59:005  Engineering Problem Solving-I    Sections 9 and 10

EPS-I Description

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Description:

Lectures provide students with the opportunity to develop and demonstrate specific problem solving skills, and faculty-directed project team sections provide an opportunity for the student to become familiar with open-ended engineering problems/design and their solutions.  Prerequisites:  None.

Goals:

Provide students with opportunity to investigate the fundamentals of engineering design and apply the 10-step design process to a variety of engineering design exercises in a multi-disciplinary team environment.  Students develop an understanding of the published literature in areas that apply to their specific design project objectives, develop a project management plan, prepare a project proposal and written report, and develop their technical communication skills (written and oral).

Objectives (subset of overall course goals):

  1. Learn to apply a structured engineering problem solving and design process consisting of several steps
  2. Improve communication skills through oral presentations and written reports
  3. Learn to solve open-ended problems working in teams
  4. Learn to recognize the importance of economic considerations in the design process

Approach:

The course introduces the student to a multi-faceted engineering problem solving and design paradigm.  Lectures introduce students to common elements of engineering problem solving and design, such as the application of organizing principles to describe engineering systems, economic analysis upon which to base decisions, and technical presentation and analysis of data.  Students are also organized in teams in design sections led by faculty who direct open-ended activities and projects.  This approach provides an opportunity for students to apply common elements of problem solving in the solution of engineering problems in the context of a structured problem solving and design process.