The Context of Engineering Education Conceiving-Designing-Implementing-Operating Edward F. Crawley, John Cha, Johan Malmqvist, and Doris R. Brodeur 4th International CDIO Conference 16 - 19 June 2008

1. The Context of Engineering
Education
Conceiving- Designing- Implementing - Operating
Edward F. Crawley, John Cha,
Johan Malmqvist, and Doris R. Brodeur
4th International CDIO Conference
16 - 19 June 2008

2. THE WORLDWIDE NEED FOR CHANGE
• Shortage of engineering graduates and those remaining in
engineering careers
• Need to educate engineers to be more effective
contributors and leaders
• Need to educate engineers to work in a more
interdisciplinary manner
• Preparing students for increasing globalization
• Increasing awareness and response to environmental
changes
• Need for more experiential learning and project-based
learning
• Need for enhanced university-industry cooperation and
knowledge exchange

3. THE EDUCATIONAL NEEDS
OF OUR STUDENTS
DESIRED ATTRIBUTES OF AN
ENGINEERING GRADUATE UNDERLYING NEED
• Understanding of fundamentals Educate students who:
• Understanding of design and • Understand how to conceive-
manufacturing processes design-implement-operate
• Multidisciplinary system • Complex value-added
perspective engineering systems
• Good communication skills • In a modern team-based
engineering environment
• High ethical standards, etc.
We have adopted CDIO as the engineering context
of our education

4. WHAT IS CONTEXT?
1. The words, phases or passages that come before, or after,
a particular word or passage of text that help to explain its
full meaning
2. The circumstances or events that form the environment
within which something exists or takes place
 A chair within a room
 A decision influenced by the organization
Context is the circumstances and surroundings that aid
in understanding meaning

5. WHAT IS ENGINEERING?
• Designing and implementing things that have not
previously existed, and that directly or indirectly serve
society or some element of society
• Von Kármán: Scientists discover the world that exists,
while engineers create the world that never was!”
• The life cycle of a product, process, project, system,
software, material, molecule
o Conceiving: understanding needs and technology, and
creating the concept
o Designing: defining the information needed to
implement
o Implementing: creating the actually operable system
o Operating: using the system to meet the need

6. ENGINEERING CONTEXT
STABLE ELEMENTS
• A focus on the problems of the customer and society
• The delivery of new products, processes, and
systems
• The role of invention and new technology in shaping
the future
• The use of many disciplines to develop the solution
• The need for engineers to work together, to
communicate effectively, and to provide leadership in
technical endeavors
• The need to work efficiently, within resources, and /or
profitably

7. ENGINEERING CONTEXT
CHANGING ELEMENTS
• A change from mastery of the environment to
stewardship of the environment
• Shortened lifespan of products and technologies
• Increase in service orientation
• Globalization and international competition
• Fragmentation and geographic dispersion of
engineering activities
• The increasingly human-centered nature of
engineering practice

8. GOALS OF CDIO
• To educate students to master a deeper
working knowledge of the technical
fundamentals
• To educate engineers to lead in the creation
and operation of new products and systems
• To educate all to understand the importance
and strategic impact of research and
technological development on society
And to attract and retain students in engineering

9. THREE PREMISES
1. The underlying need is best met by setting goals that stress the
fundamentals, while at the same time making C-D-I-O the
context of engineering
2. Learning outcomes for students should be
o set through stakeholder involvement, and
o met by constructing a sequence of integrated learning
experiences that expose students to situations that
engineers encounter in their profession
3. Proper construction of these integrated learning activities will
cause the activities to have dual impact
o facilitating student learning of critical personal and
interpersonal skills, and product, process, and system
building skills, and
o simultaneously enhancing the learning of the fundamentals

10. ENGINEERING EDUCATION CONTEXT
What should be the context of engineering
education?
• A focus on the needs of the customer
• Delivery of products and systems
• Incorporation of new inventions and technologies
• A focus on the solution, not disciplines
• Working with others
• Effective communication
• Working within resources

11. DEVELOPMENT OF
ENGINEERING EDUCATION
Personal,
Interpersonal Pre-1950s:
and System Practice
Building Skills
1960s: 2000:
Science CDIO
and
Practice
1980s:
Science
Disciplinary
Knowledge
Engineers need both dimensions, and we need to
develop education that delivers both

12. CDIO AS THE CONTEXT
• Conceive-Design-Implement-Operate as a
model (not the only model!) of the product,
process, and system development and
deployment process in engineering
• Other models
• Measure-Model-Manipulate-Make in
biological engineering at MIT
• Engineering-Enterprising-Educating-
Environmenting-Ensembling in Leuven,
Belgium

13. BEST PRACTICE
STANDARD ONE
Adoption of the principle that product, process, and
system lifecycle development and deployment --
Conceiving, Designing, Implementing and Operating -
- are the context for engineering education
 It is what engineers do!
 It is the underlying need and basis for the skills lists that
industry proposes to university educators
 It is the natural context in which to teach these skills to
engineering students
 It better supports the learning of the technical
fundamentals

14. BENEFITS OF LEARNING IN CONTEXT
Setting the education of engineers in the
context of engineering practice realizes the
benefits of Contextual Learning
• Increases retention of new knowledge and
skills
• Interconnects concepts and knowledge that
build on each other
• Communicates the rationale for, meaning of,
and relevance of, what students are learning

15. VISION
We envision an education that stresses the
fundamentals, set in the context of Conceiving –
Designing – Implementing – Operating products,
processes, and systems:
• A curriculum organized around mutually supporting
disciplines, with CDIO activities highly interwoven
• Rich with student design-implement projects
• Featuring active and experiential learning
• Set in both classrooms and modern learning laboratories
and workspaces
• Constantly improved through robust assessment and
evaluation processes

16. CENTRAL QUESTIONS FOR
ENGINEERING EDUCATION
What knowledge, skills and attitudes should
students possess as they graduate from
university?
How can we do better at ensuring that
students learn these skills?
How can we work together on these questions?

17. FROM UNDERLYING NEED TO GOALS
Educate students who:
• Understand how to conceive- Process
design-implement-operate
• Complex value-added Product 4. CDIO
engineering systems
3. Inter-
• In a modern team-based 1. Technical 2. Personal
personal
engineering environment
• And are mature and thoughtful Team
individuals
Self
The CDIO Syllabus - a comprehensive statement of detailed
Goals for an Engineering Education

18. THE CDIO SYLLABUS
1.0 Technical Knowledge & Reasoning:
Knowledge of underlying sciences
Core engineering fundamental knowledge
Advanced engineering fundamental knowledge
2.0 Personal and Professional Skills & Attributes
Engineering reasoning and problem solving
Experimentation and knowledge discovery
System thinking
Personal skills and attributes
Professional skills and attributes
3.0 Interpersonal Skills: Teamwork & Communication
Multi-disciplinary teamwork
Communications
Communication in a foreign language
4.0 Conceiving, Designing, Implementing & Operating Systems in the
Enterprise & Societal Context
External and societal context
Enterprise and business context
Conceiving and engineering systems
Designing
Implementing
Operating

19. 1 TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE AND REASONING 3.3. COMMUNICATION IN FOREIGN
1.1. KNOWLEDGE OF UNDERLYING LANGUAGES
SCIENCES 3.3.1. English
CDIO SYLLABUS 1.2. CORE ENGINEERING FUNDAMENTAL
KNOWLEDGE
1.3. ADVANCED ENGINEERING
FUNDAMENTAL KNOWLEDGE
3.3.2. Languages within the European Union
3.3.3. Languages outside the European
Union
4 CONCEIVING, DESIGNING, IMPLEMENTING
2 PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL SKILLS AND OPERATING SYSTEMS IN THE
AND ATTRIBUTES ENTERPRISE AND SOCIETAL CONTEXT
2.1. ENGINEERING REASONING AND 4.1. EXTERNAL AND SOCIETAL CONTEXT
PROBLEM SOLVING 4.1.1. Roles and Responsibility of Engineers
• Syllabus at 3rd 2.1.1. Problem Identification and Formulation
2.1.2. Modeling
2.1.3. Estimation and Qualitative Analysis
4.1.2. The Impact of Engineering on Society
4.1.3. Society’s Regulation of Engineering
4.1.4. The Historical and Cultural Context
level 2.1.4. Analysis With Uncertainty
2.1.5. Solution and Recommendation
2.2. EXPERIMENTATION AND KNOWLEDGE
4.1.5. Contemporary Issues and Values
4.1.6. Developing a Global Perspective
4.2. ENTERPRISE AND BUSINESS CONTEXT
DISCOVERY 4.2.1. Appreciating Different Enterprise
• One or two more 2.2.1. Hypothesis Formulation
2.2.2. Survey of Print and Electronic
Literature
Cultures
4.2.2. Enterprise Strategy, Goals and
Planning
levels are detailed
2.2.3. Experimental Inquiry 4.2.3. Technical Entrepreneurship
2.2.4. Hypothesis Test, and Defense 4.2.4. Working Successfully in Organizations
2.3. SYSTEM THINKING 4.3. CONCEIVING AND ENGINEERING
2.3.1. Thinking Holistically SYSTEMS
• Rational
2.3.2. Emergence and Interactions in 4.3.1. Setting System Goals and
Systems Requirements
2.3.3. Prioritization and Focus 4.3.2. Defining Function, Concept and
2.3.4. Tradeoffs, Judgment and Balance in Architecture
• Comprehensive
Resolution 4.3.3. Modeling of System and Ensuring
2.4. PERSONAL SKILLS AND ATTITUDES Goals Can Be Met
2.4.1. Initiative and Willingness to Take 4.3.4. Development Project Management
Risks 4.4. DESIGNING
• Peer reviewed
2.4.2. Perseverance and Flexibility 4.4.1. The Design Process
2.4.3. Creative Thinking 4.4.2. The Design Process Phasing and
2.4.4. Critical Thinking Approaches
2.4.5. Awareness of One’s Personal 4.4.3. Utilization of Knowledge in Design
• Basis for design
Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes 4.4.4. Disciplinary Design
2.4.6. Curiosity and Lifelong Learning 4.4.5. Multidisciplinary Design
2.4.7. Time and Resource Management 4.4.6. Multi-objective Design
2.5. PROFESSIONAL SKILLS AND 4.5. IMPLEMENTING
and assessment ATTITUDES
2.5.1. Professional Ethics, Integrity,
Responsibility and Accountability
4.5.1. Designing the Implementation Process
4.5.2. Hardware Manufacturing Process
4.5.3. Software Implementing Process
2.5.2. Professional Behavior 4.5.4. Hardware Software Integration
2.5.3. Proactively Planning for One’s Career 4.5.5. Test, Verification, Validation and
2.5.4. Staying Current on World of Engineer Certification
4.5.6. Implementation Management
3 INTERPERSONAL SKILLS: TEAMWORK AND 4.6. OPERATING
COMMUNICATION 4.6.1. Designing and Optimizing Operations
3.1. TEAMWORK 4.6.2. Training and Operations
3.1.1. Forming Effective Teams 4.6.3. Supporting the System Lifecycle
3.1.2. Team Operation 4.6.4. System Improvement and Evolution
3.1.3. Team Growth and Evolution 4.6.5. Disposal and Life-End Issues
3.1.4. Leadership 4.6.6. Operations Management
3.1.5. Technical Teaming
3.2. COMMUNICATION
3.2.1. Communication Strategy
3.2.2. Communication Structure
3.2.3. Written Communication
3.2.4. Electronic/Multimedia Communication
3.2.5. Graphical Communication
3.2.6. Oral Presentation and Interpersonal
Communication

20. SYLLABUS LEVEL OF PROFICIENCY
• 6 groups surveyed: 1st and 4th year students, alumni 25
years old, alumni 35 years old, faculty, leaders of
industry
• Question: For each attribute, please indicate which of
the five levels of proficiency you desire in a graduating
engineering student:
– 1 To have experienced or been exposed to
– 2 To be able to participate in and contribute to
– 3 To be able to understand and explain
– 4 To be skilled in the practice or implementation of
– 5 To be able to lead or innovate in

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22. BEST PRACTICE
STANDARD TWO
Specific, detailed learning outcomes for personal
and interpersonal skills, and product, process,
and system building skills, as well as disciplinary
knowledge, consistent with program goals and
validated by program stakeholders
 “Resolves” tensions among stakeholders
 Allows for the design of curriculum
 Basis of student evaluation

23. HOW CAN WE DO BETTER?
Re-task current assets and resources in:
• Curriculum
• Laboratories and workspaces
• Teaching and learning
• Assessment and evaluation
• Faculty competence
Evolve to a model in which these resources are
better employed to promote student learning

24. BEST PRACTICE: THE CDIO STANDARDS
1. The Context 7. Integrated Learning Experiences
Adoption of the principle that product. Process, and Integrated learning experiences that lead to the
system lifecycle development and deployment are the acquisition of disciplinary knowledge, as well as
context for engineering education personal, interpersonal, and produc, process,t and
2. Learning Outcomes system building skills
Specific, detailed learning outcomes for personal, 8. Active Learning
interpersonal, and product,.process and system Teaching and learning based on active experiential
building skills, consistent with program goals and learning methods
validated by program stakeholders 9. Enhancement of Faculty Skills Competence
3. Integrated Curriculum Actions that enhance faculty competence in personal,
A curriculum designed with mutually supporting interpersonal, and product and system building skills
disciplinary subjects, with an explicit plan to integrate 10. Enhancement of Faculty Teaching Competence
personal, interpersonal, and product, process, and Actions that enhance faculty competence in providing
system building skills integrated learning experiences, in using active
4. Introduction to Engineering experiential learning methods, and in assessing
An introductory course that provides the framework for student learning
engineering practice in product. Process, and system 11. Learning Assessment
building, and introduces essential personal and Assessment of student learning in personal,
interpersonal skills interpersonal, and product, process, and system
5. Design-Implement Experiences building skills, as well as in disciplinary knowledge
A curriculum that includes two or more design- 12. Program Evaluation
implement experiences, including one at a basic level A system that evaluates programs against these 12
and one at an advanced level standards, and provides feedback to students, faculty,
6. Engineering Workspaces and other stakeholders for the purposes of continuous
Workspaces and laboratories that support and improvement
encourage hands-on learning of product, process, and
system building, disciplinary knowledge, and social
learning

25. INTRODUCTORY COURSE
• To motivate students to study
engineering
• To provide early exposure to
system building
• To teach some early and
essential skills (e.g., teamwork) Capstone
• To provide a set of personal Disciplines
experiences which will allow
early fundamentals to be more
deeply understood Intro
Sciences

26. WORLD-CLASS WORKSPACES

27. ARE WE DOING BETTER?
• The CDIO approach has deepened, not diminished, students’
understanding of engineering disciplinary knowledge
• Annual surveys of graduating students indicate that they have
developed intended CDIO program knowledge and skills
outcomes, especially are those that are important to program
stakeholders
• Student self-report data indicate high student satisfaction with
design-implement experiences, and with workspaces that
promote a sense of community among learners
• Longitudinal studies of students in CDIO programs are showing
increases in program enrollment, decreasing failing rates,
particularly among female students, and increased student
satisfaction with their learning experiences
• Employers are beginning to report increased capabilities
improvements in student adaptation to the workplace
• Results are being used for continuous program improvement

28. THE WORLDWIDE NEED FOR CHANGE
• Shortage of engineering graduates and those remaining in
engineering careers
• Need to educate engineers to be more effective
contributors and leaders
• Need to educate engineers to work in a more
interdisciplinary manner
• Preparing students for increasing globalization
• Increasing awareness and response to environmental
changes
• Need for more experiential learning and project-based
learning
• Need for enhanced university-industry cooperation and
knowledge exchange

29. QUESTIONS
1. How can teaching and learning in
the context of engineering practice
help to address the need for
qualified engineers?
2. How could the goals and vision of
the CDIO approach to engineering
education be implemented in your
programs?
3. What are your questions?