Engineering Design and Development

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What this course is about:

The Engineering Design and Development (EDD) course is the capstone course in the PLTW high school engineering program. It is an open-ended engineering research course in which students work in teams to design and develop an original solution to a well-defined and justified open-ended problem by applying an engineering design process.

Students will perform research to select, define, and justify a problem. After carefully defining the design requirements and creating multiple solution approaches, teams of students select an approach, create, and test their solution prototype. Student teams will present and defend their original solution to an outside panel.

While progressing through the engineering design process, students will work closely with experts and will continually hone their organizational, communication and interpersonal skills, their creative and problem solving abilities, and their understanding of the design process.


Since the curriculum focuses on problem solving, EDD is appropriate for students who are interested in any technical career path.


Course Objectives

Students will:

  1. demonstrate an ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems.

  2. demonstrate an ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social,political, ethical, health and safety,manufacturability, and sustainability.

  3. demonstrate an ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data.

  4. demonstrate an ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science,and engineering.

  5. demonstrate an ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice.

  6. pursue the broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global,economic, environmental, and societal context.

  7. demonstrate an understanding of professional and ethical responsibility.

  8. demonstrate an ability to function on multidisciplinary teams.

  9. demonstrate an ability to communicate effectively.

  10. gain knowledge of contemporary issues.

  11. recognize the need for, and develop an ability to engage in life-long learning.