The Evolution Of An Introductory Freshman Engineering Course: From Curriculum Sampler To Integrated Design Application

This paper discusses the experiences at Lake Superior State University (LSSU) with an Introductory Engineering course. In previous years, this course has been team-taught as a sequence of one-week topics covering principle areas of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, Engineering Design and computer skills. This Introductory course has been offered in order to educate students about engineering degree choices, to increase student retention and to provide basic computer skills. Recognizing the need to integrate design into engineering programs as early as possible, and the value of project-based, multidisciplinary team experiences, significant changes were implemented in the course in the Fall 1999 semester. Many of the one-week discipline topics were removed in order to introduce a team-based project that the students performed over one third of the course. We have gathered anecdotal information from student surveys at the conclusion of each semester and analyzed student retention data to assess the success of this course as a method of teaching design and as a student retention aid.