Innovations in mechanical engineering design and professional skills teaching at University of Birmingham

1. Innovations in mechanical engineering design and professional skills teaching at University of Birmingham Mozafar Saadat School of Mechanical Engineering University of Birmingham University of Birmingham

2. Contents • Design and Professional Skills (DPS) teaching at Birmingham • Expected Learning outcomes and goals of DPS • Innovations in teaching method • Analysis and discussions of the change • Conclusions i. Benefits to students ii. Benefits to the University iii. Benefits to industry University of Birmingham

3. MEng/BEng Mechanical Engineering programme structure at Birmingham University of Birmingham

4. Aim Freshers Engineering Science Highly prepared Mechanical Engineering Graduates for Industry MEng / BEng Mechanical Engineering Programme Mathematics Design Generic and Professional Skills Resources University of Birmingham

5. Professional Skills Elements • Study Skills • Technical report writing • Oral presentation • Enquiry-based learning • Information search • Group working • Engineering Skills • Drawing • Standards • FMECA • CAE • etc. • Professional Skills • Project management • Business innovation • Sustainability • Law • Health and Safety Study Skills + Engineering Skills + Professional Skills + Engineering Science Good Product Design University of Birmingham

6. - Professional Skills (Part 1) - Group Project: Product Design Specification - Professional Skills (Part 2) - Group Project: Detailed Design Professional Skills through: Group Project: Product Design Spec., Conceptual Design Group Project: Product Design Specification, Conceptual and Detailed Design Group Project: Detailed Design University of Birmingham

7. Professional Skills teaching 2006-07 Programme Team Building residential course at Coniston –Report All Lectures: Project Management lectures – IndividualAssignment Business Innovation – Individual Assignment Sustainability – Individual Assignment Health and Safety - Individual Assignment • Design Project over three semesters – WrittenReport and Presentation University of Birmingham

8. Professional Skills teaching 2007-08 Programme Team Building residential course at Coniston –Report All Lectures: Project Management lectures – Assignment Business Innovation – Assignment Sustainability – Assignment Health and Safety - Assignment University of Birmingham

9. Project Management Sustainability Law Integrated Professional Skills and Conceptual Design Group Project Team-Building Business Innovation Health & Safety Professional Skills teaching 2008/09 Programme Lectures: Residential Course at Coniston: Lectures: Production of a single major report a University of Birmingham

10. Design and Professional Skills teaching at University of Birmingham Engineering Skills and Study Skills feeding into small group design Projects and a Design and Build project Workshop Practice Computer Aided Geometric Modelling Team-Building at Coniston Professional Skills Feeding into a Group Conceptual Design Project Engineering Science feeding into a major group, detailed design project University of Birmingham

11. Data: 36 design groups involving 245 students over three years University of Birmingham

12. Benefits to Students • Deeper and much more practical learning of professional skills through a real project • Increased level of enquiry-based learning • Higher, more enthusiastic participation in group work • Reduction of six smaller, unrelated assignments to one major integrated project • Higher quality of design output, leading to better marks • Higher level of preparation to conduct Year 3 group design project University of Birmingham

13. Benefits to the University • Decreased number of assignment administration and marking (Assignments number reduced from 6 to 1) • A more co-ordinated and responsive approach to design teaching • Increased efficiency in the management of the module • Decreased level of student enquiries due to complications of disjointed teaching elements University of Birmingham

14. Benefits to Industry • Recruiting more highly prepared mechanical engineering graduates with more practical and relevant knowledge of engineering science applied to design activity. • Engaging with graduates with increased ability and alertness to integrate and perform more efficiently within an enterprise. • Reduced cost of training, hence assigning graduates to more critical tasks more quickly. University of Birmingham

15. Conclusions • Teaching of mechanical engineering Design and Professional Skills has been rationalised considerably at the University of Birmingham. • Professional Skills teaching have been integrated successfully with the design project. • Students have shown increased enthusiasm through their group work, leading to better quality of output. • New graduates are expected to offer tangible, more practical capabilities in design development and process. • BP have now sponsored mechanical engineering Design and Professional Skills modules at University of Birmingham . University of Birmingham