Engineering 100
Designing the Future: An Introduction to Engineering

EGR 100 is an introduction to engineering practice through participation in a semester-long team-based design project. Students develop a sound understanding of the engineering design process, including problem definition, background research, identification of design criteria, development of metrics and methods for evaluating alternative designs, prototype development, and proof of concept testing. Working in teams, students present their ideas frequently through oral and written reports. Reading assignments, in-class discussions, and local field trips challenge students to critically analyze contemporary issues related to the interaction of technology and society.

EGR 100 introduces engineering by engaging students in a socially relevant project: designing educational tools for local public schools.

Students meet with area elementary school teachers to learn their needs and find out what concepts have been difficult to communicate in classes. Each group comes up with an interactive system that must meet certain criteria: Does it illustrate the concept? Is it engaging? Will it appeal to both boys and girls?

Jie Zheng '05 and her team designed a set of ramps submerged in tanks filled with fluids of different colors and viscosities. By rolling balls down the ramps, second-grade students learned about the properties of fluids. The kids were really drawn to the module, says Zheng, and quickly realized that changing any of the variables—the balls, the ramp angle, or the fluid—affected how long it took the ball to reach the bottom of the tank.

After you choose the best design and construct a prototype, the design process isn't over. "It's an iterative process," Zheng says, "where planning and testing are equally necessary and significant."

EGR 100 mirrors requirements of a real-life engineering project: working in teams, writing and presenting a proposal, documenting results and progress, and delivering a final report. Students also talk about the philosophical issues related to science and technology, and each writes an essay—three times during the semester—reflecting their thoughts about the nature of engineering and how they fit into the profession.

"They evolve tremendously," says Dr. Borjana Mikic. "By the end of the semester, they really start to think of themselves as engineers."

 

 

We're trying to excite kids, especially girls, about careers in engineering and science.

Imagine that you are a newly arrived Smith student taking your first-ever engineering course. Your professors assign you to a group of three other students, all as new as you are. Then they explain the assignment, something called "TOYTech" (Training Our Youth Technology)—for which each group must design a toy that illustrates a basic principle of engineering and is gender-neutral, educational, and safe for fifth- and sixth-grade students to use. Teachers from local elementary schools will try out what you create to see how well it works. And you and your teammates have just a few weeks to make a prototype. What would you come up with?

"Designing these educational modules uses the same process as designing a rocket engine."
-Sally Ride