Teaching Engineering Design to a Multidisciplinary Audience at Master’s level: Benefits and Challenges of the CDIO Approach

Teaching Engineering Design to a Multidisciplinary Audience at Master’s level: Benefits and Challenges of the CDIO Approach

E. Tanarro, J. Munoz-Guijosa, A. Lantada, P. Wiña, J. Otero, J. Sanz, et al, et al, et al (2015).  Teaching Engineering Design to a Multidisciplinary Audience at Master’s level: Benefits and Challenges of the CDIO Approach. 10.

“Engineering Design” is a discipline aimed at improving our understanding about the development processes of novel and successful products, processes and systems in general, and at providing engineers with methodical steps for enhancing such processes. It may well be the engineering discipline more linked to the CDIO approach and to the conceive-design-implement-operate process. The benefits of applying “Engineering Design” principles are better appreciated when facing the development of complex systems. In the field of Mechanical Engineering some of the more complex systems an engineer can develop are advanced mechanical systems and machines.

In this study we present the complete development of a novel subject on “Engineering Design” for the Master’s Degree in Industrial Engineering at ETSII-UPM. The subject is based on the CDIO approach, as we consider it a very remarkable way of promoting student active learning and of integrating, with impact, novel concepts into curricula evolving from more traditional methodologies. During the subject, groups of students live through the complete development process of several advanced mechanical systems and machines aimed at providing answers to unsolved problems, usually involving relevant social needs. Computer-aided engineering, rapid prototyping technologies, open-source electronic platforms and a wide set of testing facilities are used as support tools for their designs and prototypes, so as to reach the implementation and operation phases with enough time for a re-design cycle.

Main benefits, lessons learned and challenges, linked to this CDIO-based subject, are analyzed, taking into account the results from 2014-2015 academic course and comparing them with results from a previous subject, taught in the old plan of studies, more limited in time and scope due to curricular restrictions. Students from several specializations of our Industrial Engineering MSc (i.e. Mechanical Engineering, Energy, Manufacturing Technology, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Automation and Electronics, Industrial Organization…) have taken part in the subject, what has helped the groups to tackle very complex mechanical systems and machines and to implement them with success. To our knowledge it constitutes the first subject following a complete CDIO cycle in the field of Engineering Design, not directly linked to automotive engineering, in our country.

Proceedings of the 11th International CDIO Conference, Chengdu, China, June 8-11 2015

Authors (New): 
Enrique Chacón Tanarro
Juan Manuel Munoz-Guijosa
Andrés Díaz Lantada
Pilar Leal Wiña
Javier Echávarri Otero
José Luis Muñoz Sanz
Julio Muñoz Garcia
Óscar Nava Rodríguez
Sergio Garre Mondéjar
Pages: 
10
Affiliations: 
Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), Spain
Keywords: 
CDIO as Context
Integrated curriculum
integrated learning experiences
Active learning
Engineering Design
Mechanical Systems
Machines Engineering
CDIO Standard 1
CDIO Standard 3
CDIO Standard 5
CDIO Standard 7
CDIO Standard 8
Year: 
2015
Reference: 
Crawley, E.F., Malmqvist, J., Östlund, S., Brodeur, D.R. (2007) Rethinking Engineering Education: The CDIO Approach. Springer, 1-286.: 
Shuman, L.J., Besterfield-Sacre, M., Mc Gourty, J. (2005) The ABET professional skills, can they be taught? Can they be assessed? Journal of Engineering Education, 94, 41-55. : 
Díaz Lantada, A., Lafont Morgado, P., Muñoz-Guijosa, J.M., Muñoz Sanz, J.L., Echávarri Otero, J., Muñoz García, J., Chacón Tanarro, E., De la Guerra Ochoa, E. (2013) Towards successful projectbased learning experiences in Engineering Education. Int. Journal of Eng. Education, 29(2), 476-490. : 
Muñoz Guijosa, J.M., Díaz Lantada, A., Rodríguez de la Cruz, V., Chacón Tanarro, E., De la Guerra Ochoa, E., Lafont Morgado P., Muñoz Sanz, J.L. (2011) Preparing mechanical engineering students for product design professional practice through PBL: planning and execution of the subject. ASME 8th International Conference on Design and Design Education. : 
Hernandez Bayo, A., Ortiz Marcos, I., Carretero Díaz, A., De la Fuente, M.M., Lumbreras Martín, J., Martínez Muneta, M.L., Riveira Rico, V., Rodríguez Hernández, M. (2014) Integral framework to drive engineering education beyond technical skills. International Journal of Engineering Education, 30(6B), 1697-1707. : 
CDIO Standards 2.0: http://www.cdio.org/implementing-cdio/standards/12-cdio-standards : 
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