Case Study Based Course A Tool For Teaching Engineering Principles In A Non Engineering Program

In the early 1990's, James Madison University developed a unique baccalaureate degree program. Called Integrated Science and Technology, the program was in response to industry need for university graduates with a broad knowledge of science and technology in conjunction with excellent computer, analytical and problem solving skills. These are welltrained undergraduates with the unique ability to manage a broad range of technologies and solve science, technology, and engineering related problems and the wherewithal to make an immediate contribution to industry. Accomplishing this goal from a teaching viewpoint required a paradigm shift in the way science and engineering courses are traditionally taught in universities. It required the design of courses with sufficient breadth, depth, technical rigor, and relevance to industry and real life. Five years ago, the authors developed a course solely based on real-life engineering problems designed to accomplish these seemingly mutually exclusive goals. In this paper, we discuss our experiences, students' reactions to the course, and some of the issues and dangers associated with this approach in a nonengineering program.