International Design Course Experiences
- Conference
- Location
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Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Publication Date
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June 22, 2008
- Start Date
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June 22, 2008
- End Date
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June 25, 2008
- ISSN
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2153-5965
- Conference Session
- Tagged Division
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International
- Page Count
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9
- Page Numbers
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13.790.1 - 13.790.9
- DOI
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10.18260/1-2--3266
- Permanent URL
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https://peer.asee.org/3266
- Download Count
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394
Paper Authors
Patrick Ferro Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Patrick Ferro is an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. He has been on the faculty of Rose-Hulman since 2005. He is licensed as a PE in Michigan and Ohio.
Naoki Osawa Kanazawa Institute of Technology
Naoki Osawa is an Assistant Professor of Engineering at Kanazawa Institute of Technology. His doctorate degree is in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from KIT. He has been on the faculty of KIT since 2007, following three years of industrial experience at Hitachi, Ltd.
Masakatsu Matsuishi Kanazawa Institute of Technology
Masakatsu Matsuishi is a Professor of Engineering at Kanazawa Institute of Technology in Kanazawa, Japan. He has been on the faculty of KIT since 1999. He has more than thirty years of industrial experience with Hitachi Zosen Corporation.
Richard Stamper Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Richard Stamper is an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. He has been on the faculty of Rose-Hulman since 1998. He is licensed as a PE in Maryland.
Wayne Sanders Rose Hulman Institute Of Technology
Wayne Sanders is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. Dr. Sanders has been on the faculty of Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology since 1980. He is licensed as a PE in Texas.
Taketo Yamakawa Kanazawa Institute of Technology
Taketo Yamakawa is a Professor of Engineering at Kanazawa Institute of Technology in Kanazawa, Japan. He has been on the faculty of KIT since 2003. He has more than thirty years of professional experience with Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd.
Tetsuro Furukawa Kanazawa Institute of Technology
Tetsuro Furukawa is a Professor of Engineering at Kanazawa Institute of Technology in Kanazawa Japan. He has been on the faculty of KIT since 2001. He has more than thirty years of industrial experience with Hitachi Zosen Corporation.
Abstract
NOTE: The first page of text has been automatically extracted and included below in lieu of an abstract
International Design Course Experiences Abstract
International design course experiences between two engineering institutes are reviewed. The international collaboration, between a Japanese- and US-based engineering institute, has been ongoing since 2004. In the past four years, each institute has conducted a design course that relies upon student interaction with the other institute1 .
The collaboration involves an Engineering Design course that is required for first- and second-year engineering undergraduates at one of the institutes, and an elective course for engineering undergraduates at the other institute. Engineering design projects are assigned to groups of four to six students at each university, and instructors help facilitate international collaboration.
The paper discusses methods and challenges for conducting an international engineering design course. Experiences in project selection, communication format, language, software and assessment are summarized. The paper offers ideas for future improvements in each of these areas.
Introduction
Before starting the collaboration, discussions were held to determine the optimal method for carrying out the project. Options included:
Option 1: Students from different institutions gather at one location and form teams. Each team selects a project and design activities are practiced and presented throughout the academic term,
Option 2: Students from different institutions stay at home institutes but form interinstitute teams. Teams practice design activities using the internet,
Option 3: Students from each institution stay at home institute and form independent teams. Teams conduct design activities and communicate their results to counterpart teams at the other institute using the internet.
The third option was selected, and has been used as the means of carrying out the international collaboration. Each team independently works on their selected project. Progress reports and achievements are exchanged through email, websites and and web conferencing. All of the teams select projects from a list that includes project topics related to the instructor-determined main theme. Since 2004, the main theme has been sustainability, green engineering and the environment.
The main theme defines a broad problem area where many specific problems and needs exist. The main theme provides a unifying element for the class. Each design team chooses a project topic, related to the main theme, based upon respective majors and interests of each team member.
Ferro, P., & Osawa, N., & Matsuishi, M., & Stamper, R., & Sanders, W., & Yamakawa, T., & Furukawa, T. (2008, June), International Design Course Experiences Paper presented at 2008 Annual Conference & Exposition, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 10.18260/1-2--3266
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