Course Structure
The ME310 | Global Engineering Design Innovation ("GEDI") course draws together several different constituencies, all passionate about the process of design innovation. At Stanford, a core Teaching Team ("TTeam") guides the overall trajectory of the course and organizes the week-to-week activities. The Stanford TTeam collaborates with their counterparts at partner institutions as well as liaison contacts from sponsor organizations. Due to the diverse nature of the projects, the TTeam customizes each year's course trajectory to suit the projects and circumstances appropriately.
GEDI teams function akin to design startups. They learn by doing, and they learn that with the resources of Stanford and Silicon Valley they can assimilate almost any technology they need to bring new design ideas to fruition.
Course Organization
Throughout the year student teams get input and guidance as they navigate course and the stages of their work. The class meets frequently in a number of different contexts.
Large Group Meetings (LGMs) -- traditional whole-class, presentation-based meetings where the TTeam can present design concepts, introduce an assignment, or host a guest presenter
Small Group Meetings (SGMs) -- weekly meetings of the project team, their coach, and the TTeam where the group can discuss progress, answer questions, and make suggestions
Office Hours -- individual coaching sessions where students can get feedback, ask for input, or seek advice in dealing with project issues
Loft Work Sessions -- ad hoc team work periods held in the 310 Design Loft (which is open for students 24/7)
S.U.D.S. ("Semi-Unstructured Design Session") -- a weekly informal dinner event for the class and its affiliates designed to build team cohesion and foment interactive discussions
Global Gatherings -- opportunities for international partners to visit Stanford, and for Stanford students to travel abroad, so both sets of students can work in-person with their project team counterparts
The ME310 GEDI course community spans countries and industries following a "team of teams" organizational strategy. Students, faculty, sponsors, and coaches engage with each other in a variety of contexts through the course.
Global Teams
Historically, graduate students from several different disciplines have worked on sponsored projects, which results in project teams that can explore issues from a number of different professional perspectives. Students work on their projects for an average 20+ hours per week, and so each team contributes approximately 3 - 4 full-time equivalent person years to the project effort. Each project team includes:
A team of 3 - 5 graduate students from Stanford
A team of 3 - 5 graduate students from an international partner university
Creative Thinking
The ReStorm team built a hybrid digital/physical solution providing the tangible experience of writing Post-It notes with the ability to digitally capture, combine, and manipulate digital representations during brainstorming sessions.
Global Connections
Students from Stanford and their International partners meet in person during key milestones during the course, and collaborate via remote collaboration tools at other times
Unique Responses
It is not uncommon for companies to sponsor multiple teams in successive years. In these cases each year's project brief is typically very distinct.
Teaching Team + Expert Industry Coaches
Studies of design teams performed at Stanford's Center for Design Research have shown that effective coaching is an essential element for high-performance engineering design teams. With this in mind, each GEDI project team is advised by a multi-faceted group of experienced educators and professionals. This group provides guidance on a broad range of issues spanning from emerging technologies to team dynamics. At a minimum, each team has regular access to:
2 Full-time Stanford engineering faculty
2 Full-time faculty at the partner international university
2 Full-time graduate student course assistants (who are alumni of the course)
1 Industry coach based in Silicon Valley
1 Liaison contact from the sponsor's organization
World-Class Faculty
Students have direct access to senior engineering faculty -- both those that teach the course and the diverse community of faculty on the campus -- who bring a wealth of experience in technology development and product realization techniques. They help students drive their creative ideas into reality.
Industry Leaders as Coaches
Each team also has a dedicated coach, typically a current industry professional and often an alumnus of the ME310 | GEDI course. Coaches mentor and advise student teams throughout the academic year as the progress in their work.