Human-Centered Design Incorporated in the Freshman Year through an Active Learning Engineering Design Lab: Best Practices, Lessons Learned, and Proposed Improvements
Engineering and design have been given new broader definitions in recent years to include terms such as client-centered, sustainability, and global from organizations like ABET and ASME. Additionally, engineering companies seek more than just a high GPA, but rather interpersonal skills and real-world project experience. Engineering faculty at Lipscomb University recognize the present and coming changes in the field and are seeking ways to improve the curriculum to address these changes. In 2017, the faculty initiated the redesign of the freshman Introduction to Engineering lab course to include key elements of human-centered design throughout an engineering design process experience. One of the unique aspects of the redesigned course is the utilization of partnerships with the Peugeot Center and Engineering for Change to ensure these key elements were implemented properly and sufficiently supported. The long-term goal of this research is to produce a freshman engineering course for Lipscomb University that effectively prepares students for an engineering career through exposure to humanitarian projects with the aid of these partnering organizations. This redesigned course may also serve as an example for other universities that wish to introduce human-centered design and service-learning projects for improved student outcomes with respect to ABET standards. In this paper, best practices and lessons learned are presented from the first iteration of the redesigned course from fall 2017 as well as proposed improvements for the second iteration of the course for fall 2018. Preliminary data and observations from the first iteration of the course are utilized to improve for the second iteration. Highlights from the first iteration include student interactions with clients as well as an understanding of how engineering translates to improving the lives of others. Areas of improvement will involve integrating the lecture period with the lab and providing opportunities for student exposure to disciplines outside their own lab section.
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