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Curriculum-wide Project Based Learning by Refining Capstone Projects Abstract

Our goal in this project is to address the twin objectives of: (1) systematically increasing project- based learning experiences throughout the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) curriculum at the University of Missouri; and (2) increasing the prospects for industry adoption and commercialization of industry-sponsored and student-generated MAE capstone design projects. We are upgrading the outcomes of recent MAE capstone design projects by having needed refinements to those designs serve as the basis for project-based learning activities throughout the MAE curriculum. Thus, students in pre-capstone courses will gain insight to, and experience with, many aspects of real-world engineering projects. Simultaneously, capstone design projects will be advanced further towards industry implementation and commercialization.

The refinement activities in the pre-capstone courses are being planned and managed by students enrolled in a new senior/graduate course in management of design, working under the direction of the pre-capstone course instructors. This approach makes it feasible to systematically integrate project-based learning into engineering education without requiring major curriculum reforms or new faculty resources.

In this paper, we first describe the process we went through to select the capstone design refinement opportunities, identifying the pre-capstone courses most suitable as venues for the refinement activities, and enlisting instructors of those pre-capstone courses to adopt these refinements as the basis for project-based learning experiences for their students. Next, we describe the design management course and the activities of those students in facilitating the refinement activities. We then turn to our plans for synthesizing the refinements into updated versions of the capstone designs. Finally, we discuss the formative assessment process currently underway, including interviews with, and surveys of, faculty and students.

Introduction

The project described in this paper addresses several recent calls for reforms to engineering education. Many “…have argued that engineering curricula should promote integrative, synthetic thought processes as well as reductive, analytical processes”.1 The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) adds to this call with its recommendation that “…the essence of engineering - the iterative process of designing, predicting performance, building, and testing- should be taught from the earliest stages of the curriculum, including the first year”.2 In addition, a workshop sponsored by the National Science Board concluded that “Since traditional curricula are so full, it is difficult to add traditional courses to the curriculum. Thus, it may be necessary instead to integrate experiences throughout the curriculum…. Experiential learning can …motivate student learning in the fundamentals(;) and can create opportunities to bring design and analysis together, rather than segregating design and analysis. There is also a need to create long-term experiences, such as projects that span years and make connections between different skills and applications. Students working on open-ended projects under expert

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Hyman, B., & Borgford-Parnell, J., & Lin, Y. (2010, June), Curriculum Wide Project Based Learning By Refining Capstone Projects Paper presented at 2010 Annual Conference & Exposition, Louisville, Kentucky. 10.18260/1-2--16610