Reframing Engineering Education

The 50 CDIO Collaborators

Chalmers (Sweden)

Linkoping (Sweden)

Queen’s (Canada)

Queen’s (N.

Ireland)Jonkoping (Sweden)

Hogeschool Gent

(Belgium)

Hochschule (Wismar)Lancaster (UK)

Ecole (Canada)

KTH (Sweden)

Sydney (Australia)

Pretoria (S. Africa)

Bristol (UK)

Liverpool (UK)

Auckland (NZ)

Umea (Sweden)

DTU (Denmark)

MIT (US)

SP (Singapore)

Naval Academy

(US)

California State (US)

Shantou (China)

Colorado (US)

Daniel Webster College (US)

Turku (Finland)

Calgary (Canada)

Helsinki Metropolia Uni of Applied Sci

(Finland)ISEP (Portugal)

Tsing Hua (China)

Queensland (Australia)

Politecnico di Milano

(Italy)

(As of Feb 2010)

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DRIFT OF ENGINEERING EDUCATION

Engineers need both dimensions, and we need to develop an education that delivers both

Personal, Interpersonal SkillsProduct, Process & System Building Skills

DisciplinaryKnowledge

Pre-1950s:Practice

1960s:Science & practice

1980s:Science

2000:CDIO

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• Feedback from industries, graduates and practising engineers that certain important professional skills are not developed in the existing curriculum.

• Meeting standards and criteria set by accreditation bodies such as ABET- Accreditation Board for Engineering & Technology

• Falling Engineering Enrolment as well as students finding that engineering is too dry and theoretical in the first year of study

Why CDIO Initiative ?

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Goals of CDIOTo educate students who are able to

• master a deeper working knowledge of the technical fundamentals

• lead in the creation and operation of new products, processes and systems

• understand the importance and strategic impact of research and technological development on society

And to attract and retain students in Engineering

Why call it CDIO?Conceive- Design-Implement-Operate is the context of

Engineering Education

We believe that every graduating engineer should be able to:

Conceive-Design-Implement-Operate complex value-added engineering products, processes, and systems in a

modern, team-based environment

(Crawley et al 2007)

• Can and should be customized to the context and conditions of each institution

• Not a prescriptive educational model

• Local faculty ownership is key

CDIO Is Not A CookieCutter Approach

CENTRAL QUESTIONS FORENGINEERING EDUCATION

WHAT knowledge, skills and attitudes should students possess as they graduate from university?

HOW can we do better at ensuring that students learn these skills?

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CDIO OVERVIEW

• The activities within the CDIO Initiative are based on two key documents

– CDIO Syllabus (the ‘what’ of CDIO)– CDIO Standards (the ‘how’ of CDIO)

CDIO Syllabus (course document)

• The CDIO Syllabus defines the desired outcomes for graduating students.

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CDIO Syllabus1. Technical Knowledge &

Reasoning:

- Knowledge of underlying sciences

- Core engineering fundamental knowledge

- Advanced engineering fundamental knowledge

2. Personal and Professional Skills & Attributes

- Experimentation and knowledge discovery

- System thinking- Personal skills and attributes- Professional skills and

attributes

3. Interpersonal Skills: Teamwork & Communication- Multi-disciplinary teamwork- Communications

4. Conceiving, Designing, Implementing & Operating Systems in the Enterprise & Societal Context- External and societal context- Enterprise and business context- Conceiving and engineering systems- Designing- Implementing- Operating

• define the distinguishing features of a CDIO program,

• serve as guidelines for program reform,• create benchmarks and goals that can be applied

worldwide, • provide a framework for continuous improvement,

CDIO Standards

CDIO Standards• Standard 1 - CDIO as Context• Standard 2 - CDIO Syllabus Outcomes• Standard 3 - Integrated Curriculum• Standard 4 - Introduction to Engineering• Standard 5 - Design-Build Experiences• Standard 6 - CDIO Workspaces• Standard 7 - Integrated Learning Experiences• Standard 8 - Active Learning• Standard 9 - Enhancement of Faculty CDIO Skills• Standard 10 - Enhancement of Faculty Teaching

Skills• Standard 11 - CDIO Skills Assessment• Standard 12 - CDIO Program Evaluation

Implementation of CDIO in SP• October 2006 • 13 engineering programmes revised and restructured

– the School of Architecture and Built Environment, – the School of Chemical and Life Sciences, – the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, and – the School of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering.– The School of Digital Media and Info-communications

Technnology (implementing in Apr 2010)

Curriculum Alignment

Learning Outcomes

Learning Designs/Activities

AssessmentSystem

CDIOSKILL(S)

In basic terms this means that the CDIO Skill(s) incorporated in the LearningOutcomes must be effectively taught through the Learning Designs/Activities

used and accurately measured in the Assessment System.

Disciplinary Subject Linkage

• To show how knowledge and skills are connected and developed within a discipline

• To demonstrate how disciplines work together as dynamic and related systems

How it worksSP Customized CDIO SKILLS

(Competency areaswith underpinning

Knowledge)

Produce Learning Designs and Activities for developing competence

Produce Assessment

Items for assessing competence

Infuse CDIO SkillsInto Course &

Module structure

ESDSupport

CDIO Teamwork CompetenceForm Effective Teams Identify the components of an effective team Identify the stages of team formation Identify team roles and their impact on team performance Analyze the strengths and weakness of a team

Manage and Participate in Teams Identify goals and agenda Apply team ground rules Apply facilitation and conflict resolution strategies Display teamwork, including leadership, in a range of team role situations

Focus on Active & Experiential Learning

Learning is not a spectator sport. Students do not learn much just by sitting in class listening to teachers, memorizing pre-packaged assignments, and spitting out answers. They must talk about what they are learning, write about it, relate it to past experiences, apply it to their daily lives. They must make what they learn part of themselves.

(Chickering & Gamson)

 However, the teaching and learning approach is

eclectic and advocates using methods that are appropriate to the learning outcomes

DESIGN-BUILD EXPERIENCES• Provide authentic real world simulated learning experiences

• Naturally infuses both technical and process skills (e.g., teamwork, communications, thinking, etc)

DTU Design & Innovation Lightweight Shelter Project

Introduction to Engineering

• To motivate students to study engineering

• Making the learning experiences more practical and real world based

• Integrate both technical and essential process skills (e.g., thinking, teamwork, communication) Disciplines

Intro

Capstone

Assessment ApproachAs with the pedagogic approach, eclectic but a greateremphasis on:

• Authentic Assessment – real world learning tasks that integrate a range of knowledge and skills

• Formative Assessment – focusing on the learning process, rapid clear and constructive feedback

“Teaching, learning, and assessment merge into one seamless enterprise”

(Perkins)

EvidenceStandard 1 - CDIO as Context*

• Mission statement• Faculty and students who can articulate mission

Standard 2 - CDIO Syllabus Outcomes*

• Program learning outcomes

• Validation for content and proficiency levels with key stakeholders

Standard 3 -Integrated Curriculum*

• Document plan integrating CDIO skills

• Inclusion of CDIO skills in modules

Standard 4 - Introduction to Engineering

• Student acquisition of essential CDIO skills

• High student interest in engineering

EvidenceStandard 5 -Design-Build Experiences*

• Two or more design-build modules in curriculum

• Co-curricular opportunities

Standard 6 - CDIO Workspaces

• Adequate spaces and engineering tools

• High levels of satisfaction with workspaces

Standard 7 -Integrated Learning Experiences*

• Evidence of CDIO skills and disciplinary skills in learning experiences

• Involvement of key stakeholder

Standard 8 - Active Learning• Successful implementation of active learning methods

• High levels of student achievement and satisfaction

EvidenceStandard 9 -Enhancement of Faculty CDIO Skills*

• Commitment of resources to faculty development

• Majority of faculty with competence in CDIO

Standard 10 - Enhancement of Faculty Teaching Skills

• Commitment of resources to faculty development

• Majority of faculty with competence in teaching and assessment methods

Standard 11 - CDIO Skills Assessment*

• Assessment methods matched to learning outcomes

• Successful implementation of assessment methods

Standard 12 -CDIO Program Evaluation

• Documented continuous improvement process

• Evidence of data-driven changes

Purpose of Evaluation• To provide a structured research driven

approach to monitor and review the implementation of the CDIO Framework

“Evaluation is the process of delineating, obtaining and providing information useful for making decisions and judgements about educational programmes and curriculum.”

(Kemmis, 1989, p.117)

Research Questions• Are the learning outcomes, learning designs/activities

and assessments aligned?• How has the integration of the CDIO skills into the

syllabuses impacted the students – what is their experience?

• What is the lecturers’ perception of the curriculum changes and their impact on students’ competence in the selected CDIO skills and interest in the subject?

Data Collection Methods • Examination of a range of curriculum materials (e.g.,

course documents, module documents, learning plans, schemes of assessment, assessment items)

• Student questionnaires • Student Blogs • Focus group interviews with students and lecturers

teaching the CDIO programmes• Observation of selected lessons (e.g., those

incorporating activities related to selected CDIO skills)

Student Co-Participants and Blog• Students were presented with specific questions

relating to their experience of lessons taught, and asked to provide their responses with examples to illustrate where possible.

• A useful and novel way to help build rapport with the students, encouraging more authentic and open communication.

Responsibilities of Student Co-Participants• Chat to classmates and identify some broad

experiences relating to learning the selected CDIO skills and the teaching approaches used

• Make personal notes and/or blog their experiences

• Meet with the researchers at least once a semester for group sharing

What the students blogged…..In Introduction to Engineering, I learned how things around me are manufactured. That’s why I appreciate every little tool and object around me. I also developed skills like troubleshooting problems, how the work piece is to be clamped such that the workpiece is supported to undergo cutting.

Besides that, teamwork is another skill I developed. I noticed the strength of every member that I can learn from. Without good teamwork, I could not possibly develop such a workpiece. One of the most valuable skill I gained is brainstorming for using the right tool for the right purpose and thinking of developing the final product using the simplest manufacturing method.

Year 1 Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering student

What the students blogged…..Having gone through 2 semesters, how would you rate (1-5) your interest in your field of engineering? (1 being Not Interested and 5 being Very Interested) Briefly explain your rating. Rate 5. What I love most in this module was the project. We were allowed to work as group and be independent. We have to complete the project in group. During the process of doing the project, we were like small engineers. Although our skills were far from the Professional engineers, we experienced many situation which allow us to improve and find solution. Problem-solving is what engineers should do.

Year 1 Architecture and Built Environment student

What the students blogged…..Having gone through 2 semesters, how would you rate (1-5) your interest in your field of engineering? (1 being Not Interested and 5 being Very Interested) Briefly explain your rating. I would rate it 4. I feel that it is very fun and exciting learning things that are related to products that can be seen in our everyday lives. Very few modules show the link between studying and the real engineering world. However, I would grade it 5, if the products to be manufactured are chosen by us.

Year 1 Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering student

What the students blogged…..Having gone through 2 semesters, how would you rate (1-5) your interest in your field of engineering? (1 being Not Interested and 5 being Very Interested) Briefly explain your rating. I rate 5 for my interest in the field of engineering. Well before joining the school I was thinking of which course to join. I did not really have any specific course but since I like math and science, I decided to join the engineering course. At this moment, I am quite satisfied with my choice and gaining more interest in engineering although it’s hard to study and learn something new. Due to the knowledge that I have learnt, now I can see and understand some practical applications in our world which is fun.

Year 1 Electrical and Electronic Engineering student

Key Findings – Curriculum Documents and MaterialsSome courses needed significant revision : • writing of learning outcomes generally (e.g.,

rationalization, performance focus, clarity of intent, etc)

• Infusion of selected CDIO skills appropriately.• Designing of key learning tasks and assessment

activities (including the scoring systems)

Key Findings – Student Questionnaire

• Nearly 50% agreed and 25% strongly agreed, in favour of the implementation of CDIO.

• Semester 1: mean scores ranged from 3.73 to 4.03, with an overall mean of 3.90 (SD = 0.90) .

• Semester 2: mean scores ranged from 3.74 to 4.10, with an overall mean of 3.85 (SD = 0.93).

• The Cronbach alphas showed high internal consistency in student responses.

Key Findings – Student blog and focus groups• Students perceived the importance of the CDIO skills as

a valuable part of the curriculum• The explicit teaching of the selected skills seems to vary

from module to module and across lecturers• Authentic learning opportunities for such skills is

experienced• Specific real world tasks linked theory to practice and

made the learning experience more meaningful and interesting

Key Findings – Lecturer Focus Groups• Lecturers saw the relevance of the CDIO framework and

have experienced the positive impact of the changes made to the curriculum on student attention and interest.

• More motivated students coped better with the more challenging integrated learning tasks, the less competent students required more help and time.

• There was a range of practices concerning the explicit teaching of the selected CDIO skills.

• There has been an increase in workload, resulting from the preparation and assessment involved.

Recommendations• Differentiate the learning tasks and teaching

approaches to accommodate students’ different learning abilities

• Continue to encourage the explicit development of CDIO skills

• Address increase in lecturers’ workload • Provide necessary training to expand lecturers’

expertise

Conclusions• The eclectic methodology employed in the evaluation

has provided a range of insights into aspects of teaching and learning relating to both CDIO implementation and the student experience of teaching and learning in SP

• Selected CDIO skills implemented so far have been sufficiently well received by both students and lecturers

• The next focus is on verifying and extending the range of pedagogic and assessment practices necessary for effectively meeting the range of CDIO standards.