CDIO IN AEROSPACE ENGINEERING EDUCATIONRob Niewoehner, niewoehn@usna.edEdward F. Crawley, crawley@mit.edu,

Jean Koster, jean.koster@cu.edu

AIAA AFM, August 11, 2009

2 Questions

What is the North American Aerospace Initiative?

What is CDIO?

NEED FOR REFORM

Desired Attributes of anEngineering Graduate

• Understanding of fundamentals• Understanding of design and

manufacturing process• A multidisciplinary system

perspective• Good communication skills• High ethical standards, etc.

The Underlying Need

Educate students who:• Understand how to conceive-

design-implement-operate• Complex value-added

engineering systems• In modern team-based

engineering environments

We have adopted CDIO as the engineering CONTEXT of our education

THE MESSAGE

NOTIONAL TRAJECTORY OF ENGINEERING EDUCATION

Personal and Interpersonal Skills, and Product, Process, and System Building Skills

DisciplinaryKnowledge

Pre-1950s:Practice

1960s:Science & practice

1980s:Science

2000:CDIO

Engineers need both dimensions, and we need to develop education that delivers both

GOALS OF CDIO

• Master a deeper working knowledge of the technical fundamentals

• Lead in the creation and operation of new products, processes, and systems

• Understand the importance and strategic impact of research and technological development on society

To educate students who are able to:

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 disciplinary courses, with C-D-I-O activities highly interwoven

• Design-implement experiences set in both classrooms and modern learning workspaces

• Active and experiential learning incorporated into disciplinary courses

• Comprehensive assessment and evaluation processes

LEARNING RATIONALE

• Most engineers tend to learn from the concrete to the abstract, e.g., in manipulating objects to understand theoretical concepts

• Many students arrive at university lacking personal experience in building or repairing objects

• Design-implement activities and other forms of active and experiential learning build the cognitive framework students need to understand the fundamentals more deeply

• In a CDIO approach, learning activities have a dual impact of: – Deepening technical knowledge, while – Developing product, process, and system building skills

CENTRAL QUESTIONS FOR ENGINEERING EDUCATION

WHY do we prepare engineers in undergraduate programs?Students should learn not only engineering science, but engineering science integrated into the context of practice (CDIO Standard 1)

WHAT knowledge, skills and attitudes should students possess as they graduate from university?Learning outcomes for students should be set for disciplinary learning, as well as personal, interpersonal and professional engineering skills, in consultation with stakeholders (CDIO Standard 2)

HOW can we do better at ensuring that students learn these skills?By applying identified effective practices in education, shared with one another, and based on educational research (CDIO Standards 3 through 12)

ENGINEERING 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• Open beginning, open ending, uncertain and changing• Working with others, participation and leadership• Effective communication• Working within resources, on schedule

BENEFITS OF CONTEXTUAL LEARNING

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

BEST PRACTICE: THE CDIO STANDARDS

1. The ContextAdoption of the principle that product. Process, and system lifecycle development and deployment are the context for engineering education 2. Learning OutcomesSpecific, detailed learning outcomes for personal, interpersonal, and product,.process and system building skills, consistent with program goals and validated by program stakeholders 3. Integrated CurriculumA curriculum designed with mutually supporting disciplinary subjects, with an explicit plan to integrate personal, interpersonal, and product, process, and system building skills4. Introduction to EngineeringAn introductory course that provides the framework for engineering practice in product. Process, and system building, and introduces essential personal and interpersonal skills 5. Design-Implement ExperiencesA curriculum that includes two or more design-implement experiences, including one at a basic level and one at an advanced level6. Engineering WorkspacesWorkspaces and laboratories that support and encourage hands-on learning of product, process, and system building, disciplinary knowledge, and social learning

7. Integrated Learning ExperiencesIntegrated learning experiences that lead to the acquisition of disciplinary knowledge, as well as personal, interpersonal, and product, process, and system building skills8. Active LearningTeaching and learning based on active experiential learning methods9. Enhancement of Faculty Skills CompetenceActions that enhance faculty competence in personal, interpersonal, and product and system building skills10. Enhancement of Faculty Teaching CompetenceActions that enhance faculty competence in providing integrated learning experiences, in using active experiential learning methods, and in assessing student learning11. Learning AssessmentAssessment of student learning in personal, interpersonal, and product, process, and system building skills, as well as in disciplinary knowledge12. Program EvaluationA system that evaluates programs against these 12 standards, and provides feedback to students, faculty, and other stakeholders for the purposes of continuous improvement

CDIO IN AEROSPACE SPONSORS

The following sponsors have put resources into supporting development and dissemination.

• NASA (Tony Springer)• Lockheed-Martin• Boeing• Orbital • General Electric• Raytheon

CDIO in AEROSPACE PRODUCTS

Project-Based Learning WorkshopOffered this year at CU (March), USNA (May), MIT (Sept),

Duke (Nov)Abbreviated session (4-hr) for AIAA ASM in OrlandoCDIO Conference (June 2010, Montreal), ASEE (June

2010)Portable Design-Build project guidesDownloadable directions (instructor and student

handouts, materials/tooling lists, budgets, assessment)6 currently in work at MIT, USNA, and CU, ranging in

scope from 4-hours to semester-long (2010 publication)6 to be developed in year 2 project (2011 publication)

Master Teacher workshop for PjBL workshop (2011)

Upcoming CDIO events

Fall Meeting of the CDIO-Americas Region, 10-12 November, Duke UniversitySpring Meeting of the CDIO-Americas Region, Santiago, ChileAnnual Conference of the International CDIO Consortium, June 2010, Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal, Canada.Also- we can come to you (Dave Wisler, MIT/GE, davewisler@mac.com )

See www.cdio.org for details.

OPEN-SOURCE RESOURCES

Available at http://www.cdio.org• The CDIO Syllabus• The CDIO Standards• Start-Up Guidance• Implementation Kit (I-Kit)• Instructional Resource Materials (IRMs)

Other• Rethinking Engineering Education: The CDIO

Approach by Crawley, Malmqvist, Östlund, & Brodeur, 2007

• Annual international CDIO conference• Local, regional, and international workshops

Back-ups

BEST PRACTICE

CDIO Standard 2 -- Learning OutcomesSpecific, 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

• Allows for the design of curriculum• Serves as the basis of student learning assessment

UNDERLYING NEED TO GOALS

Educate students who:• Understand how to conceive-

design-implement-operate• Complex value-added

engineering systems• In a modern team-based

engineering environment

• And are mature and thoughtful individuals

The CDIO Syllabus - a comprehensive statement of detailed goals for an engineering education

1. Technical 3. Inter-personal2. Personal

4. CDIO

Process

Team

Product

Self

THE CDIO SYLLABUS

1.0 Technical Knowledge & ReasoningKnowledge of underlying sciencesCore engineering fundamental knowledgeAdvanced engineering fundamental knowledge

2.0 Personal and Professional Skills & AttributesEngineering reasoning and problem solvingExperimentation and knowledge discoverySystem thinkingPersonal skills and attributesProfessional skills and attributes

3.0 Interpersonal Skills: Teamwork & CommunicationMulti-disciplinary teamworkCommunicationsCommunication in a foreign language

4.0 Conceiving, Designing, Implementing & Operating Systems in theEnterprise & Societal Context

External and societal contextEnterprise and business contextConceiving and engineering systemsDesigningImplementingOperating

CDIO SYLLABUS

• Syllabus at 3rd level of detail

• One or two more levels are detailed

• Rational

• Comprehensive

• Peer reviewed

• Basis for design and assessment

1 TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE AND REASONING1.1. KNOWLEDGE OF UNDERLYING

SCIENCES1.2. CORE ENGINEERING FUNDAMENTAL

KNOWLEDGE1.3. ADVANCED ENGINEERING

FUNDAMENTAL KNOWLEDGE

2 PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL SKILLSAND ATTRIBUTES2.1. ENGINEERING REASONING AND

PROBLEM SOLVING2.1.1. Problem Identification and Formulation2.1.2. Modeling2.1.3. Estimation and Qualitative Analysis2.1.4. Analysis With Uncertainty2.1.5. Solution and Recommendation

2.2. EXPERIMENTATION AND KNOWLEDGEDISCOVERY

2.2.1. Hypothesis Formulation2.2.2. Survey of Print and Electronic

Literature2.2.3. Experimental Inquiry2.2.4. Hypothesis Test, and Defense

2.3. SYSTEM THINKING2.3.1. Thinking Holistically2.3.2. Emergence and Interactions in

Systems2.3.3. Prioritization and Focus2.3.4. Tradeoffs, Judgment and Balance in

Resolution2.4. PERSONAL SKILLS AND ATTITUDES

2.4.1. Initiative and Willingness to TakeRisks

2.4.2. Perseverance and Flexibility2.4.3. Creative Thinking2.4.4. Critical Thinking2.4.5. Awareness of OneÕs Personal

Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes2.4.6. Curiosity and Lifelong Learning2.4.7. Time and Resource Management

2.5. PROFESSIONAL SKILLS ANDATTITUDES

2.5.1. Professional Ethics, Integrity,Responsibility and Accountability

2.5.2. Professional Behavior2.5.3. Proactively Planning for OneÕs Career2.5.4. Staying Current on World of Engineer

3 INTERPERSONAL SKILLS: TEAMWORK ANDCOMMUNICATION3.1. TEAMWORK

3.1.1. Forming Effective Teams3.1.2. Team Operation3.1.3. Team Growth and Evolution3.1.4. Leadership3.1.5. Technical Teaming

3.2. COMMUNICATION3.2.1. Communication Strategy3.2.2. Communication Structure3.2.3. Written Communication3.2.4. Electronic/Multimedia Communication3.2.5. Graphical Communication3.2.6. Oral Presentation and Interpersonal

Communication

3.3. COMMUNICATION IN FOREIGNLANGUAGES

3.3.1. English3.3.2. Languages within the European Union3.3.3. Languages outside the European

Union

4 CONCEIVING, DESIGNING, IMPLEMENTINGAND OPERATING SYSTEMS IN THEENTERPRISE AND SOCIETAL CONTEXT4.1. EXTERNAL AND SOCIETAL CONTEXT

4.1.1. Roles and Responsibility of Engineers4.1.2. The Impact of Engineering on Society4.1.3. SocietyÕs Regulation of Engineering4.1.4. The Historical and Cultural Context4.1.5. Contemporary Issues and Values4.1.6. Developing a Global Perspective

4.2. ENTERPRISE AND BUSINESS CONTEXT4.2.1. Appreciating Different Enterprise

Cultures4.2.2. Enterprise Strategy, Goals and

Planning4.2.3. Technical Entrepreneurship4.2.4. Working Successfully in Organizations

4.3. CONCEIVING AND ENGINEERINGSYSTEMS

4.3.1. Setting System Goals andRequirements

4.3.2. Defining Function, Concept andArchitecture

4.3.3. Modeling of System and EnsuringGoals Can Be Met

4.3.4. Development Project Management4.4. DESIGNING

4.4.1. The Design Process4.4.2. The Design Process Phasing and

Approaches4.4.3. Utilization of Knowledge in Design4.4.4. Disciplinary Design4.4.5. Multidisciplinary Design4.4.6. Multi-objective Design

4.5. IMPLEMENTING4.5.1. Designing the Implementation Process4.5.2. Hardware Manufacturing Process4.5.3. Software Implementing Process4.5.4. Hardware Software Integration4.5.5. Test, Verification, Validation and

Certification4.5.6. Implementation Management

4.6. OPERATING4.6.1. Designing and Optimizing Operations4.6.2. Training and Operations4.6.3. Supporting the System Lifecycle4.6.4. System Improvement and Evolution4.6.5. Disposal and Life-End Issues4.6.6. Operations Management

REMARKABLE AGREEMENT!

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

2.1 E

ngine

ering

Rea

son

2.2 E

xperi

mentat

ion

2.3 S

ystem

s Thin

king

2.4 Pers

onal

Attribu

tes

2.5 Prof

essio

nal A

ttribu

tes3.1

Teamwork

3.2 C

ommun

icatio

n

4.1 Soc

ietal

Contex

t

4.2 Bus

iness

Con

text

4.3 C

once

iving

4.4 D

esign

Proc

ess

4.5 Im

plemen

ting

4.6 O

perat

ing

FacultyIndustryY. AlumO. Alum

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge

1. Exposure

2. Participate

3. Understand

4. SkilledPractice

5. Innovate

SAMPLE SURVEY RESULTS

CURRICULUM MODELS

A strict disciplinary curriculum

Organized around disciplines, with no explicit

introduction of skills

An apprenticeship model

Based on projects, with no organized introductions of

disciplines

A problem-based curriculum

Organized around problems, but with

disciplines interwoven

An integratedcurriculum

Organized around disciplines, but with skills and projects

interwoven

(Disciplines run vertically; projects and skills run horizontally.)