© 2006 Baylor University Slide 1 Engineering Method/ Team Building

© 2006 Baylor University Slide 2 Lecture 2: The Engineering Method / Team Building / Creative Problem Solving Approximate Running Time – 44 minutes Distance Learning / Online Instructional Presentation Presented by: Department of Mechanical Engineering & Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Baylor University

© 2006 Baylor University Slide 3 Dr. Carolyn Skurla Speaking Outline –The Engineering Method –Team Building –Creative Problem Solving –Plagiarism Lecture 2 Topics

© 2006 Baylor University Slide 4 Engineers are not defined by their product –Nano-robots –Airplanes –Embedded Computers Engineers are defined by their method –Finding the best change using available resources in an environment of uncertainty What is an Engineer?

© 2006 Baylor University Slide 5 The clergy in Iran engineered the firing of the president. The chessmaster engineered a perfect countermove. The general engineered a coup d'état without the loss of life. “To Engineer”

© 2006 Baylor University Slide 6 The Scientific Method –Well-understood, even by the layperson. –“Science is theory corrected by experiment.” –All variables held constant except one. –“Answer in the back of the book.” –Extensively analyzed by philosophers Why is Engineering Such a Mystery?

© 2006 Baylor University Slide 7 The Engineering Method –Little significant research into the philosophical foundations of engineering. –Can you name an engineer who is wise, well-known, well-read, and scholarly? Contrast with law, economics, medicine, politics, religion, and science –Can you name a public spokesperson in any of these fields? Why is Engineering Such a Mystery?

© 2006 Baylor University Slide 8 Few high school students take engineering courses Liberal arts students are not required to study technology Technology students are required to study liberal arts Why is Engineering Such a Mystery?

© 2006 Baylor University Slide 9 Change: the situation requires a change. Best: the best change is desired... Resources: using the available resources Uncertainty: knowledge about the situation is incomplete and sometimes inconsistent Four Key Elements of Engineering Problems

© 2006 Baylor University Slide 10 Time Measure of Change A B Change

© 2006 Baylor University Slide 11 Four practical difficulties in getting from A to B: –Engineer lacks complete knowledge of the world at A –The exact final state, B, is unknown and cannot be anticipated –There is no single path from A to B –Engineering goals can change during the process The location of B drifts! Change

© 2006 Baylor University Slide 12 Is all change caused by engineers good? –What about unintended consequences? Aswan High Dam in Egypt –Can you think of any engineering disasters? Tacoma Narrows Bridge Kansas City Hyatt Regency Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in U.S.S.R. Change

© 2006 Baylor University Slide 13 Unintended Consequences

© 2006 Baylor University Slide 14

© 2006 Baylor University Slide 15 Increased salinity of the Nile by 10% –Led to collapse of sardine industry Caused coastal erosion Displaced 100,000 Nubians –Drastically altering their way of life Unintended Consequences

© 2006 Baylor University Slide 16 Tangible Resources –Money available for project –Time to complete project –Raw materials (e.g., steel, concrete, silicon) –Computer resources –Number of engineers Intangible Resources –Engineering staff’s past experience with similar projects –Engineering staff’s interest level Available Resources

© 2006 Baylor University Slide 17 Problem  : Estimate the number of ping-pong balls that can fill a room –60 seconds –2 days –Unlimited time Each time limit defines a new engineering problem because the time resource is different Each solution would be correct from an engineering point of view. Time as a Resource

© 2006 Baylor University Slide 18 Best for whom? –Westerners are conditioned to accept Plato’s notion of the ideal –A new concept of “best” Optimization theory –The optimum compromise –Apollo Program Leapfrog learning Political vs. economic tradeoffs Best

© 2006 Baylor University Slide 19 Consider a television with only one knob: Increased knob setting results in sharper picture, Increased knob setting also results in worse sound. Best: Television Example

© 2006 Baylor University Slide 20 Assuming Picture and Sound are Equally Weighted Best: Television Example

© 2006 Baylor University Slide 21 Picture is half as important as Sound (for a person with hearing problems) Best: Television Example

© 2006 Baylor University Slide 22 Engineers are asked to find a solution to a problem while lacking complete information In Change: both the starting and ending points (A & B) are not fully known Resources: intangible resources cannot be quantified, yet they affect the outcome Best: the best design is not always clear, best for whom? Uncertainty

© 2006 Baylor University Slide 23 Your future employer requires teamwork skills Student-centered learning is encouraged –Active learning –Collaborative learning –Cooperative learning Positive interdependence Individual accountability Face-to-face interaction Appropriate use of interpersonal skills Regular self-assessment of group functioning Why Work in Teams?

© 2006 Baylor University Slide 24 Improved –Student-faculty interaction –Student-student interaction –Grades & information retention –Teamwork & interpersonal skills –Communication skills –Training for the professional work environment Benefits of Cooperative Learning

© 2006 Baylor University Slide 25 Thinking Aloud Pairs Problem-Solving (TAPPS) –Students form pairs Problem-Solver (PS) –Talks through solution to the problem Listener (L) –Questions –Prompts PS to keep talking –Gives clues when necessary –Short training exercise Creative Problem Solving

© 2006 Baylor University Slide 26 EXERCISE 1:TRAVELS OF A BOOKWORM IIIIIIIV How many covers did the worm eat through? (Call this x.) How many texts did the worm eat through? (Call this y.) Where is page 1 of Volume I? Where is the last page of Volume IV? TAPPS Training Exercise - Solution

© 2006 Baylor University Slide 27 EXERCISE 2: BCOR S D P W Clue 1 XX Clue 2 X XXX Clue 3 X X X XX X Clue 4 TAPPS Training Exercise - Solution

© 2006 Baylor University Slide 28 “Plagiarism is using others' ideas and words without clearly acknowledging the source of that information.” 1 1 Writing Tutorial Services, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN Plagiarism

© 2006 Baylor University Slide 29 “To avoid plagiarism, you must give credit whenever you use –another person's idea, opinion, or theory; –any facts, statistics, graphs, drawings--any pieces of information--that are not common knowledge; –quotations of another person's actual spoken or written words; or –paraphrase of another person's spoken or written words.” 1 1 Writing Tutorial Services, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN How Can Students Avoid Plagiarism?

© 2006 Baylor University Slide 30 Go to the Indiana University’s website on plagiarism. – –Explore the links, examples, and quizzes until you are ready to attempt the test. –Print the confirmation certificate, fill it out, sign it, and: Fax a copy to your instructor OR Scan it and a copy to your instructor How to Avoid Plagiarism?

© 2006 Baylor University Slide 31 Sample #1: Responsible engineering wastes neither physical nor mental resources. Economic constraints are often imposed by the demands of the marketplace. Sample #2: According to Petroski, “Responsible engineering wastes neither physical nor mental resources [1].” Marketplace demands often impose economic constraints. Bibliography: 1. Petroski, Henry. To Engineer is Human: The Role of Failure in Successful Design. Vintage Books, New York (1992). Unacceptable Plagiarism Exercise

© 2006 Baylor University Slide 32 Sample #3: According to Petroski, responsible engineering wastes neither physical nor mental resources [1]. Bibliography: 1. Petroski, Henry. To Engineer is Human: The Role of Failure in Successful Design. Vintage Books, New York (1992). Sample #4: According to Petroski, “Responsible engineering wastes neither physical nor mental resources [1].” He also states that marketplace realities may necessitate fiscal limitations. Bibliography: 1. Petroski, Henry. To Engineer is Human: The Role of Failure in Successful Design. Vintage Books, New York (1992). Unacceptable Acceptable Plagiarism Exercise

© 2006 Baylor University Slide 33 This Concludes Lecture 2

© 2006 Baylor University Slide 34 References Koen, Billy Vaughn, Discussion of The Method, Oxford University Press, 2003 Egypt map from CIA website: Aswan Dam photo: AswanHighDam_Egypt.jpg