The Common Skills of Problem Solving: From Program Development to Engineering Design

The introduction of engineering design in the first year of the curriculum has become commonplace in order to provide students with early experiences in engineering principles and exposure to real-world applications. Many different approaches to the development and implementation of these courses are used but regardless of the method or specific emphasis, students enrolled in engineering design classes are expected to be problem solvers and to communicate effectively, both verbal and written. We have adapted and integrated a problem-solving and program development methodology originally used in a computer science environment to an introductory engineering design class which helps beginning engineering students develop these important skills. We have also conducted a base-line study in this engineering design course to evaluate this methodology and its impact on students' problem-solving abilities, skills, knowledge, and attitudes in a first-year course on engineering design.