engineering design workshop quality design projects for science & engineering fairs sponsored by...

Engineering Design Workshop

Quality Design Projectsfor Science & Engineering Fairs

Sponsored by Santa Clara Valley Science and Engineering Fair Association &

Silicon Valley Engineering, Manufacturing and Technology Alliance

February 2, 2004

for educators

5/30/05 Prepared by JR Hull Program Mgt Services760-731-0124

Purpose

“…help teachers guide students through the engineering design

process.”


Outline

• Issues and objectives

• Science fair guidelines

• Nature of science and engineering

• Highlight scientific method

• Engineering design process dissected

• Summary


The Issues

“Our engineering projects keep showing up with a hypothesis, and are not always

tested by the intended user.”

“We are increasing the emphasis on project quality and use of the scientific/engineering

method.”

“Judges do not … value engineering projects.”


Problem Statement

• Teachers cannot guide students through unfamiliar engineering processes

• Students are not following steps, specifically not testing with end user in mind

• Judges do not value the engineering process. They want to see a hypothesis and…

• Do not see the relationships between science and engineering


Workshop Objectives

Teachers will be able to…

• Explain the salient elements of the engineering design process

• Guide students through creative projects

• Promote overall quality improvement for all science and engineering fair projects

Value engineering projects


Scope: Not Deeply Covered

• All the rules!

• Merit of alternative processes and methods

• Generating creativity and curiosity

• Research sources and methods

• Report writing

• Display building

• Safety Requirements


Science Fair Guidelines


Science Fair Guidelines

• SCVSEFA Handbook 2004 (Blue Copy)

• Tri-fold Application

• Intel International Science and Engineering Fair www.

• On line guidelines www.science-fair.org


ISEF Project Definitions

Engineering and TechnologyProjects that directly apply scientific principles to manufacturing and practical uses--civil, mechanical, aeronautical, chemical, electrical, photographic, sound, automotive, marine, heating and refrigerating, transportation, environmental engineering, etc.

Computer ScienceStudy and development of computer hardware, software engineering, internet networking and communications, graphics (including human interface), simulations/virtual reality or computational science (including data structures, encryption, coding and information theory).


Judging Guidelines

• Engineering Goals

• Creative Ability

• Thoroughness

• Skill

• Clarity

• Teamwork (opt)

source [email protected]


Engineering Judging Guide

• Clear Objective relevant to potential users’ needs?• Solution workable, acceptable to user,

economically feasible• Solution can be used for design or construction of

end product • Improvement over previous alternatives• Tested for performance under conditions of use


Relationships Among…

• Science project

• Science inquiry

• Engineering analysis

• Engineering design

• Product Testing

• Demonstration

• Kit building


Project Quality• “Engineering projects do not have hypothesis, but

they have design criteria that can be stated, tested, and improved.

• “Product testing projects will not be accepted from grades 10-12. Such projects do not teach the scientific method….

• “No demonstration projects will be accepted.”• Caution on kit building

Source scvesfa handbook p 9 and available on www.science-fair,org


Selected References

• Painless Science Projects by Brynie

• SCVSEFA guidelines brochures

• Web sites (following chart shows local site)

• Process sheet (in folder)

• Workshop handouts

• Workshop CD


Engineering and Science


Purpose and Nature

• Science is the search for knowledge and understanding

• Technology is the application of knowledge to satisfy human needs

They are both creative problem solving methods!


Engineering is...

“… the profession in which a knowledge of mathematics and natural sciences gained by study, experience, and practice is applied with judgment to develop ways to utilize, economically, the materials and forces of nature for the benefit of mankind." (ABET)


Processes Compared

Scientific Method

Engineering Design

Process

Why? Knowledge

Need Thing

Specification


The Rest of Engineering


Real Life is Hard

• The distinctions among science and engineering and technology are often arbitrary

• Engineering design, product testing, engineering analysis, scientific method are all creative, problem solving processes

• However, science fair rules are rules… • Consider them “company practices”


Engineering Design Process Description


Engineering Design Defined

The crux of the design process is creating a satisfactory solution to a need Harrisberger


The Engineering Design Process?

Customer Needor Opportunity

Implementation ofOptimal Design

Evaluation of Designs/Selection of Optimal Design

Development ofAlternative Designs

Data & InformationCollection

Problem Definition/Specifications

Source: Accrediting Board For Engineering and Technology


SCVSEFA Engineering Process

• Observe the world, define a need, problem• What has been done?• Choose an idea• How will you evaluate; list design criteria• Prepare initial design• Draw diagram and label parts• Build & test prototype using design criteria• Redesign and retest as necessary• Prepare tech exhibit and paper


ISEF Engineering Design

• Define a need

• Develop design criteria

• Search literature to see what has been done

• Prepare preliminary designs

• Build and test a prototype

• Redesign and retest as necessary

Source: http://www.sciserv.org/isef/document/index


Processes in General

• Many processes, little consensus

• Differ more in terminology than substance

• Creative types deny they follow rules

• Circular representations say start anywhere

• Straight line ones say from the top

• When in doubt, pick fewer steps!

Understand the salient features!


Salient Feature Defined

• The essence of…

• Common to most accepted practices

• Differentiable from science experiments

• Cited in Fair project rules


Salient Design Features

1. Meets a need, has a “customer”

2. Design criteria and constraints

3. Evaluate alternatives (systems or components)

4. Build prototype (figuratively)

5. Test/evaluate against test plans (criteria)

6. Analyze, “tweak” (), redesign (), retest

7. Project book: record, analyses, decisions, specs


Dissecting the Engineering Design

Process


Salient #1 Need

• Have a need, have a customer• External vs internal; Implied vs explicit• Often stated as functional requirement • Often stated as bigger, cheaper, faster, lighter• Boilerplate purpose: The design and construction

of a (better____something)_____ for (kids, manufacturing, medicine) to do __________.


Salient #2: Criteria & Constraints

“Design criteria are requirements you specify for your design that will be used to make decisions about how to build the product”

Aesthetics

Geometry

Physical Features

Performance

Inputs-Outputs

Use Environment

Usability

Reliability


Some Design Constraints

• Cost

• Time

• Knowledge

• Legal, ethical

• Physical: size, weight, power, durability

• Natural, topography, climate, resources

• Company practices


Activity/Demonstration

• Product index cards

• Pair up as customer-designer

• Variation on 20 questions

• Identify some design criteria and constraints for sample products

• Discuss


Salient #3: Evaluate Alternatives

• Needs best stated as function, not form• Likely to find good alternatives for

cheapest, fastest, lightest, and encourage discovery

• Research should reveal what has been done• Improve on what has been done• Play alternatives off criteria and constraints• Brainstorming helps


Simulation


Best Design

• Choose best design that meets criteria

• Demonstrate tradeoff analyses (among criteria and constraints) is high quality

• Cost (lifecycle) is always consideration

• Resist overbuilding; drives complexity, cost, time, resources

A quality design meets customers expectations!


Salient #4: Prototype

• Prototype is implementation of chosen design alternative

• It is a proof of design, production and suitability

• Prototypes are often cost prohibitive: Models and simulations may suffice

• Quality design does not include redesigning a lot of prototypes


Prototype

Prototype

picture of 747


Salient #5: Test it Well

• Test and optimize design against constraints and customer expectations.

• Create a test plan showing how to test• Test in the conditions of use• Good test plan shows what test, expected

results how to test, and what analyses will be. It relates to specification requirements

• E.g test plan for lightbulb (activity)


Activity: Light Bulb Test

Base fit-yes/no-first article demo

Brightness-lumens-measure

Life-hours-statistical sample

Packaging-drop test-do last

Robustness-vibration, temperature-test

article

Duty cycle-count on/off-prototype

Production assembly-time-demonstration


Salient #6: Test and Redesign


Test Results

Successful Test: Satisfying

Test Failure: Priceless


Salient #7: Project book

• Project data bookA complete record

All key decisions

Good drawings

Test plans

Results

Conclusions

Things learned


Draw a Good Picture

• Drawings for project notebook, application, display

• Photos, sketches, CAD 2-D or 3-D

• Show assembly, components, materials


Product Sketches


Other Drawings


Model Abstract

• Engineering goal ~ purpose ~ need– Design and construction of gum-repelling shoe

• Design and evaluation criteria• Procedures and equipment

– Alternatives, solution, prototype features

• Test plan ~ test results• Conclusions

– Met need? Why not? Changes? Knowledge?


Summary


Processes Compared

• Hypothesis• Experiment• Conclude

• Need• Criteria, constraints• Alternatives• Build prototype• Test, modify, retest• Specification“The crux of the design

process is creating a satisfactory solution to a

need”


Salient Design Features

1. Meets a need, has a “customer”

2. Design criteria and constraints

3. Evaluate alternatives (systems or components)

4. Build prototype (figuratively)

5. Test/evaluate against test plans (criteria)

6. Analyze, “tweak” (), redesign (), retest

7. Project book: record, analyses, decisions, specifications


Summary: A Superior Project

• A clear and relevant need from customer• Research what’s been done before: don’t

make theories out of facts • Enough criteria to develop alternative

designs and perform design trades• Prototype built after best design choses• Test prototype as it will be used• Comprehensive project book, good specs


Avoid These PitfallsNo need, no end product

Analysis as a product

Turning facts into questions with hypotheses

Reverse engineering the process

Ah ha!, gadgetry, kits

Demonstrations, product testing

Testing without asking the user

No analysis of prototype test results



• Examine project abstracts

• Categorize projects as science or engineering or unclear

• Evaluate quality


Workshop Evaluation

• Plusses and Minuses

• Objectives met?

• Content balanced, relevant, appropriate?

• Presentation?

• Time Management?

• Facility?

• Materials?


Activities

Optional Additional Activities



• Good and bad examples• Compare and contrast engineering process and

scientific method• Teachers design and evaluate simulated project. • Role play design team exercise with customers,

designers, and evaluators• Teachers evaluate how workshop met objectives



• Categorize actual projects as science, engineering, product testing, or engineering analysis

• Use abstracts from actual science fair entries

• Include exercise abstracts in workbook


Key Terms

• Define in context and summarize here..

• Prototype

• Model

• Simulation

• Hypothesis

• Design criteria

• Design constraints


Backups


About the Scientific MethodRemove this section if time is limited


Scientific Method(s)

• Be curious• Research • Hypothesis• Experiment, data• Reach Conclusions• Prepare report and

exhibit

• Observe

• Do research

• Formulate hypothesis

• Design experiment

• Stop. Do application

• Conduct experiments

• Evaluate, conclusions

• Prep paper & exhibit

• Prepare abstract

Source: http://www.sciserv.org/isef/document/indexSource: SCVSEFA Handbook

Science Fair Expanded process


Scientific Method

“The notion of a single scientific method is so pervasive it seems certain that many students must

be disappointed when they discover that scientists do not

have a framed copy of the steps of the scientific method posted

high above each laboratory workbench.”

McComas, William, Ten myths of science: Reexamining what we think we know, Vol. 96, School Science & Mathematics, 01-01-1996, pp 10 http://amasci.com/.


Consensus Science Project

• Research: observation and data

• Problem: the scientific question to be solved

• Hypothesis: an idea about the solution

• Experiment: test the hypothesis

• Project conclusion

• Presentation and Report

Source: Discovery.com Janice VanCleave’s Science Fair Handbook


Hypothesis

• An educated guess

• Prediction of outcome

• That which can be measured and tested

• Cause and effect

• Example: if x is true, then y will happen

To help answer “Why”?

engineering design workshop quality design projects for science & engineering fairs sponsored by...

Documents

software engineering

environmental engineering

computational science

technology projects

computer science study

referencespainless science

design criteria

demonstration projects