Integrating Projects and Design into Core Engineering Courses: Enhancing Learning and Preparing Professionals

Transcription

1 Student Start-up Support System (S4) Gujarat Technological University (GTU), Ahmedabad GTU Innovation Council (GIC) A Report: The Workshop on- Integrating Projects and Design into Core Engineering Courses: Enhancing Learning and Preparing Professionals by Prof. Bill Oakes Director, EPICS - Purdue University A part of the 3-phase course offered by IUCEE Date: 17 th July, 2015 Venue: 1 Gujarat Technological University, Nr.Vishwakarma Government Engineering College Nr.Visat Three Roads, Visat - Gandhinagar Highway, Chandkheda, Ahmedabad ,

2 Being the most Innovative and largest University of India, Gujarat Technological University always tries to cope up with all latest trends in Innovation, Entrepreneurship and technological advancement. GTU has introduced creative and interactive practical approach in its syllabi named Design Engineering. GTU s Centre for Industrial Design brought a great opportunity for Faculty Members of affiliated colleges to take advantage of a unique 3-phase course offered by Professor Bill Oakes of Purdue University, USA. This course will equip Faculty Members with various tools and methods for integrating Design Engineering and practical approach into core subjects. One-day Orientation Program regarding this course was organized on Integrating Projects and Design into Core Engineering Courses: Enhancing Learning and Preparing Professionals on 17 th July This Orientation Program was Phase I of a 3-Phase course. Inauguration: At the inaugural function, Dr. Rajul Gajjar has briefed about the EPICS course being offered by GTU in collaboration with Purdue University. Dr. N M Bhatt talked about the journey Dr. Akshai Aggarwal, VC GTU; Prof. Bill Oakes Director EPICS, Purdue University, USA; Prof. Krishna Vedula, Executive Director IUCEE - India; Dr. Rajul Gajjar, Director GTU & Principal VGEC; Dr. N M Bhatt, Dean GTU & Director GIT; Mr. Naresh Jadeja, Deputy Director; Kantha Reddy, Director Operations, IUCEE India at the Inaugural Function 2

3 accomplished by GTU s Centre for Industrial Design towards Design Engineering. Dr. Akshai Aggarwal, Vice Chancellor of GTU familiarized important initiations done at GTU to eminent speaker and guests together with very creative and interactive practical approach included in its syllabi named Design Engineering it s a first time in India in affiliating type of University. He added that a six Design Spine courses has been introduced from 3 rd to 8 th semester in every branch of the engineering curriculum of its all affiliating colleges. In this workshop 44 faculty members from GTU affiliating colleges and 15 faculty members from outside the GTU colleges have been participated. Experts giving motivational speech on this promising juncture Dr. Krishna Vedula, Professor of Chemical Engineering and Dean Emeritus, Francis College of Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, USA, who is well recognized globally for his contributions to engineering education, research, administration and outreach was also a speaker in the workshop. Dr. Vedula is founder and executive director of the Indo-US 3

4 Collaboration in Engineering Education (IUCEE) facilitated initially by ASEE. Dr. Vedula said that IUCEE (Indo US Collaboration for Engineering Education) runs Project GENTLE (Global Education Network for Teaching and Learning Engineering. The vision of IUCEE is to improve quality and global relevance of engineering education and research globally, to find solutions to global challenges, starting with India and US. IUCEE also providing mentoring and co-guides for faculty who are pursuing PhD. Such events are being organized since last three years & US experts assessed and guided more than 100 PhD candidates of Gujarat Technological University. Learnings from Sessions delivered by prof. Bill Oakes- Design Thinking (Human Centred Approach) is today s need for Engineering Education as An Engineer should not only be an Industrial Leader, He should be also a Society Leader -said Prof. Bill Oakes from Purdue University, USA addresses workshop at GTU Student s projects should involve high interest, challenges, needs of society and final outcome as desired - Prof. Bill Oakes said at a workshop. He gave enormous example of community based projects like Motivational Mirror, Twister Board Game, 3-D Maze, Talking Trash Can, Study Monitoring System etc. Prof. Bill Oakes gave information regarding how to integrate Projects and Design Based Learning into Core Engineering Courses with emphasize on Community Projects. He told participants that "a teacher should be carrying technical skills, professional skills and project execution skills in the engineering education." He greatly admired the initiation of GTU in Design Engineering subject which is based on Design Thinking. Participants were also involved in various group activities to further learn different tools and techniques for Design engineering. 4

5 Expert and Participants are discussing various tools and techniques in group activities 5

6 Feedbacks from the participants: This workshop gives me learning experience on how to integrate theoretical and practical knowledge in students projects. Please organize such type of Workshop or Program or Seminar Zone wise so that each and every faculty will participate and can be involved in Design Engineering initiation. Darshan mehta Shree Swami Atmanand Saraswati Institute of Technology, Surat With the help of small projects related to the topics and syllabus, we shall make class very interactive. It helps me to make my class live. Piyushkumar M. Mistri Gujarat Power Engineering and Research Institute, Mehsana 6

7 I like the Assessment part of the program which showed various ways of project assessments. Partially I also learnt something about implementing the Outcome base education. I also prefer that the workshop should be conducted on practical basis then it should target some key issues or problems of the community. Jatin R Ambasana B. H. Gardi College of Engineering & Technology, Rajkot I learned some important points regarding project work to be given to students. Assessment methodology of projects work, innovative way of projects etc. Ankurkumar Pramodbhai Desai S.N.Patel Intitute of Technology & Research Centre; Umrakh Learning was major objective but got more than expected like Assessment Strategy, Team building, Project Implementation etc. I came to know about lot of strategies for smooth implementation of Project work. Gautam Dadhich Shankarsinh Vaghela Bapu Institute of Technology, Vasan I understood importance of project based learning and different methodology of teaching. For every course project based learning is effective method. Also learnt How to make rubrics for courses. I already implemented such type of different methodology for my course but some problem I faced during assessment of students, but now I can easily assess the students with effective rubrics. Priyank D Zaveri B. H. Gardi College of Engineering and Technology, Rajkot I always wanted to know more about Design Thinking and its application by expert's point of view and learning different project defining strategies, Teaching methodology of engineering by practical orientation (learning by doing) I got all my answer in this workshop. This workshop has completely changed my perception about project and its execution. The best way to start any project is to start with small project and then with the concept of Design thinking gradually progress towards large projects by doing so students will also become confident and skilled in their area of interest. Jigisha Ragesh Kapadia Shree Sad Vidya Mandal Institute of Technology, Bharuch 7

8 Certificate Honoring by Expert to participants: 8

9 References: th April 2014: A Lecture on Thinking like an Engineer - and Societal Problems conducted by Dr. Victor W. Goldschmidt, Professor Emeritus, Purdue University School of Mechanical Engineering Northport, MI th April 2015: Design Engineering Workshop by Prof. Bill Oaks (Purdue Uni. USA) Invitation for a common Inaugural: Circular for Registration at For earlier workshops, please see the GTU web-site at Report Compiled by: Design Engineering Team GTU 9

10 Centre for Industrial Design () 10