaknesses » Freeloaders » Differences in pace of students’ educational development » Dysfunctional groups » Deadlines and time pressure exacerbate all of the above

Mechanisms of Enhancing the Educational Environment

• Learning outcomes constructively aligned with assessed tasks • Peer assessment categories aligned with learning outcomes • Peer assessment included in marking scheme • Online shared space to facilitate collaboration • Student preferences included in group formation process • Personal Development Planning questionnaire in 1 st year • Peer feedback • Timely formative feedback as a dialogue between tutor and student

Group Formation – Student Preference Matrix

Personal Development Planning

• Self assessment questionnaire • Students keep progress file • Focussed on skills and attributes • Personal tutor assistance • Plan of action, opportunities in curriculum • Responsibility for own learning • Develop CPD attitude

Observations

• Building the curriculum is only the start • Continual critical review is necessary • Students respond well to efforts to improve their learning environment • Facilitators of learning not teachers in DBT projects