APSC 381

Professor David Strong, P.Eng.

Let me introduce myself…

• Queen’s grad~ ’81 Mech Eng

• 22 Years in Industry…

~ Alcan Research & Development

~ Q-Life Systems

~ Black and Decker

• A Faculty-wide Queen’s Prof since Mar/03~ NSERC Design Chair

Your Instruction Team

• Dave Mody – Engineer in Residence (18 yrs. Industry experience)

• Tom Woodhall – TA (M.Sc. Candidate)

• Jane Brennan – TA (Final Year Mech)

• Glen Arthur – TA (Final Year Civil)

Role of TA’s

• One TA will be present in each class

• Each team will be assigned to one TA

• TA’s will be first contact for assistance outside of class (emails on website)

• TA’s will have posted office hours

• Please ask if you need help!

APSC 381 – Session One

• Background information• Review of objectives and expectations• Class Logistics• Incoming Survey & Skills Assessment• Design Process & Engineering

Responsibility Overview• Team dynamics and design– the IDEO

method• Term project outline

A View from NSERC…

• “To enhance Canada’s economic performance, we have to become more productive, which, in a knowledge-based global economy, means becoming more creative and innovative”

• “One of the major gaps in Canada’s innovation system is the shortage of people with the skills and knowledge to make innovation happen. Specifically we lack design engineers. Design engineers are the enablers of innovation, and if we want to become more successful in innovation, we have to educate and train more of them” NSERC CDE Prospectus, 1999

Why APSC 381?

• Engineering is not just math & science… Engineering and Design are synonymous

• Industry’s expectations

• Student interest and opportunity

• The intro to a design stream

One Definition of Engineering

Engineering: the professional activity of creating artefacts and systems to meet people’s material needs, with:

• Design as the central creative process• Scientific knowledge and economic

considerations as its essential inputs• Public safety as its overriding responsibility

-Dr. Tom Brzustowski, P.Eng, President of NSERC

Science vs. Engineering

• "Scientists discover the world that exists; engineers create the world that never was."

-Theodore Von Karman (aerospace engineer)

APSC 381 Objective

• The overall objective of this course is to provide you with methodologies, tools, insight, and experience for successfully executing engineering design projects.  Based on the knowledge and skills learned in 381, you will not only be well equipped to tackle your final year design project (for those in third year), but will have a sound foundation for future design projects in your engineering career.

The 381 Learning Environment

• Limited lecture material

• Learning by doing

• Interactivity, discussion, debate

• Team learning and support

• Individual responsibility

• Exercises and project to enhance learning

• The classroom is your professional workspace

A Different Perspective…

• Comments from previous students (your TA’s) about APSC 381…

APSC 381 Expectations

• From the email…

• With your help, the class will be very interactive, with much opportunity for discussion and team activities.  We will occasionally have guest speakers to enhance the course material

• I will make every effort to provide an enjoyable, professional, and respectful learning atmosphere, and I will commit to making myself available for student support whenever possible.  In the spirit of continuous improvement, constructive feedback is welcome at any time.  In turn, I have several expectations of you as a class member.  These are as follows:

APSC 381 Expectations

• Attendance is mandatory.   Not only is missing one class equivalent to missing a week of “regular” classes, but you will also be letting your team down, as much of the classroom activities are team-based.  Team meetings for project work will be required outside of class, and attendance at these meetings should also be taken seriously.

• Please be punctual.  We have much to do in every class, and it is important that we start on time in order to end on time.

APSC 381 Expectations

• You are expected to meet deadlines and come to class prepared.  Weekly memos, progress reports, or other assignments must be submitted on time.  No extensions will be given.

• Students are expected to contribute fairly and equitably to team activities, and as such, all team members should have similar workloads.  While occasional differences of opinion may occur, cooperation, collaboration, and democracy rule.  Anonymous peer reviews will be used as a measure of these elements.

• Without exception, any and all material extracted in whole or in part from any source (web, book, newspaper, etc.) must be referenced.  Failure to do so is plagiarism.

• This is a multidisciplinary course, and while examples and project elements may not be specific to your discipline, you will be expected to contribute and occasionally extend your learning beyond your discipline as necessary to support your team.  This, in fact, is typical of industry projects, where you will frequently be expected to work harmoniously with (and learn from) other engineering disciplines, as well as other professions.  Since the design process is generic, the skills you develop will be applicable to all fields of engineering, regardless of the context in which they are learned.

APSC 381 Expectations

• At all times you are expected to exercise respect for your classmates, instructor, TA’s, and guests.  Ethical responsibility, cultural sensitivity, and supportive team behaviour are expected of Professional Engineers, and will be expected in this class.  Humour is always welcome, but not at the expense of others.

Just a few more things…

• Participation, whether in the form of questions, comments, or anecdotes is heartily encouraged.  We can all learn from each other through lively interaction and discussion.

• Any questions or comments so far?

Class Logistics

• Largest 381 class ever – I need your cooperation!

• Preserve active learning and team activity• Lectures/guest speakers in Dupuis 215• Breakouts in ILC 109 and 314 (mandatory

attendance)• Lecture/breakout split will vary• Optional tutorial to follow class• Break ~ mid-evening. Munchie option?

Course Outline & Assessment

• All information is on the course website at:

http://appsci.queensu.ca/courses/APSC381/

Assessment Research

• Tom’s Master’s research…

Incoming Survey & Skills Evaluation

• Skills assessment supports design education research and is not “graded”

• The incoming survey helps us develop the course to meet educational objectives

• Survey is optional, and no identifying information is required (but add it if you wish)

• Please be honest with your responses!

The Design Process

The central activity of engineering, as distinguished from science,

is the design of new devices, processes and systems.

- Myron Tribus

Design Process Exercise

• Get into groups of 3-4

• Discuss and list what you believe to be the steps in the overall design process (in order)

The Design Process, according to one of many design texts…

But don’t pay too much attention to this for now….

from Dominick

An overview of Engineering Design and Responsibility

• My version…

• The closest thing to a typical lecture that you will hear from me all year

APSC 381

• Time for a break!

Where else does it apply?

• Can you think of examples of non-engineering-related activities that would benefit from the use of the design process

Interdisciplinary Teamwork

The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of

themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts.- Bertrand Russell

People Skills

Team vs. Group

• Team– Shared leadership roles– Individual and mutual

accountability– Specific team purpose that

the team itself delivers– Collective work-products– Measures performance

directly by assessing collective work-products

– Encourages open-ended discussion and active problem-solving measures

• Working Group– Strong, clearly focused leader– Individual accountability– Group’s purpose = broader

organizational mission– Individual work-products– Measures its effectiveness

indirectly by its influence on others

– Runs efficient meetings

• From Teamwork and Project Management (Smith,2000) p17

Effective Teams

• Individual and group accountability

• Recognize and develop teamwork skills

• Focus on common goal/single product

• Real work done, usually face-to-face

• Disagree and debate respectfully

• Occasionally reflects on how group is working, celebrates what’s going well, problem-solves what isn’t

Effective Design Teams

• IDEO deep dive– A look at how one very successful design firm

uses effective teamwork and design process…

Multidisciplinary Term Project

Multidisciplinary Project

• Objective: to support and develop design related tools and techniques through application

• Note: you will undoubtedly have to work to some extent outside your discipline….just like engineering practice. Enjoy!

Multidisciplinary Project

• Projects descriptions are posted on the website

• Project bidding and team grouping process

• Project choices submitted to course email by Friday, Jan. 12 @ 4pm

• Deliverables – listed on the website