Should Teams Collaborate During Conceptual Engineering Design? An Experimental Study

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua T. Gyory ◽  
Jonathan Cagan ◽  
Kenneth Kotovsky
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Engineering Design ◽  
Conceptual Design ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Individual Performance ◽  
Design Problems ◽  
Group Problem Solving ◽  
Conceptual Engineering ◽  
Engineering Design Problems ◽  
Working Together

A commonly held presumption is that the production of a team is superior to that of individual performance. However, in certain scenarios, such as during brainstorming activities and in configuration engineering design problems, it has been shown that individuals working alone are more effective than teams working together. This research considers whether the same outcomes hold for a more open-ended scenario, in conceptual engineering design. Thus, a behavioral study is run with freshman engineering students solving a conceptual design problem working in teams or individually. Results corroborate previous findings, showing that individuals outperform teams in the quality of their design solutions. One of the primary differences between individuals and group problem solving is the fact that groups need to verbalize to communicate ideas. Consequently, this study also analyzes how verbalization, which may be one disadvantage of team problem solving, affects the performance of individuals in this context of conceptual engineering design. Individuals who verbalize throughout problem solving, however, perform similarly to those who did not. Overall, the results from this study suggest that, individuals are still better performers and teams may not always be the optimal circumstance. Moreover, verbalization does not seem to act as a cognitive barrier to problem solving, and further investigation needs to be done to diagnose the potential impediments which put teams at a disadvantage to individuals during conceptual design.

A Blackboard Architecture to Support Case-Based Reasoning in Mechanical Design

1992 ◽  
Author(s):  
Theodore Bardsz ◽  
Ibrahim Zeid
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Engineering Design ◽  
Mechanical Design ◽  
Maximum Amount ◽  
Design Solution ◽  
Case Based Reasoning ◽  
Design Problems ◽  
Engineering Design Problems ◽  
Design Plan ◽  
Case Based

Abstract One of the most significant issues in applying case-based reasoning (CBR) to mechanical design is to integrate previously unrelated design plans towards the solution of a new design problem. The total design solution (the design plan structure) can be composed of both retrieved and dynamically generated design plans. The retrieved design plans must be mapped to fit the new design context, and the entire design plan structure must be evaluated. An architecture utilizing opportunistic problem solving in a blackboard environment is used to map and evaluate the design plan structure effectively and successfuly. The architecture has several assets when integrated into a CBR environment. First, the maximum amount of information related to the design is generated before any of the mapping problems are addressed. Second, mapping is preformed as just another action toward the evaluation of the design plan. Lastly, the architecture supports the inclusion of memory elements from the knowledge base in the design plan structure. The architecture is implemented using the GBB system. The architecture is part of a newly developed CBR System called DEJAVU. The paper describes DEJAVU and the architecture. An example is also included to illustrate the use of DEJAVU to solve engineering design problems.

Cultivating Students’ Ability of Applying Knowledge in Engineering Design Through Course Project

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jining Qiu ◽  
Bo Zhang ◽  
Huimin Dong ◽  
Yuan Gao
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Design ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Mechanical Design ◽  
Gear Train ◽  
Design Problems ◽  
Academic Knowledge ◽  
Multi Stage ◽  
University Of Technology ◽  
Engineering Design Problems ◽  
Wind Power Generator

The ability to solve engineering design problems using academic knowledge flexibly is essential for mechanical engineering students and is also quality that employers look for. This paper introduces how students could explore and experience the process of mechanical design in the course project of Theory of Machines and Mechanisms (TMM) in Dalian University of Technology (DUT) through sharing the design process of accelerator (gear-box) in wind power generator by one representative team of students in the course project. Firstly, design requirements are set based on industrial need and the choosing of the best scheme of multi-stage gear train is conducted. Following that is the design of kinematic parameters of gears and the evaluation of selected system. Then, a possible solution to control the input speed of the generator is proposed. In the end, a survey to 279 students who participate in the course project shows the importance of course project in cultivating their ability to apply knowledge in design.

GPS: Engineering Design Problems Promote Problem Solving

2021 ◽  
Vol 114 (2) ◽  
pp. 154-158
Author(s):  
Cathrine Maiorca
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Engineering Design ◽  
School Mathematics ◽  
Mathematical Tasks ◽  
Design Problems ◽  
Engineering Design Problems ◽  
Problem Solvers

Growing Problem Solvers provides four original, related, classroom-ready mathematical tasks, one for each grade band. Together, these tasks illustrate the trajectory of learners’ growth as problem solvers across their years of school mathematics.

Standards, Codes of Practice and Expert Systems

1988 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
E G McCluskey ◽  
S Thompson ◽  
D M G McSherry
Keyword(s):  
Expert System ◽  
Expert Systems ◽  
Engineering Design ◽  
Performance Criteria ◽  
Design Problems ◽  
Codes Of Practice ◽  
Engineering Design Problems ◽  
And Performance

Many engineering design problems require reference to standards or codes of practice to ensure that acceptable safety and performance criteria are met. Extracting relevant data from such documents can, however, be a problem for the unfamiliar user. The use of expert systems to guide the retrieval of information from standards and codes of practice is proposed as a means of alleviating this problem. Following a brief introduction to expert system techniques, a tool developed by the authors for building expert system guides to standards and codes of practice is described. The steps involved in encoding the knowledge contained in an arbitrarily chosen standard are illustrated. Finally, a typical consultation illustrates the use of the expert system guide to the standard.

Biologically Inspired Design: A Macrocognitive Account

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Swaroop S. Vattam ◽  
Michael Helms ◽  
Ashok K. Goel
Keyword(s):  
Biological Sciences ◽  
Information Processing ◽  
Engineering Design ◽  
Design Patterns ◽  
Information Processing Model ◽  
Biologically Inspired ◽  
Design Problems ◽  
Engineering Design Problems ◽  
Other Information ◽  
Biologically Inspired Design

Biologically inspired engineering design is an approach to design that espouses the adaptation of functions and mechanisms in biological sciences to solve engineering design problems. We have conducted an in situ study of designers engaged in biologically inspired design. Based on this study we develop here a macrocognitive information-processing model of biologically inspired design. We also compare and contrast the model with other information-processing models of analogical design such as TRIZ, case-based design, and design patterns.

scholarly journals Lévy-Flight Moth-Flame Algorithm for Function Optimization and Engineering Design Problems

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhiming Li ◽  
Yongquan Zhou ◽  
Sen Zhang ◽  
Junmin Song
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Design ◽  
Function Optimization ◽  
Superior Performance ◽  
Local Optimum ◽  
Lévy Flight ◽  
Design Problems ◽  
Levy Flight ◽  
Spiral Path ◽  
Straight Line ◽  
Engineering Design Problems

The moth-flame optimization (MFO) algorithm is a novel nature-inspired heuristic paradigm. The main inspiration of this algorithm is the navigation method of moths in nature called transverse orientation. Moths fly in night by maintaining a fixed angle with respect to the moon, a very effective mechanism for travelling in a straight line for long distances. However, these fancy insects are trapped in a spiral path around artificial lights. Aiming at the phenomenon that MFO algorithm has slow convergence and low precision, an improved version of MFO algorithm based on Lévy-flight strategy, which is named as LMFO, is proposed. Lévy-flight can increase the diversity of the population against premature convergence and make the algorithm jump out of local optimum more effectively. This approach is helpful to obtain a better trade-off between exploration and exploitation ability of MFO, thus, which can make LMFO faster and more robust than MFO. And a comparison with ABC, BA, GGSA, DA, PSOGSA, and MFO on 19 unconstrained benchmark functions and 2 constrained engineering design problems is tested. These results demonstrate the superior performance of LMFO.

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