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Addressing Common Problems in Engineering Design Projects: A Project Management Approach
Author(s) -
Moor S. Scott,
Drake Bruce D.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
journal of engineering education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.896
H-Index - 108
eISSN - 2168-9830
pISSN - 1069-4730
DOI - 10.1002/j.2168-9830.2001.tb00618.x
Subject(s) - documentation , project management , task (project management) , milestone , engineering management , schedule , work (physics) , process (computing) , project based learning , project portfolio management , time management , project management triangle , engineering , engineering education , computer science , psychology , mathematics education , systems engineering , mechanical engineering , archaeology , history , programming language , operating system
In using projects to teach engineering design, the instructor faces the question of how to structure the process to insure an effective learning environment without compromising the independence and open‐ended nature of the student's experience. The instructor faces the problems of student time scallop (the tendency to increase effort exponentially as the final deadline approaches), of potential laggards in a group (students doing little work and getting credit for the group's results) and of students learning appropriate work documentation habits. All of these problems are project management issues and project management tools can be used to solve them. This includes both the instructor's and the student's use of project management tools. In our process, students use three key techniques to address these issues: 1. a milestone schedule, 2. regular project review meetings and memos and 3. design memos which document each design task as the project progresses. Greatest success results when students utilize all three of these tasks. Both students and instructors have experienced reduced time scallop. A memo portfolio provides a measure of individual student performance. Students turn in improved projects, learn some basic project management tools, and gain experience at regular documentation of their work.