Work in Progress: An Approach to Engineering Literacy Emphasizing Components, Functions, and Systems

John Krupczak; Mani Mina

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Conference: 2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Seattle, Washington
Publication Date: June 14, 2015
Start Date: June 14, 2015
End Date: June 17, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-692-50180-1
ISSN: 2153-5965
Conference Session: The Philosophy of Engineering and Technological Literacy
Tagged Division: Technological and Engineering Literacy/Philosophy of Engineering
Page Count: 14
Page Numbers: 26.1748.1 - 26.1748.14
DOI: 10.18260/p.25084
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/25084
Download Count: 683

Paper Authors

biography

John Krupczak National Science Foundation

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Professor of Engineering, Hope College, Holland, Michigan. Former Chair of the ASEE Technological Literacy Division. Former Chair of the ASEE Liberal Education Division. Senior Fellow CASEE, National Academy of Engineering, 2008-2010.

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biography

Mani Mina Iowa State University

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Mani Mina is with the department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Iowa State University. He has been working on better understanding of students' learning and issues of technological and engineering philosophy and literacy. In particular how such literacy and competency are reflected in curricular and student activities.

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Abstract

Work-‐in-‐progress: An approach to engineering literacy emphasizing components, functions, and systems. Technological and engineering literacy courses for non-‐engineers face a problem in finding organizing principles and course themes that are characteristic of engineering but are also accessible to any undergraduate without extensive prerequisite courses. This work describes a framework for presenting engineering to undergraduates that is based on the component as a central idea characteristic of engineering. Component is this instance means a physical object created to provide a specific function such as a light emitting diode, a heat exchanger, a wing, or an internal combustion engine. This framework depicts engineering as creating technological systems using components to provide a specific capabilities or functions. Components contributing well-‐defined functions are combined into systems. These systems provide a value or usefulness that exceeds that of individual components. Components are incorporations of natural processes or phenomena. Models or mathematical formulas describing component behavior are developed typically based on the underlying natural phenomena employed in the component. These mathematical models are used to design systems by predicting component and system behavior. The function provided by a particular component can be integrated into different technological systems that might benefit from use of that function. Innovation and evolution of technological systems typically occurs by substitution of an existing component or components with others providing functions better optimized for the purposes of that system. This component-‐function-‐systems framework can be used as a theme in an engineering literacy course. This approach promotes engineering literacy by organizing course material around the underlying structure common to technological systems. All introductory and general education courses benefit from having strong themes that serve to unite course material. Technological and engineering literacy courses that address diverse technological topics without a convincing and fundamental theme risk appearing as impermanent and merely topical in nature. A challenge for engineering literacy courses is the need to include the role of science without leading to the conclusion that engineering is merely applied science. The approach based on components as the core building blocks of engineered systems is able to include scientific principles as embedded in the processes taking place in components, while emphasizing that engineering is the creative use of these capabilities to solve problems. The engineering design process is also an important defining aspect of engineering and merits inclusion in engineering and technological literacy classes. A challenge in promoting engineering literacy based on engineering design is design is a process or a means by which technology is developed not a product in itself. Students in engineering and technological literacy courses typically are interested in understanding the end result, the hardware and struggle with a design-‐centric approach. The design process must involve actual physical material from which designs can be produced. The component-‐function-‐system approach helps students to carry out the design process by emphasizing that components are the elements from which engineering designs are created. Focus on components such as motors, beam, switches, and pumps as building blocks of engineering designs helps to make the design process less abstract and more realizable. This components-‐functions-‐systems perspective has been used in engineering and technological literacy courses at a large state university and a small private college. Results from this pilot testing with these student groups will be presented. In general undergraduates react favorably and are able to understand the fundamentals of this approach to understanding diverse technologies as built around components serving as functional elements that are combined into more complex and capable systems.

Citation
Format

Krupczak, J., & Mina, M. (2015, June), Work in Progress: An Approach to Engineering Literacy Emphasizing Components, Functions, and Systems Paper presented at 2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Seattle, Washington. 10.18260/p.25084

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - Work-‐in-‐progress:  An  approach  to  engineering  literacy  emphasizing  components,  functions,  and  systems.    Technological  and  engineering  literacy  courses  for  non-‐engineers  face  a  problem  in  finding  organizing  principles  and  course  themes  that  are  characteristic  of  engineering  but  are  also  accessible  to  any  undergraduate  without  extensive  prerequisite  courses.    This  work  describes  a  framework  for  presenting  engineering  to  undergraduates  that  is  based  on  the  component  as  a  central  idea  characteristic  of  engineering.    Component  is  this  instance  means  a  physical  object  created  to  provide  a  specific  function  such  as  a  light  emitting  diode,  a  heat  exchanger,  a  wing,  or  an  internal  combustion  engine.  This  framework  depicts  engineering  as  creating  technological  systems  using  components  to  provide  a  specific  capabilities  or  functions.  Components  contributing  well-‐defined  functions  are  combined  into  systems.  These  systems  provide  a  value  or  usefulness  that  exceeds  that  of  individual  components.  Components  are  incorporations  of  natural  processes  or  phenomena.  Models  or  mathematical  formulas  describing  component  behavior  are  developed  typically  based  on  the  underlying  natural  phenomena  employed  in  the  component.  These  mathematical  models  are  used  to  design  systems  by  predicting  component  and  system  behavior.  The  function  provided  by  a  particular  component  can  be  integrated  into  different  technological  systems  that  might  benefit  from  use  of  that  function.  Innovation  and  evolution  of  technological  systems  typically  occurs  by  substitution  of  an  existing  component  or  components  with  others  providing  functions  better  optimized  for  the  purposes  of  that  system.  This  component-‐function-‐systems  framework  can  be  used  as  a  theme  in  an  engineering  literacy  course.    This  approach  promotes  engineering  literacy  by  organizing  course  material  around  the  underlying  structure  common  to  technological  systems.      All  introductory  and  general  education  courses  benefit  from  having  strong  themes  that  serve  to  unite  course  material.  Technological  and  engineering  literacy  courses  that  address  diverse  technological  topics  without  a  convincing  and  fundamental  theme  risk  appearing  as  impermanent  and  merely  topical  in  nature.  A  challenge  for  engineering  literacy  courses  is  the  need  to  include  the  role  of  science  without  leading  to  the  conclusion  that  engineering  is  merely  applied  science.    The  approach  based  on  components  as  the  core  building  blocks  of  engineered  systems  is  able  to  include  scientific  principles  as  embedded  in  the  processes  taking  place  in  components,  while  emphasizing  that  engineering  is  the  creative  use  of  these  capabilities  to  solve  problems.    The  engineering  design  process  is  also  an  important  defining  aspect  of  engineering  and  merits  inclusion  in  engineering  and  technological  literacy  classes.    A  challenge  in  promoting  engineering  literacy  based  on  engineering  design  is  design  is  a  process  or  a  means  by  which  technology  is  developed  not  a  product  in  itself.    Students  in  engineering  and  technological  literacy  courses  typically  are  interested  in  understanding  the  end  result,  the  hardware  and  struggle  with  a  design-‐centric  approach.  The  design  process  must  involve  actual  physical  material  from  which  designs  can  be  produced.  The  component-‐function-‐system  approach  helps  students  to  carry  out  the  design  process  by  emphasizing  that  components  are  the  elements  from  which  engineering  designs  are  created.    Focus  on  components  such  as  motors,  beam,  switches,  and  pumps  as  building  blocks  of  engineering  designs  helps  to  make  the  design  process  less  abstract  and  more  realizable.  This  components-‐functions-‐systems  perspective  has  been  used  in  engineering  and  technological  literacy  courses  at  a  large  state  university  and  a  small  private  college.  Results  from  this  pilot  testing  with  these  student  groups  will  be  presented.  In  general  undergraduates  react  favorably  and  are  able  to  understand  the  fundamentals  of  this  approach  to  understanding  diverse  technologies  as  built  around  components  serving  as  functional  elements  that  are  combined  into  more  complex  and  capable  systems.    
AU  - John Krupczak
AU  - Mani Mina
CY  - Seattle, Washington
DA  - 2015/06/14
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Work in Progress: An Approach to Engineering Literacy Emphasizing Components, Functions, and Systems
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/25084
DO  - 10.18260/p.25084
ER  -