Design Case Studies: a practical approach for teaching machine design

Design Case Studies is one of the new courses that has been developed through the National Science Foundation Coalition, SYNTHESIS, to initiate systemic reform of undergraduate engineering education. The course is designed to update and enhance the design content of the current mechanical engineering curriculum at Tuskegee University. These extensive case studies cover all aspects of the life cycle of selected engineered products in which exemplary design practices have been followed. They provide useful examples of design synthesis, interplay between technical and societal factors, industrial practice, multiple engineering disciplines and business considerations. Moreover, they provide a variety of design experiences, illustrate examples of good and bad engineering, and offer an opportunity to raise questions and discuss solutions. Study issues in reliability, maintenance, marketing, and design for easy assembly and manufacturing are highlighted. Since cases are about real engineering activities, students can compare their judgement and decisions with those made by the professionals and explore the differences and the reasons. The Design Case Studies course has been taught at Tuskegee University as a design elective course since Fall 1993. This paper addresses the course development, implementation current syllabus, and assessment.