Work-in-Progress - Emphasizing Human-Centered Design in the Freshman Year through an Interactive Engineering Design Process Experience

Kirsten Heikkinen Dodson; Kerry E Patterson; Joseph B Tipton

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Conference: 2017 FYEE Conference
Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
Publication Date: August 6, 2017
Start Date: August 6, 2017
End Date: August 8, 2017
Conference Session: WIP: Enrollment, Instruction and Pedagogy - Focus on Design-Based Projects
Tagged Topics: Diversity and FYEE Conference - Works in Progress Submission
Page Count: 4
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--29448
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/29448
Download Count: 299

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Kirsten Heikkinen Dodson Lipscomb University orcid.org/0000-0002-5626-4393

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Dr. Kirsten Dodson is an assistant professor in the mechanical engineering department in the Raymond B. Jones College of Engineering at Lipscomb University. She graduated from Lipscomb University with her Bachelors degree before moving on to Vanderbilt to finish her Doctoral degree. Upon completing her research at Vanderbilt, she joined the faculty at her alma mater where she has focused on thermal-fluids topics in teaching and humanitarian engineering applications in research.

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Kerry E Patterson Lipscomb University

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Joseph B Tipton Jr. Lipscomb University orcid.org/0000-0002-1978-1076

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Abstract

Let’s start with the basic idea of the engineering discipline: problem-solving. At the base of all problems, there is a human with a need seeking a solution. While engineering problem-solving utilizes concepts from mathematics and physical sciences, sometimes the hardest part of a solution is including the human element. Around the world, engineering programs emphasize problem-solving using math, science, and engineering concepts, but many dismiss humanities or social science topics that are imperative to understanding the human element of design. While ABET accreditation requires that programs cover design and analysis under the considerations of global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts, many programs simply squeeze these topics into other courses rather than creating a curriculum focused on holistic problem-solving.

At Lipscomb University, the engineering faculty have found that upper-level students lack experience in client interactions, decision-making processes, holistic critical-thinking, and sustainable design. In the past, our engineering courses have generally focused on the analysis of a system rather than designing a solution to fit a human need. Though this is a natural inclination of engineering programs, the Raymond B. Jones College of Engineering plans to upset this norm through a freshman engineering course focused on human-centered design. To create this course, the college will partner with The Peugeot Center for Engineering Service in Developing Communities to better cultivate concepts and techniques critical to this human-centered design process. The Peugeot Center, an entity within the college, has a wealth of expertise in humanitarian engineering applications with nearly fifty completed projects over twelve years.

Throughout the course, students will be introduced to a five-step design process originally developed by Engineering for Change. The steps are: a plan stage for team formation and management; a learn stage for research; a design phase for brainstorming and prototyping; a realize stage for analyzing producibility; and a sustain stage for ensuring long-term success. One unique aspect of this design process is its iterative nature. Simply stated, failure is viewed as a feedback loop for improvement. This design process is also inherently focused on the human at the center of the problem-solving experience.

The design process will be presented to the students through three interactive experiences. The first is a basic introduction where students are asked to design a new wallet for their lab partner. During the second, students are introduced to each step of the design process through the critique of a case study. Last, the students perform their own process through an immersive and interactive experience by working in groups, performing hands-on activities, active prototyping, and meeting with a client. For example, students may be given the scenario of a small community in Guatemala experiencing large numbers of stomach disease. Through the learn stage of the design process, the students may identify the need of a clean water system before designing and analyzing the system in the design and realize stages. Throughout each of these three experiences and in each step of the design process, the human element is the focal point of design.

Citation
Format

Dodson, K. H., & Patterson, K. E., & Tipton, J. B. (2017, August), Work-in-Progress - Emphasizing Human-Centered Design in the Freshman Year through an Interactive Engineering Design Process Experience Paper presented at 2017 FYEE Conference, Daytona Beach, Florida. 10.18260/1-2--29448

TY - CPAPER
AB - Let’s start with the basic idea of the engineering discipline: problem-solving. At the base of all problems, there is a human with a need seeking a solution. While engineering problem-solving utilizes concepts from mathematics and physical sciences, sometimes the hardest part of a solution is including the human element. Around the world, engineering programs emphasize problem-solving using math, science, and engineering concepts, but many dismiss humanities or social science topics that are imperative to understanding the human element of design. While ABET accreditation requires that programs cover design and analysis under the considerations of global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts, many programs simply squeeze these topics into other courses rather than creating a curriculum focused on holistic problem-solving.

At Lipscomb University, the engineering faculty have found that upper-level students lack experience in client interactions, decision-making processes, holistic critical-thinking, and sustainable design. In the past, our engineering courses have generally focused on the analysis of a system rather than designing a solution to fit a human need. Though this is a natural inclination of engineering programs, the Raymond B. Jones College of Engineering plans to upset this norm through a freshman engineering course focused on human-centered design. To create this course, the college will partner with The Peugeot Center for Engineering Service in Developing Communities to better cultivate concepts and techniques critical to this human-centered design process. The Peugeot Center, an entity within the college, has a wealth of expertise in humanitarian engineering applications with nearly fifty completed projects over twelve years.

Throughout the course, students will be introduced to a five-step design process originally developed by Engineering for Change. The steps are: a plan stage for team formation and management; a learn stage for research; a design phase for brainstorming and prototyping; a realize stage for analyzing producibility; and a sustain stage for ensuring long-term success. One unique aspect of this design process is its iterative nature. Simply stated, failure is viewed as a feedback loop for improvement. This design process is also inherently focused on the human at the center of the problem-solving experience.

The design process will be presented to the students through three interactive experiences. The first is a basic introduction where students are asked to design a new wallet for their lab partner. During the second, students are introduced to each step of the design process through the critique of a case study. Last, the students perform their own process through an immersive and interactive experience by working in groups, performing hands-on activities, active prototyping, and meeting with a client. For example, students may be given the scenario of a small community in Guatemala experiencing large numbers of stomach disease. Through the learn stage of the design process, the students may identify the need of a clean water system before designing and analyzing the system in the design and realize stages. Throughout each of these three experiences and in each step of the design process, the human element is the focal point of design.
AU - Kirsten Heikkinen Dodson
AU - Kerry E Patterson
AU - Joseph B Tipton Jr.
CY - Daytona Beach, Florida
DA - 2017/08/06
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Work-in-Progress - Emphasizing Human-Centered Design in the Freshman Year through an Interactive Engineering Design Process Experience
UR - https://peer.asee.org/29448
DO - 10.18260/1-2--29448
ER -