In this lab you will be introduced to the Engineering Design Method. Similar to the way the Scientific Method guides scientists as they understand the world around us, the Engineering Design Method guides engineers as they solve everyday problems and create new solutions to those problems.
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Student Version
Recommended Prerequisites:
- Good for most students
- Students should have some familiarity with the Scientific Method for comparison
- More guidance and leading questions may be required for quieter students
Key Concepts:
- Understanding the five major steps involved in the Engineering Design Process, and how that process differs from the Scientific Method.
- Identifying problems and sorting them as system problems or design problems
- Understanding the limitations of current designs and why they were created that way
- Distinguishing ‘must have’ features of a design from ‘nice to have’ features
- Using a Concept Scoring Matrix to evaluate and rank various designs prior to prototyping.
Materials:
- Lots of Post-It Notes
- Pencils and paper
- Disposable (paper) hospital gowns
- Example (cloth) hospital gowns
- Tape
- String
- Paper clips
- Scissors