Integration of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Topics in Design Courses - Experiences and Lessons Learned

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

2011

Publication Title

ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition Conference Proceedings

Conference Name

ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition

Abstract

Teaching and learning a fundamental core course such as Machine Design continues to be fun but a challenging task for many instructors, as well as for students. Strong foundation in Statics and Mechanics of Materials is a must to appreciate the inherent open-endedness that is typical to a Machine Design course. After briefly reviewing the literature, this paper discusses the experiences of including innovation and entrepreneurship topic as a part of one of the design courses taught by the author. Assessment of students' feedback of this effort is also discussed. While the use of math and/or CAE tools enhanced in studying alternative designs, many students still lack the motivation to develop an appreciation for the open-endedness and ambiguity of design requirements. These are some of the attributes for innovation and creativity that may be necessary to develop a mindset in both faculty and students for possible entrepreneurship. Integration of entrepreneurship is done through discussion of case studies, open-ended projects and a discussion of the five (5) principles of innovation. A math professor was also invited to teach a topic on the applications of calculus and statistics in the design and selection of rolling contact bearings. For each mini-project and the final project, the students are asked to write a brief review of NABC analysis. (Need, Approach, Benefits and Competition). The overall appreciation for inclusion of innovation and entrepreneurship topics and the NABC analysis seem to be encouraging.

Comments

ISSN: 2153-5965

Rights Statement

© 2011 American Society for Engineering Education.

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