Exploring Student Mechanical Engineer’s Design Process Learning Trajectories

Author: Mycala Read, Department of Mechanical Engineering

Mentor: Dr. Micah Lande, Department of Mechanical Engineering

The design process is a critical part of the undergraduate curriculum for a mechanical engineer. Students start with varying understandings of the design process. Over the course the program of study students gain a more sophisticated interpretation of the design process, along an expertise model. As a student progresses from first year to senior year, the variety of classes demonstrate and focus on different steps in the design process, from the cornerstone introduction to the capstone design project.

The purpose of this research is to explore how the design process is shaped through a student’s time as an undergraduate. To begin, we collected design process maps from first year students taking an introductory course and seniors taking a design elective. We built upon previous research in design learning, engineering education, and design learning trajectories, along with applying new analysis methods. We were able to identify how the students grew in their conceptions and understanding of a design process and adapted to new knowledge they learned. These methods included looking at common language used between students, recording the number of steps taken in the design process, and using a framework of spectrums of learning trajectories from previous research to compare the students.

Initial findings through these methods illustrated that new students varied in the language they used to describe their own design process. After only one semester of design activity they adopted common language for steps in the process that was consistent with senior mechanical engineering students. Data also shows that after taking a course structured in the design process students displayed a better understanding of the fundamentals and showed increased knowledge moving them from novice to intermediate on the spectrum. The intent of this research is to better place a holistic design process to be implemented across mechanical engineering curricula.