Integrated multidisciplinary engineering early design project: approach and reflections

This paper presents the implementation of vertical and horizontal integration of engineering education in an early design project. In this project, multi discipline first year engineering students were asked to design, build and test a device which can generate electricity from green energy sources. The project is embedded in the undergraduate mechanical engineering science course which is a core course for mechanical, automotive, engineering and management and civil engineering students. The structure of the project involves horizontally four first year students from different engineering departments and vertically a fourth year student as a group leader. The primary aims of this study were to investigate the applicability, efficiency and reflections of the early design project in developing the design skills and enhancing the student learning experience. Quantitative and qualitative surveys were conducted and analyzed to capture the reflections of the students and the project supervisors involved. The obtained results showed that the proposed early design project contributed to the personal gain of knowledge of students, improved their design skills and engaged them in constructive multi-disciplinary collaborative work. Also it demonstrated the importance of this design project in attaining the learning from practice and developing self-learning and presentation skills.