Preparing the Future Aircraft Design Workforce: Filling Knowledge Gaps Using Engineering Design Tools
- Conference
- Location
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Portland, Oregon
- Publication Date
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June 23, 2024
- Start Date
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June 23, 2024
- End Date
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July 12, 2024
- Conference Session
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Design in Engineering Education Division (DEED) - Case Studies in Design Education
- Tagged Division
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Design in Engineering Education Division (DEED)
- Permanent URL
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https://peer.asee.org/47869
Paper Authors
Melissa Lepe University of California, Irvine
Melissa Lepe is a second-year Ph.D. student at the University of California-Irvine. Her research interests include aircraft sustainability, aeroacoustics, and engineering education. Through her work at the UCI Aircraft Systems Laboratory and the Buswell Research Lab, she has worked on merging her interests in aviation and education to promote inclusivity, equity, and diversity in the aerospace field.
Natascha Trellinger Buswell
University of California, Irvine
orcid.org/0000-0001-8503-5787
Natascha Trellinger Buswell is an associate professor of teaching in the department of mechanical and aerospace engineering at the University of California, Irvine. She earned her B.S. in aerospace engineering at Syracuse University and her Ph.D. in engineering education at Purdue University. She is particularly interested in inclusive teaching conceptions and methods and graduate level engineering education.
Jacqueline L. Huynh University of California, Irvine
Abstract
Upholding the current and projected growth in the aerospace industry starts in the classroom. Preparing students to engineer the future through quality courses is the fundamental mission of many universities. This study highlights efforts made to equip students for future aircraft design by creating a senior class project that incorporated computer programming and computer-aided design tools, while also addressing knowledge gaps through course-supporting modules. The research was prompted by observations of aerospace engineering students at the University of California-Irvine (UC Irvine) struggling to integrate design tools into their final projects. It was noted that approximately half of the aerospace engineering students in the study had not been introduced to fundamental computer-aided design, as it was not included in their program requirements. The study assessed the impact on student confidence in using these tools before and after the course, aiming to better understand their experiences and create course materials that more accurately reflect the challenges of aerospace engineering design. A backwards design approach was employed in the development of the modules, and a thematic analysis was conducted on student reflections. The analysis underscored the importance of challenging projects supplemented with supporting modules in gaining insights into engineering design tools for aircraft design.
Lepe, M., & Buswell, N. T., & Huynh, J. L. (2024, June), Preparing the Future Aircraft Design Workforce: Filling Knowledge Gaps Using Engineering Design Tools Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon. https://peer.asee.org/47869
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