scholarly journals DESIGN FOR THE FUTURE: INTEGRATING INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT INTO CANADIAN UNDERGRADUATE ENGINEERING CURRICULUM

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janna Hamilton ◽  
Jenna Shultz
Keyword(s):  
International Development ◽  
Engineering Design ◽  
Cultural Sensitivity ◽  
Community Integration ◽  
Political Stability ◽  
Development Project ◽  
Engineering Curriculum ◽  
Undergraduate Engineering ◽  
Hands On ◽  
The Future

With an ever-increasing need to address the future of engineered sustainability in our global communities, a simple, brief, study of sustainability factors in undergraduate engineering curriculum is no longer adequate.  With exponentially rising problems in the global society such as water contamination and shortages, food processing needs, ineffective irrigation practices, technology shortfalls, and underdeveloped sanitation practices, engineering curriculum today must address these international development issues, along with sustainability concepts, using effective, hands-on methods to prepare Canadian graduates for the competitive and challenging workforce they will enter.  In this contribution, the importance of considering international development problems in the engineering design component of undergraduate curriculum is analyzed.  We then go on to discuss the various methods that can be utilized to implement and teach an international development curriculum.   International development engineering curriculum should not only focus on the hands-on design requirements, but should introduce the student to issues such as education, health care, political stability, and economy in the developing world.  Topics such as cultural sensitivity and community integration, which are concerns that must be an integral part of any international development project, should also be incorporated into this curriculum.  Finally, a case study is presented in which a Canadian university has successfully enhanced their first-year engineering design curriculum by integrating international development problems into their syllabus.

scholarly journals REFLECTIONS ON ENGINEERING DESIGN EDUCATION

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ralph O. Buchal
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Design ◽  
Design Education ◽  
Practical Experience ◽  
Clear Understanding ◽  
Engineering Curriculum ◽  
Management Skills ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Undergraduate Engineering ◽  
Engineering Design Education ◽  
Successful Design

Engineering design has received increasing attention in the undergraduate engineering curriculum, and much progress is being made. However, deficiencies are still observed in many skills required to be a successful design engineer, including: design methodology, project management skills, engineering analysis and validation in design, engineering graphics, practical skills, and reflection. Important factors affecting these outcomes include clear understanding of the design process, mentorship and direction from engineering advisors, increased opportunity for practical experience, and clear expectations.

On Teaching Functionality and Functional Modeling in an Engineering Curriculum

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert L. Nagel ◽  
Matt R. Bohm
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Design ◽  
Function Analysis ◽  
Engineering Curriculum ◽  
Undergraduate Engineering ◽  
Functional Representation ◽  
System Technique ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Box Method ◽  
Analysis System ◽  
Multiple Domains

This paper reviews functional representation and modeling across multiple domains of engineering as well as function recognition and modeling in the engineering design field. Various modeling techniques are presented along with approaches to model realization published in common engineering design text books. Specifically, within the field of engineering design, seven published approaches for modeling function are presented: 1.) Glass Box Method; 2.) Function Analysis System Technique; 3.) Systematic Processes; 4.) Enumeration; 5.) Zen Approach; 6.) Reverse Engineering; and 7.) Function-Means Trees. Through discussion of the modeling approaches the authors pose questions on how function should be taught in undergraduate engineering curriculum. Finally, the potential benefits of function-based design approaches are reviewed and discussed.

An Investigation on the Students’ Perception of Dissection Effectiveness in a Redesign Context

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gu¨l E. Okudan ◽  
Susan Mohammed
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Design ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Design Education ◽  
The United States ◽  
Undergraduate Engineering ◽  
Engineering Design Education ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Tolerance For Ambiguity ◽  
Task Team ◽  
Team Functioning

Disassemble/Analyze/Assemble (DAA) activities involve the disassembly, analysis, and assembly of an artifact. Such activities are frequently made a part of the undergraduate engineering curricula in the United States (and elsewhere) as they provide useful ‘hands-on’ active learning components that can be easily integrated into various courses. DAA activities are central to product dissection and reverse engineering, terms which have been used interchangeably in the engineering design education literature and course titles. In some cases these activities are coupled with redesign activities, paving the way for a good context and providing a background for a meaningful engineering design. Despite this fact, however, based on our review of the literature it is not clear how do these DAA activities help with the redesign activity, if at all. Accordingly, in this paper we present results of our data collection that aimed at uncovering students’ perception regarding if DAA activities help with redesign (e.g., is it easier to redesign after dissection?). Overall, students had positive perceptions toward dissection, specifically with regards to its impact on redesign. We also report on the relation of student perceptions to design task, team functioning, and tolerance for ambiguity.

scholarly journals Integrating Information Literacy in the Engineering Curriculum: A Program Approach

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nasser Saleh
Keyword(s):  
Information Literacy ◽  
Course Management System ◽  
Engineering Curriculum ◽  
Learning Modules ◽  
Graduate Attributes ◽  
Undergraduate Engineering ◽  
Engineering Program ◽  
Literacy Outcomes ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Program Approach

The paper summarizes a program-based model that has been developed at Queen's University to integrate an information literacy program into the undergraduate engineering program to meet CEAB graduate attributes in professional and design course. A program-level approach to information literacy is useful to define the purpose and goals of information literacy outcomes and also to capture evidence of student learning. It also informs instructional methods that can be developed in class or through the use of embedded learning modules at the course management system in addition to hands-on library workshops.

An Innovative Engineering Curriculum at James Madison University: Transcending Disciplinary Boundaries Through Innovative Problem Based Learning Practices

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olga Pierrakos ◽  
Ronald Kander ◽  
Eric Pappas ◽  
Robert Prins
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Curriculum ◽  
James Madison ◽  
Global Competitiveness ◽  
Disciplinary Boundaries ◽  
Undergraduate Engineering ◽  
Important Concern ◽  
The World ◽  
The Future ◽  
Undergraduate Engineering Education ◽  
Rapid Pace

Global competitiveness, outsourcing, and increased production of overseas engineers are issues that are becoming increasingly relevant in undergraduate engineering education and have prompted a number of calls to protect U.S. global competitiveness. Recent examples of such works include: Educating the Engineer of 2020 [1], Rising Above the Gathering Storm [2], and The World is Flat [3]. All these reports have challenged engineering institutions to increase the production and improve the education of engineering graduates. This is an increasingly important concern because, with the rapid pace of technological change, the future engineer is not only expected to offer technical ingenuity but also adapt to a continuously evolving environment while simultaneously being able to operate outside the narrow limits of one discipline in solving the complex problems of the future.

Conflict of international and regional strategies and the future of wars in the Arab region "Political stability or political chaos"

2019 ◽  
pp. 190
Author(s):  
Ahmed Fadel Jassim Dawood
Keyword(s):  
Political Stability ◽  
Arab Countries ◽  
Arab Region ◽  
Regional Powers ◽  
Regional Strategies ◽  
Regional Competition ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Face ◽  
Near Term ◽  
Political Differences

The Arab region is of great importance as an important part of the Middle East for both international and regional powers.This importance has placed it and its peoples in the suffering of international and regional interventions and has placed it in a state of permanent instability as it witnessed international and regional competition that increased significantly after the US intervention in Iraq in 2003. Accordingly, the research aims to shed light on the strategic directions of the global and regional powers by knowing their objectives separately, such as American, Russian, Turkish, Israeli and Iranian. The course aims at determining the future of this region in terms of political stability and lack thereof. Therefore, the hypothesis of the research comes from [that the different strategic visions and political and economic interests between the international and regional powers have exacerbated the conflicts between those forces and their alliances within the Arab region.. The third deals with the future of the Arab region in light of the conflict of these strategies. Accordingly, the research reached a number of conclusions confirming the continuation of international and regional competition within the Arab region, as well as the continuation of the state of conflict, tension, instability and chaos in the near term, as a result of the inability of Arab countries to overcome their political differences on the one hand and also their inability to advance their Arab reality. In the face of external challenges on the other.

scholarly journals How do we know where there is potential to intervene and leverage impact in a changing system? The practitioners perspective

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Birney
Keyword(s):  
International Development ◽  
Systems Change ◽  
System Change ◽  
Systems Dynamics ◽  
Leverage Points ◽  
Actionable Knowledge ◽  
The Future ◽  
Sustainability Challenges ◽  
The Right ◽  
Silver Bullet

AbstractMore and more people and organisations who are addressing complex sustainability challenges are turning to systems change practices. They are looking to get to grips with complexity and to better understand how to use their resources, position and influence to address the challenges. These people are working across civil society, philanthropy, business, international development, government and beyond. Many hope that adopting this emerging practice will give them the answers to the long held questions of – How do I know where to intervene? How do I know that what I am doing is the ‘right’ thing? Am I using my resources for their greatest effect? Once we have set ambitious goals around issues like inequality and climate change, how do I know I am creating impact?. In 1999 Donella Meadows wrote a paper entitled Leverage points: places to intervene in a system to help translate the work of systems dynamics into understanding where a small amount of energy might have a greater effect. Ever since, practitioners have been chasing these elusive leverage points trying to understand how this might be made useful and practical. There is, however, no silver bullet to changing a system. At Forum for the Future and through the School of System Change, we work on a number of different projects such as the Protein Challenge and Boundless Roots Community as well as collaborate on, coach and co-inquire with others such as the Marine CoLAB, Oneless, Lankelly Chase Foundation. In this paper we seek to build on systems change ideas and theories, using Forum for the Future experience of working with these ideas in practice, and offer actionable knowledge (Coghlan 2007) to other change makers who are grappling with these questions. This paper provides four qualities that help us understand the dynamics of a changing system, and how potential in these dynamics might be identified and be translated into strategy and interventions. I explore and illustrate these through cases and examples and raise the question about how change makers might value what we measure when understanding impact in the context of a changing system.

scholarly journals Platform Patterns—Using Proven Principles to Develop Digital Platforms

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marvin Drewel ◽  
Leon Özcan ◽  
Jürgen Gausemeier ◽  
Roman Dumitrescu
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Engineering ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Use Case ◽  
Digital Platforms ◽  
Hands On ◽  
The Future ◽  
Platform Development ◽  
Strategic Options ◽  
Generic Design ◽  
Platform Economy

AbstractHardly any other area has as much disruptive potential as digital platforms in the course of digitalization. After serious changes have already taken place in the B2C sector with platforms such as Amazon and Airbnb, the B2B sector is on the threshold to the so-called platform economy. In mechanical engineering, pioneers like GE (PREDIX) and Claas (365FarmNet) are trying to get their hands on the act. This is hardly a promising option for small and medium-sized companies, as only a few large companies will survive. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are already facing the threat of losing direct consumer contact and becoming exchangeable executers. In order to prevent this, it is important to anticipate at an early stage which strategic options exist for the future platform economy and which adjustments to the product program should already be initiated today. Basically, medium-sized companies in particular lack a strategy for an advantageous entry into the future platform economy.The paper presents different approaches to master the challenges of participating in the platform economy by using platform patterns. Platform patterns represent proven principles of already existing platforms. We show how we derived a catalogue with 37 identified platform patterns. The catalogue has a generic design and can be customized for a specific use case. The versatility of the catalogue is underlined by three possible applications: (1) platform ideation, (2) platform development, and (3) platform characterization.

The Economics of the Soy Kit as an Appropriate Household Technology for Food Entrepreneurs

2021 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 104-115
Author(s):  
Chungmann Kim ◽  
Peter Goldsmith
Keyword(s):  
International Development ◽  
Poverty Reduction ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Development Project ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Resource Base ◽  
Credit Access ◽  
Feed The Future ◽  
High Level

Background: The ability for women to operate as food entrepreneurs presents opportunities to leverage at-home production technologies that not only support family nutrition but also generate income. To these ends, the Feed the Future Malawi Agriculture Diversification Activity recently launched a development project involving a new technology, the Soy Kit. The Activity, a USAID (United States Agency for International Development) funded effort, sought to improve nutrition utilizing an underutilized local and highly nutritious feedstuff, soybean, through a woman’s entrepreneurship scheme. Objective: The USAID funded effort provides the overarching research question, whether the Soy Kit is a sustainable technology for delivering nutrition and income through a women’s entrepreneurship scheme. If true, then development practitioners will have a valuable tool, and the associated evidence, to address the important crosscutting themes, of nutrition, poverty, entrepreneurship, and women’s empowerment. To answer this research question, the research team first evaluates the underlying production economics of the kit to measure profitability, return on investment, and operational performance. Second, the team qualitatively and quantitatively assesses the kit’s overall appropriateness as a technology for the developing world. Methods: The team follows the schema of Bower and Brown and utilizes descriptive statistics, and financial techniques to conduct an assessment of the economics and technical appropriateness of the Soy Kit technology. Results: The results show a high level of appropriateness across a number of metrics. For example, the payback period from cash flow is under 6 months and the annual return on capital is 163% when entrepreneurs utilize a domestically sourced kit valued at US$80. Conclusion: The technology matches well with the rhythm of household economy, in particular women’s labor availability and resource base. Businesses earn significant returns on capital thus appear to be sustainable without donor subsidy. At the same time, available capital to finance kit entrepreneurs appears to be scarce. More research needs to take place to address the credit access question, in order to make small-scale kit entrepreneur truly self-reliant; the effects on poverty reduction at the household and village level; and nutrition improvement among the consumers.

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