Tracking Design Elements in a Mechanical Engineering Curriculum
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Publication Details
Author list: Oladiran MT, Uziak J, Kommula VP
Publisher: Trans Tech Publications
Place: STAFA-ZURICH
Publication year: 2012
Journal: Advanced Materials Research (1022-6680)
Journal acronym: ADV MATER RES-SWITZ
Volume number: 367
Start page: 601
End page: 610
Number of pages: 10
ISBN: 978-3-03785-270-5
ISSN: 1022-6680
Languages: English-Great Britain (EN-GB)
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Abstract
Design activity is core to modern engineering practice. Some design experience is demanded by professional bodies that accredit degree engineering programmes (e.g. ABET and ECSA). The purpose of this paper is to track design related topics through the curriculum of the mechanical engineering degree programme at the University of Botswana. A questionnaire was designed and administered to staff teaching on the programme. The responses were used to map design components in the curriculum and assess the design experience of students. The results showed that design topics were delivered in various courses and the knowledge gained by students increased steadily from Year 3 to Year 5. Some observed deficiencies in the teaching of design included lack of industry recommended projects, negligible application of design software, and the use of only single discipline based problems (i.e. no multi disciplinary teaching approach). It was concluded that a programme review is needed to improve the pedagogy of design and enhance programme robustness. It is envisaged that the study will help in designing a new mechanical engineering curriculum to satisfy accreditation requirements.
Keywords
accreditation, Curriculum, Design, Mechanical engineering
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