Element K: Reflection on the design project (M10)
Element K is all about providing clear and comprehensive reflection on each major step of the project, like summaries of lessons learned that could help others in the future.
Over the course of this project, I've made several mistakes and had several misunderstandings. These trip ups were very concentrated at the start of the course when we were all still finding our footing, and when the majority of new information was present. However, despite these hiccups, I have enjoyed the course. It was interesting to look at the problem identification and concept generation side of engineering, and very fun to get back into CAD modeling.
The fact that most of my misunderstandings were at the start of the course, when we were brainstorming designs rather than near the end during specifics tells me that I had the most room to grow there. I'm sure that a part of this was due to it being an online course, which I always struggle with, but I think that the majority of it was my unfamiliarity with being asked to relatively independently create new ideas, rather than calculate from known values or design from already existing specifications. The process of actually choosing our own specifications, of stepping into the shoes of hypothetical stakeholders from modules 1 - 3 was very unfamiliar to me. But as the course went on, I felt like I wasn't spinning my wheels nearly as much, and I actually felt like I was building momentum. Modules 4 and 5 definitely helped shine a light on the last 3, but I still struggled a bit with the 3 module backlog that the new info re-contextualized. Looking back, I it might have helped to read the next week's modules in advance of the current one, to help give me an idea of where to go. I had a high school teacher who always said to read the end of the instructions before the beginning, so you have context going in, which is I guess how I feel about modules 4-5 and 1-3. To be clear I still enjoyed 1 through 5, it was just stressful. But things really got going for the last 5 modules, when we started using CAD and calculating real values. I always forget how much I like CAD, until I start using it again for a class. The added context for engineering drawings in module 6 felt like a lot to take in, but I'm happy to have that knowledge now. Previous classes didn't really put emphasis on requirements for the drawings, just the models, so it was very instructive to have a solid rubric to follow. Module 7, 8, and 9 were very enjoyable in the same vein, with the added context of real world manufacturing. Module 7 in particular I got really into, it was a highlight of the class for me. One common sense thing to keep in mind for modules 6-9 is that even if you have confidence in CAD, it can be a drawn out process. Allocate time accordingly. Module 10 felt like the whole class was emerging out of a forest together, it was really cool to see everyone else's design and exchange feedback after the pressure cooker of design. The person before me in particular had a really intricate and well made design, and it was neat to see the context behind my input function.
To summarize: this course felt very momentum heavy, if you put in a lot of effort up front, it would make it a lot easier later down the line. I felt more and more confident each week. The more you learn about the design process, the more concrete specs and needs you have to design your assembly. Because most students already have CAD knowledge and took physics/dynamics, I'd recommend putting more time than you think necessary for modules 1-4 where totally new info is.