Engineering education

It is commonly recognized that the definition of product requirements is an essential step of any design process. Many techniques have been proposed for building a suitable design specification, i.e. for defining a set of requirements characterized by validity, completeness, operationality, non-redundancy, conciseness and practicability. Among them, several methods and tools primarily aim at populating the design specification: some of them focus on very specific objectives but are applicable in many different domains (e.g., Design for X). Others are domain specific, but try to cover the entire scope of the specification (e.g., checklists and standards). This paper describes an abstract-level checklist for requirements definition, suitable for any field of application, aiming at producing exhaustive lists of requirements. A previous experimental application with Mechanical Engineering students clearly showed that the proposed multi-purpose checklist allows populating design specifications more complete than those defined without any support. This paper follows up demonstrating the capability of the novel checklist against the checklist for conceptual design by Pahl and Beitz.

Keywords: Design education , Design methods , Design specification , Requirements , Requirements checklists

ABSTRACT: The paper describes an interactive Finite Elements Analysis (FEA) tool that aims to improve the learning of mechanical behavior of materials in industrial engineering schools. We implemented a “user in the loop” approach where students can explore the mechanical behavior of virtual specimens selected from a library of standard elements (cantilever beam, IPE beams etc.). The users can apply forces or displacements interactively by mouse or haptic device, and visualize and “feel” the structures stress configurations. We extended our previous work and compared this novel approach with respect to traditional FEA learning techniques. A test with twenty engineering students showed that learners following the interactive approach are faster in completing the given assignment showing a reduced error rate.

Keywords: engineering education , haptics , real-time finite element analysis , virtual reality

ABSTRACT: In this paper a framework based on the concept of functional dimensioning features is presented. It is aimed at supporting a methodological approach to explicit modeling with a focus on issues related to its use in MCAD education and practice. The proposed framework is based on the assumptions that shape, dimensions, and required manufacturing precision of a mechanical component are designed to fulfill specific functionalities. Principle formation and development regarding geometric entities and associated functional meaning are approached with an orientation on the concepts and definitions introduced by the GPS system of standards. Application of the GPS standards requires that dimensions and tolerances of the functional elements are specified within the nominal representation of a part or component. The traditional method of representing such information is a 2D technical drawing. However, explicit modeling provides new perspectives and opportunities for approaching 3D modeling, since it allows the addition of geometrical constraints and driving dimensions directly on the 3D model. In this context, the concept of functional dimensioning features is introduced, aimed at providing an integrative correspondence between concepts as specified by the GPS standards and the operative framework as provided by explicit modeling.

Keywords: CAD education , design intent , functional dimensioning , GPS standards

In the field of Ambient Assisted Living, the present research proposes a combined User-Centred Design approach that exploits the strengths of systematic and participatory design methodologies with the final aim to design an assistive device to solve mobility problems of elderly people in crowded environments. The application of the approach allows research to investigate which information gathering technique is more effective for this context of use and to find out competitive AAL solutions for specific target users. The experimentation is carried out by students attending an industrial design course. An experimental protocol is arranged to compare the outcomes from the different stages of the approach application. The scientific contribution of the present work regards both the presented results, that confirm how much effective is ethnography in respect to role-playing and traditional desk research in case of products oriented to special target users, and the educational experiences in the field of AAL.

Keywords: Ambient assisted living , Design education , Evaluation , Requirement gathering , User centred design

EPICES is an Erasmus plus strategic partnership project (September 2014-August 2016) co-funded by the EU. There are seven academic partners and one association engaged in this project. The purpose of EPICES is to develop a European collaboration on at-a-distance project-based learning framework and method, based on already existing and still developing technical platforms, i.e. collaborative and engineering tools. A special focus will be made on teachers' role and students' coaching, from the analysis of what a coach should be in project based learning to training packages for teachers and development of assessment methods. This focus is a key issue to be discussed in order to develop project based learning for engineer students, especially in international and/or industrial context, which requires strong and effective collaboration of all actors to succeed and innovate within the project based learning framework. In EPICES, sub-projects are developed, which place students in the middle of real industrial European at a distance projects, i.e. in the heart of the future job of every current engineer student. These sub-projects are study cases, study materials, and allow many feedbacks and intellectual outputs on coaching, teachers' role and assessment issues. Since its beginning, EPICES has gained in maturity and in this work-in-progress the objective is to present the first achievements of three intellectual outputs: establishing a model of facilitator roles and skills in project-based learning in European engineering education; studying teacher facilitation in preparation for training of teacher, creating assessment methodology for project-based learning in engineering studies and development of tools for assessment of skills.

Keywords: assessment , project-based learning , Teacher roles

Concept map are not a new phenomenon in engineering education and are nowadays used to enhance "meaningful learning." In literature a lot of works on the use of the concept maps in education exist, but not many within the "interactive" context. This study contributes to expand the framework of research on the development of web-based 3D interactive concept maps. They incorporate web-based 3D interactive images that support the learning of abstract and difficult topics in Engineering drawing course, motivating the students and increasing their attention. The effects of different learning strategies (2D concept mapping vs. web-based 3D interactive concept mapping) on the learning outcomes and on the spatial ability are investigated. The results of this study shows that Web-based 3D interactive concept maps compensates spatial ability deficits, that is, helps students who have low spatial ability to build an effective mental representation of the learning content.

Keywords: concept map , engineering education , interactive learning , spatial ability , web3D

In a web-based learning environment, interactivity has been referred to as the most important element for successful e-learning. This article presents the production cycle of an interactive medical device, namely a virtual 3D electroencephalogram, and the study conducted to measure the students' satisfaction of the learning application based on Kano's quality model. The web-based interactive learning application introduces unique elements of interactivity with the learning content, specifically designed to train biomedical engineering students at the use of the medical device. The results of a post-deployment student survey suggest that the visual and interactive features embedded in the application have the potential to induce positive satisfaction of users. The proposed approach may serve as reference for the correct design of similar learning applications not only in the biomedical engineering context but also outside the realms of engineering sciences.

Keywords: E-learning , Electroencephalogram , Kano's model , Learner satisfaction , Web-based interactive application

Exposing students to international experiences is becoming a common practice to prepare students with global capabilities. One pedagogical activity used to promote global competencies is the participation of students in multinational design projects. This is a problem-based learning approach in an international setting, where students get immersed in the solution of anengineering design task while they work in teams and collaborate with international partners. The main goal of these projects is to foster international collaboration and to offer an opportunity to the students to develop professional skills through international teamwork effort in the solution of a design problem. However, a real challenge of this practice has been to create an effective interaction among the students participating in this type of projects and to maintain the flow of information, and student engagement in the project and in their learning. The main objective of this work is to investigate the sociotechnical interaction of engineering students working in a multinational collaborative project and the role of information technology tools and the nature of the interaction in this experience. For this purpose an assessment tool was developed and used to determine the interaction among the students (frequency, quantity and quality), the value of social interaction in the flow of the interaction, and the impact of the interaction in the development of the project. The main findings of this instrument are presented in this work.

Keywords: Collaborative projects , Global teams , Interaction assessment , International collaboration

The research presented in this paper aims at evaluating how simple and intuitive are the learning, understanding, and application of some creativity enhancement methods by non-expert users in an engineering design context. The three methods under investigation are TRIZ, C-K theory and SCAMPER. To evaluate the training experience the authors set an evaluation framework based on Kirkpatrick's Four Levels of Evaluation and used a questionnaire to collect students' experiences. The results show that the understanding and the consequent application of the three creativity enhancement and idea generation methods are judged positively by the participants. In particular, TRIZ method represents the most appreciated at all, while SCAMPER stands out for its intuitiveness and easiness of use. Finally, C-K theory is revealed as the newest one and very promising for future developments. © 2014 Springer International Publishing.

Keywords: C-K theory , engineering education , SCAMPER , training evaluation , TRIZ

Modern corporations, institutions, universities and schools consider e-education as a way of educating larger groups of students in less time and of reducing the use of various resources. Since setting up a web-system for e-education requires a significant amount of time, as well as the necessity of having a computer and other resources, the assessment of the goals and desired effects of the online system should be made in the preparation phase. It is important to highlight that only putting course contents on the web, without using appropriate pedagogical models and principles, without appropriate means of communication between participants and instructors and without the use of modern information technologies to present the learning content is not enough to fulfil educational goals. It should be noted that, after the substantial initial investment and excitement about the possibilities of e-education, many sources of difficulty and dissatisfaction regarding online learning have emerged. Most e-learning studies propose possible improvements in course material, with little attempt to explore the learners' dimension, context, pedagogical considerations or technology aspects. In this article, we have analysed the aspects that need to be considered when designing an e-learning platform for engineering education and we have proposed a methodology, based on the Quality Function Deployment approach, useful for the preparation phase of distance learning systems. Finally, we have explained the impact of new information technologies (Web3D technologies) on online engineering education and highlighted how these tools have been implemented in the e-learning platforms for mechanical engineering that we have developed.

Keywords: distance education , engineering education , interactive learning environments , lifelong learning , pedagogical issues , technology integration/innovation

The new business model and global operations of many enterprises have brought new challenges for engineers working in multinational companies. These new trends and the need of educating world-class engineers with global competencies have opened opportunities for new educational models to expose students to international experiences to start developing those capabilities. One pedagogical activity used to promote global competencies is the participation of students in multinational design projects, which is a problem-based learning approach in an international setting, where students get immersed in the solution of an engineering design task while they work in teams and collaborate with international partners. Consequently, a collaborative network of institutions from the Americas and Italy has developed and executed collaborative multinational design projects as part of academic experiences for their students. The main goal of these projects is to foster international collaboration and to offer an opportunity to the students to develop professional skills through international teamwork effort in the solution of a design problem. However, a real challenge of this practice has been to create an effective interaction among the students participating in this type of projects and to maintain the flow of information, and student engagement in the project and in their learning. Therefore, this paper reports the work related to an assessment approach used to monitor students' interaction in multinational collaborative projects. The main objectives of the proposed assessment tool are: (a) to evaluate the interaction among the students (frequency, quantity and quality); (b) to determine the value of social interaction in the flow of the interaction; (c) to determine the impact of interaction in the development of the project. © American Society for Engineering Education, 2014.

In engineering colleges, first-year students come from different kinds of high school and have different technical backgrounds. In engineering graphics courses, the weaker students are the ones entering with a lower technical background. Such students are less motivated and have generally difficulties in keeping high their attention level during the lessons. In this study, the use of a webcomics structured in graphic novels was experimented as a motivational support in an engineering graphics course. Sixty nine students of a class taught by using webcomics as support and 47 students of a class taught traditionally were classified according to the kind of their high school of provenience: technical; scientific; non-technical and non-scientific. The findings showed that in the class where webcomics were used, students from non-technical and non-scientific high school scored a higher level of attention compared to others. The teacher who used the webcomics commented it an effective tool to encourage and stimulate weaker learners to actively participate to the lessons and the majority of students agreed such tool was stimulating. At the same time, some students considered the webcomics representation of engineering graphics topics as too far from the reality. It is concluded that the use of webcomics structured in graphic novels is a proficient way to better motivate weaker students to arouse and keep their attention at a high level during engineering graphics lessons. © Maxwell Scientific Organization, 2014.

Keywords: Comic strips , Engineering education , Graphic novels , Teaching , Technical drawing

The new business model and global operations of many enterprises have brought new challenges for engineers working in multinational companies. These new trends and the need of educating world-class engineers with global competencies have opened opportunities for new educational models to expose students to international experiences to start developing those capabilities. One pedagogical activity used to promote global competencies is the participation of students in multinational design projects, which is a problem-based learning approach in an international setting, where students get immersed in the solution of an engineering design task while they work in teams and collaborate with international partners. Consequently, a collaborative network of institutions from the Americas and Italy has developed and executed collaborative multinational design projects as part of academic experiences for their students. The main goal of these projects is to foster international collaboration and to offer an opportunity to the students to develop professional skills through international teamwork effort in the solution of a design problem. However, a real challenge of this practice has been to create an effective interaction among the students participating in this type of projects and to maintain the flow of information, and student engagement in the project and in their learning. Therefore, this paper reports the work related to an assessment approach used to monitor students' interaction in multinational collaborative projects. The main objectives of the proposed assessment tool are: (a) to evaluate the interaction among the students (frequency, quantity and quality); (b) to determine the value of social interaction in the flow of the interaction; (c) to determine the impact of interaction in the development of the project.

Keywords: Education computing , Engineering education , International cooperation

The importance of methodologies and computer-aided tools for problem structuring and solving has been demonstrated by various research activities since the 1970s. The need for systematizing the first phase of problem solving activity has led the authors to the development of a dedicated procedure for problem reformulation and the implementation of a dedicated software package, named BOB-UP®. It aims at driving the user to reformulate the initial problem using a dialogue-based system hiding an accurate cause-effect analysis. BOB-UP® provides three tools (Ill-Balls diagram, Fight diagram, and a linguistic composer) that guide step-by-step the user to the right problem formulation. This paper presents the experimentation of such CAI tool within two courses at the University of Bergamo. The first is a compulsory course for the master degree in Mechanical Engineering, while the latter is an elective course for the master degree in Mechanical Engineering and Management Engineering. The experimentation has been carried out with 56 students sub-divided into three groups according to their competences on problem structuring and solving and technical background. We considered five problems related to industrial applications coming from different technological domains to demonstrate the independence of the results from the specific industrial area. Finally, results are discussed presenting advantages and drawbacks. They have been evaluated according to specific criteria to evaluate its usability and efficacy; in addition, students were asked to fill a questionnaire to comprehend the perception they have on BOB-UP® usefulness and potential. © 2013 TEMPUS Publications.

Keywords: BOB-UP® , CAI tools , Cause-effect analysis , Engineering education , Problem structuring , TRIZ

The current particular critical moment for the Western industry, and the introduction of information technologies have profoundly changed the product development process. One of the most important modifications occurred is the integration of the two traditional fields of product design and product engineering into the new concept of industrial Design &Engineering. The consequent shift and the extension of the designer's area of expertise concerning the product development process have led to amplify his typical knowledge: both more and more technical knowledge, and also knowledge more focused on conceptual issues and creativity. This trend is fostered by the intensive use of computer systems and also by various Design &Engineering courses, where it has been possible to experimentally observe the difficulty for students to learn the necessary body of knowledge and to manage a wider product development process. However, the multidisciplinary approach to the product development process and to the related education issues are still based on tools and methods developed for a specific kind of user, or usually used in an unarranged way. The research presented in this paper aims at defining the guidelines for developing an integrated framework to support the Design &Engineering education and the multidisciplinary design process based on a structured integration of knowledge and tools currently used by the two main areas of reference. The paper presents the guidelines for the integrated framework and the experimental activities used for the framework validation. These activities have allowed the authors to check the framework usability during team design activities and also to verify its effectiveness in improving students' learning capabilities. Some elements derived from the analysis of the experimental data demonstrate that both students and professional designers can use the framework to assist them throughout the design process and that the knowledge learning related to the project is fostered. © 2013 TEMPUS Publications.

Keywords: Design & engineering Design process , Design education , Multidisciplinary design

The paper describes a novel application of real-time finite element analysis controlled by a haptic device. The user can impose displacement constraints to a virtual structure using a probe and sense in real-time the response in terms of forces on her/his hand. In addition, conventional color map results are visualized on a desktop monitor. The application has been developed with the aim of simplifying the teaching of the mechanical behavior of materials in engineering schools by transforming the learning phase into an enactive process. A set of examples commonly used in the mechanical engineering courses have been implemented and tested. The paper describes and discusses the system implementation, the potentialities and the issues of such approach. Copyright © 2013 by ASME.

Traditional computer-aided design (CAD) education in mechanical engineering still remains a major challenge today both in industrial settings and in academia. As in many other CAD-related engineering disciplines, there are several shortcomings to be surmounted in the dissemination and development of procedural knowledge and skills in the form of know-how related to the operation of CAD systems. Unfortunately, current educational philosophy does not offer a pedagogy providing sufficient strategic knowledge and understanding to enable students to use CAD systems as intended - that is as knowledge-intensive design and communication tools to properly develop and convey design intent. However, apart from knowing what to do, there is another important aspect to strategic knowledge which is frequently over-looked and ignored in research today, and that is knowing how to avoid serious mistakes. This is a central quality of professional expertise, which is commonly referred to in the literature as negative knowledge. Research presented and discussed in this paper is aimed at providing a framework for negative knowledge and domain knowledge related model evaluation concepts that allow for direct translation of this approach into practice, with the goal of improving learning behavior, skill acquisition and competency building for CAD education in mechanical engineering. © 2013 CAD Solutions, LLC.

Keywords: CAD education , Design intent , Feature-based design , Negative expertise

The paper describes experiences and reflections, matured at the Faculty of Engineering of University of Calabria (Italy), during the last decade, in the courses of Engineering Design Methods, held at the bachelor degree in management engineering and the master degree in mechanical engineering. The courses, even addressed to different audiences, contain the functional analysis of an industrial product, that characterize the core of the discipline. In the paper the product functional analysis is described and the problems of its teaching are reported. The application to a case of study clarify its use and its employment as tool for discovering lacks in device already present on market.

Keywords: Building of functional net , Functional analysis , Reasoning by function

The promise of Virtual Reality in design environments is to facilitate the interaction with digital models and to enhance the results of design activity. Design education is one of the most recent and interesting applications. Thanks to technological advances in human-computer interfaces, Virtual Reality represents a new way to stimulate design students and to develop innovative teaching methods. The paper explores the impact of Virtual Reality technologies on design learning, with particular attention to mechanical product design. It is focused on the analysis of cognitive and technical aspects of learning processes and the definition of a proper evaluation protocol. The protocol is based on the classification of the most meaningful activities in mechanical engineering teaching and the identification of a set of metrics that enable to objectively evaluate the learning process. Assessing how VR supports design education, an experimental study is proposed. It is based on the comparison of three different approaches performed by two-dimensional drawings, by 3D CAD models and, finally, by virtual reality technologies. Copyright © 2009 by ASME.