Teaching Engineering Decision Making Using A Multidisciplinary Design Paradigm

The important role of “open-ended” problem solving in engineering systems design is well recognized. Open-ended problems are those posed by situations in which the “knowns” and “unknowns” are not obvious and there are a multitude of solutions and various means to achieve solutions. Introducing engineering students to the concept of open-ended problems is an ongoing challenge. Students are often presented with situations that pose open-ended problems and then not provided with a framework in which a solution can be posed or even a manner in which these problems can be discussed. This paper provides taxonomy for this class of engineering problems that is based upon terms and concepts used in Multidisciplinary Design Optimization (MDO). Since MDO is intended to provide a rational basis for design, its terminology is well suited for this application. The paper is intended for both faculty and engineering students as it attempts to describe the concept of an engineering trade study as means to deal with open-ended design problems.