Challenges in Engineering Design Education: Vertical and Lateral Learning

Abstract

Engineering practice and design in particular have gone through several changes during the last two decades whether due to scientific achievements including the evolution in novel engineering materials, computational advancements, globalization and economic constraints as well as the strategic needs which are the drive for innovative engineering. All these factors have impacted and shaped to certain extent the educational system in North America and Canada in particular. Currently, high percentage of the engineering graduates would require extensive training in industry to be able to conduct reliable complex engineering designs supported by scientific verification and validation, understand the complete design stages and phases, and identify the economic and cultural impact on such designs. This task, however, faces great challenges without educational support in such vastly changing economy.Lots of attention has been devoted to engineering design education in the recent years to incorporate engineering design courses supported by team design projects and capstone projects. Nevertheless, the lack of integrated education system towards engineering design programs can undermine the benefits of such efforts. In this paper, observations and analysis of the challenges in engineering design are presented from both academic and industrial points of view. Furthermore, a proposed vertical and lateral engineering education program is discussed. This program is structured to cover every year of the engineering education curricula, which emphasizes on innovative thinking, design strategies, support from and integration with other technical engineering courses, the use of advanced analysis tools, team collaboration, management and leadership, multidisciplinary education and industrial involvement. Its courses have just commenced for freshmen engineering students at the newly launched Mechanical Engineering Department at the Lassonde School of Engineering, York University.

A Comparative Analysis of Challenges Encountered in Achieving Student Outcomes When Teaching a Senior Engineering Technical Core Course Online and Face-to-Face

“…From their study, they found that the use of this proposed vertical and lateral learning method can narrow the gap between academic, industrial, and students' expectations. Their study was based on a four-year curriculum though and it did not zoom on the challenges of the individual courses [16]. The question remains how to deliver an educational environment where engineering students graduate with a good comprehension of general engineering design skills, practical engineering design exercises, new technologies, and advanced materials together with strong fundamental engineering education and skills that allow creativity and innovation.…”