Project-based learning in a freshman engineering course: University-high school partnership

The use of project-based learning with student teams is presented for a freshman-level Introduction to Engineering Design course taught to Civil and Mechanical Engineering students along with junior-level High School students. A project-based approach exposes the students to the concepts and processes involved in engineering design. Approximately 1⁄2 of the course is hands-on activities (using physical and computer models) where the students are able to apply fundamental engineering concepts to real life activities. Examples include forces on structures demonstrated through bridge construction, and fatigue of materials through failure analysis of common household items. All activities are performed in teams of three to four students. Teambuilding concepts are used to illustrate the critical issues of team-work. The other 1⁄2 of the course is devoted to steps in the engineering design process. Students demonstrate mastery of the material at semester’s end by working on a team design project. Each team member has assigned tasks and is held accountable for that portion of the design project. All students are responsible for ensuring that the final project is an integrated work that represents the team effort. Teams are required to build a physical model, complete a technical report and orally present their design. Introduction The curriculum of typical freshman engineering students emphasizes mathematics, physics, English, and other electives in the arts, social sciences, and/or political sciences. The role of engineers in today’s society is not typically emphasized and students do not see the important role that engineers play in meeting societal needs. This paper presents a freshman engineering course that emphasizes the role of engineering in society and introduces the engineering design concept. In addition to the students at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), this course is also offered to junior high school students at Las Vegas Advanced Technologies Academy (ATECH) who have sufficient mathematics and science. To demonstrate the role of engineers, project (problem)-based learning is used in various formats. The role of project (problem)-based learning in engineering education has expanded in the past decade and now undergraduate courses at all levels are utilizing this teaching pedagogy to enhance student learning. The premise of PBL is that the problem drives the learning. The students are asked to determine the information needed to solve the problem and/or project.