Module 6: Engineering Design Process

Define the Problem

Why Engineering Design?

The key takeaway is that the Engineering Design Process (EDP) can provide a structured approach for students to solve problems creatively, regardless of the content area. It encourages students to think critically, be resourceful, and learn from their mistakes.

Consider these scenarios

You're teaching your history class about the building of the pyramids. You've given extensive notes to the class, but they don't seem to have retained the information.
You have an upcoming persuasive essay unit in your literature class. You put together graphic organizers and sentence stems to help students through the writing process, but they end up writing very weak arguments.
Your intro to business class is learning about marketing. You've given lectures on marketing strategies and even brought experts to explain marketing, but the students still seem disengaged in learning about marketing.
You're teaching dodgeball to your PE class and notice some students get discouraged by being targeted out early. You try encouraging the students, but it doesn't seem to be working.
Your music class is learning music theory. You've given them several visuals and mnemonics, but a handful are still have a hard time understanding.
Your art class is working on still-life drawing, but they seem bored with drawing fruit and seem to just be going through the motions.

What could it look like?

Instead of just memorizing facts about the pyramids, student could design their own pyramid. They can define the challenges the Egyptians faced, research existing pyramid structures, brainstorm their own designs considering those challenges, and build small models using clay or blocks or Legos. Testing their models for stability and iterating on the designs would solidify their understanding of the engineering marvel that is a pyramid.
Instead of just outlining persuasive arguments, turn it into a design process. Students can define the problem (convincing a specific audience about a certain viewpoint), research persuasive techniques used in advertisements or speeches, brainstorm their arguments and structure the essay like a blueprint. They can then draft the essay (their initial prototype), get peer feedback (testing), revise and edit their work (refining the design), and finally present their polished essays (communicating the results).
Instead of telling business classes about market, have them actually market something. Students could define a local business's marketing goals, research existing campaigns, brainstorm cross-channel marketing strategies, create mock social media posts or flyers (prototypes), present them for feedback (testing), refine their ideas based on suggestions (iteration), and deliver a final proposal.
Introduce the Engineering Design Process to your PE classes. Students would brainstorm problems with classic dodgeball, research variations, design their own inclusive game with specific rules (like designated zones or limited throws), play test it in teams, and refine the rules based on their experience. This would transform dodgeball into a collaborative design project.
Rather than just giving information about music theory, have students collaborate to compose their own song. EDP can help structure this project. Start by defining the desired mood or theme (upbeat and motivational, perhaps?). Students would then research different musical styles and instruments, brainstorm melodies and lyrics that fit the theme, create a rough musical sketch (their prototype), perform it for the class (testing), and revise based on feedback from their peers (iteration). This process would allow students to experiment with music creation in a structured and collaborative way.
Challenge your art students to design a new "still life" composition using unconventional objects. They would define the artistic goals (explore texture, create a sense of balance), research existing still life works, brainstorm object combinations and placements, create thumbnail sketches (prototypes), set up their chosen objects, draw the composition (testing their design), and refine their drawings based on what worked well (iteration). This approach would encourage students to think outside the box and experiment with artistic expression.

Ready to get going? Let's explore the process.

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