Resumen de An approach for improving design and innovation skills in engineering education: the multidisciplinary design stream
Engineering practice is multidisciplinary by nature. While some engineering projects may require discipline-specific specialists, thevast majority of engineering practice is carried out either by an engineering team of mixed disciplines, or by individual engineerswho are competent across multiple fields. In both Canada and the US, engineering accreditation boards have recognized the needfor students to develop at least a modest level of competency to function in multidisciplinary teams prior to graduation.Recognizing the growing need for enhanced design education and multidisciplinary competency for undergraduate students, in 2005Queen’s University introduced an elective series of courses known as the Multidisciplinary Design Stream (MDS), available tostudents from all engineering disciplines. The first course in the stream is offered over one term at the third year level andincorporates a broad range of lecture topics and interactive learning activities that are further reinforced with a concurrent designproject in multidisciplinary teams of four students. The continuing course spans the final two terms at the fourth year level andenhances students’ design, professional, and problem solving skills through their application in multidisciplinary teams on funded,industry-sponsored projects. Every team is supervised by one or more faculty members or ‘engineers in residence’, all of whomhave significant engineering professional practice experience. The MDS has been filled to capacity since its second year ofoperation. Student feedback after graduation is very positive, and client response has typically been outstanding, reinforced with avery high rate of year over year client return. Student surveys and a design skills assessment provide significant evidence ofincreased design competency.
