Teaching Engineering Design and Communication in First Year Using Rube Goldberg Projects

Abstract

First year engineering classes tend to be very large and impersonal, which can make it difficult for instructors to engage the students. Since the first year of courses is critical in setting students up for success in engineering, being able to inspire them and give them some hands on experience during their introduction to engineering design plays a significant role in bolstering their confidence and interest as they enter more demanding and technical upper-level courses. With an aim toward achieving this inspiration and engagement, the first year engineering design and communication class at the University of Regina included the production of Rube Goldberg machines as the term project. This proved to be a very effective mechanism for teaching students how to work on a design project from start to finish. The students had fun and stretched their imaginations. As a result, the overall feedback from students was very positive, but areas for improvement have been identified.

Evaluating Design Project Creativity in Engineering Design Courses

“…Based on the literature, there is certainly evidence that creativity is valued and taught in engineering design courses [18][19] [20][26] [27]. However, few specifically discuss methods of evaluating creativity and design project creativity as part of the course outcome.…”

“…However, this test is not related to a specific course component or student outcome. Both [20] and [27] describe courses with the objective of increasing creative design and [27] include a graded creativity component for the design project. However, [27] do not detail the method in which design project creativity is evaluated.…”

The Rube Goldberg Experiment: Year 2

“…Last year, we reported on our initiative to change the first-year engineering design and communications course at the University of Regina and make it a more inspiring, hands-on learning experience [1]. At that time, we felt that the utilization of Rube Goldberg machines was an effective method for teaching engineering design in first year, but we had identified areas for improvement.…”