Engineering Design Practices in a Freshman Mechanical Engineering Technology Course

An important outcome of a mechanical engineering technology (MET) program is a fundamental understanding of the mechanical design process, the development of solutions to design problems with consideration of specific requirements and constraints. This study is concerned with the idea generation phase of the engineering design process, specifically the ideational practices of freshman mechanical engineering technology students. The idea generation phase is a complex endeavor that involves defining the problem, generating potential solutions to the problem, the consideration of constraints of the problem, and converging on the most appropriate solution for the problem. The development of these skills is an essential component of future innovation. This research seeks to contribute to a baseline understanding of how freshman-level MET students navigate the solution space of a design problem while focusing on the requirements and constraints of the final design. Eight mechanical engineering technology students were recruited and asked to generate potential solutions for an open-ended design problem. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to assess design strategies that were used during the concept generation phase, whether constraints of the problem influenced their solutions or otherwise limited the solutions developed, and whether alternative designs were considered, and if so, how students determined the most appropriate design. While most design-related activities tend to take place in the latter years of a 4-year MET program, this research can provide a baseline understanding of how MET students approach design problems so better strategies can be developed to provide appropriate scaffolding as design skills are taught throughout the program.