Using theory to improve design instruction in a new common first-year programme for engineers

We represent a group of lecturers working together to teach design modules that are part of a new common first year engineering programme. In this paper, we present the basic rationale and format of the programme that is now required for all students entering the honours Bachelor of Engineering major at our institution. We explain how we integrated research by Crismond and Adams [1] in our first year of teaching this design-oriented programme and what we observed in doing so. The programme, first delivered in the 2014-5 academic year, is intended to prepare students to select and enter the second year of any engineering programme offered by our institution. The new School of Multidisciplinary Technologies coordinates the programme, which is delivered by a group of engineers, mathematicians and scientists. The School itself was created to improve collaboration among various parts of the college. The programme includes three group-based design projects that span the academic year. In the process students: Achieve a foundation in physics, chemistry, mechanics, computing, and mathematics Gain experience identifying, formulating and solving engineering problems Begin to understand engineering design process as a system Experience new ways of analyzing and interpreting data Develop a sense of professional responsibility, socially and environmentally, and an appreciation of professional ethics Work effectively as individuals and teams Develop communication skills of use in engineering and across society The Engineering Design Projects module represents 1/6 of the credits students complete in their first year of engineering. It meets for four hours weekly, and each successful student earns ten ECTS credits. Each takes part in one-semester of robot construction and programming, a half-semester of bridge design and construction, and a half-semester developing and constructing an ?energy cube? that deals with energy and light transfer. To help enhance our teaching team?s efforts in modeling and explaining effective design process, a self-selected group of lecturers read Crismond and Adam?s article ?The Informed Design Teaching and Learning Matrix? [1]. We analyzed its two-page matrix and discussed how to use the chart to structure class activities and to explain design. In the module, we presented an early version of the matrix [2] as a way to help students differentiate characteristics of ?novice? and ?informed? designers. This paper discusses overlaps we found between the matrix and the module. We see it as a way of popularizing the matrix and helping make the matrix more accessible for engineering educators to use.