Building Design Apps for Early Engineering Education

North Carolina State University, Raleigh NC

Investigators

Abstract

This engineering education research project seeks to develop a set of modular, open-source applications, or "apps" to teach engineering design. The software will be designed to allow simple introduction of design problems into early-level engineering courses. The project's evaluation plan is designed to measure the effectiveness of the software for improving student learning outcomes on understanding course concepts. The broader significance and importance of this project is to investigate a method which can introduce design into early courses in an engineering curriculum in an affordable manner. The project seeks to promote broad dissemination of the software through an "app store" modeled off of a popular smart-phone company. This approach is designed to mesh with the experience of the target audience of students.