Project: Spring 2014 Engineering Design/Development

Step Description Expected Student Results
1 Unit 4 Lesson 4.2.1 Build the Prototype


Preface

A well-designed and well-built prototype will
make testing and the evaluation of the test data more
realistic and valuable. Students typically view this lesson
as the most exciting because they are actively engaged in
building their prototypes. Using the agreed upon step-by-
step explanation of the assembly directions will be
important since all members of the team will have their own
way of approaching the building of the prototype. Continued
emphasis on the brainstorming technique will result in a
better assembly procedure for their prototype. The
modifications reinforce the importance of continued
improvement across a project’s lifespan. Engineers seldom
have a design solution that satisfies all criteria on the
first try. Engineering change orders (ECOs) are a fact of
life for design teams. Keep in mind that the materials used
for the prototypes may have to be adjusted based on
availability and access to the equipment necessary for the
fabrication process.

At the end of this lesson, students should have a prototype
that is ready for testing. Encourage the students to take
the time to produce high-quality work so that they will have
credible data to evaluate.

Concepts

1. Material and equipment requirements are defined by
creating a materials and cost analysis during the
prototyping phase of a project.

2. Virtual solutions for designs allow engineers to plan,
test, and prepare for building a prototype.

3. Designers must consider characteristics such as
strength and weight of materials and fastening procedures to
be sure that the final design meets design specifications.

4. Prototypes can generally be broken down into
subsystems in order to isolate problems and conduct
incremental testing.

5. Engineers write step-by-step instructions for the
prototype assembly to guide the fabrication of the design
solution.

Student task: Correspond with your mentor and share your
sketches, CAD drawing, and resources you have to start
building your prototype. Share your build procedure with
your mentor.

Mentor task: Evaluate the student's sketches and CAD
drawings. Have a conversation about materials that would
work best for their idea. 		Unit 4

Performance Objectives

It is expected that students will:

· (required mentor input) Correspond with professionals
and experts to acquire the resources needed to build their
prototypes.

· (Created in Semester 1) Sketch and annotate ideas and
details while designing a prototype.

· (Created in Semester 1) Create virtual designs of a
prototype.

· (Created in Semester 1) Create a step-by-step plan
for building a prototype.
2 Unit 4 Lesson 4.2.1 Build the Prototype (continued)


Student Task 1: Share your math and science concepts with
your mentor. Have them evaluate your calculations to make
sure they a accurate.

Mentor Task 1: Have a conversation with the student about
the math and science they are using in their project. If
needed, recommend changes that will improve their design.

Student Task 2: Share the material you are using on your
project. What is the material(s)? Where did you buy it or
get it donated from? How much did you spend? Share what
machines you will use to construct your prototype. What
will have to be done outside of class?

Mentor Task 2: Evaluate the student's materials and
construction techniques. Make suggestions about other
possible material they have not thought about.

Student Task 3: Share your bill of materials with your
mentors. Have you mentor make suggestions about other
content that should be in the bill of material.

Mentor Task: Share with the student how a bill of material
is used at your business. Provide feedback on all student
work on this task. Share with the student the value of
iteration (student draft, mentor feedback, new draft) and
ask the student to show you how your feedback was
incorporated into the outcome of this step. 		Unit 4

Performance Objectives

It is expected that students will:

· (required mentor input) Use scientific, mathematical,
and engineering concepts to design a prototype.

· (required mentor input) Evaluate choices of materials
and fastening procedures for a prototype design.

· (required mentor input) Determine and document
resource needs, including a bill of materials, tools,
equipment, and knowledge required
to build a prototype.
3 Unit 4 Lesson 4.2.1 Build the Prototype (continued)


Concepts

1. Prototyping provides the engineer with a scaled
working model of the design solution.

2. The construction of a physical model can enhance the
quality, efficiency, and productivity of the final product.

Student Task: Incorporate mentor feedback on your
prototype. When you have your prototype working, ask
your mentor how they test new products at their business.

Mentor Task: Have a conversation about the testing
procedures that you have experienced. Provide feedback on
the student's prototype and ask the student to show you how
your feedback was incorporated.
Unit 4


· (required mentor input) Identify opportunities to
incrementally test a
prototype.
4 Unit 5 – Test, Evaluate, and Refine the Solution
Lesson 5.1 Plan the Test Phase


Concepts

1. In order to gather useful data, specific criteria for
success or failure of a test must be determined before
testing begins.

2. Prototype testing is a controlled procedure that is
used to evaluate a specific aspect of a design solution.

3. A detailed description of the testing procedure helps
to ensure that the results of the design solution testing
are valid.

4. Data can be classified as either quantitative because
it can be measured or qualitative because it describes a
quality or categorization.

Preface

Why test at all? In engineering and science, a test is
conducted to either prove a hypothesis or to answer a
question. For instance, a tensile test can answer the
question, “How much tension can this material safely
withstand?” The strength of a material can only be
determined by testing it under very precise and controlled
circumstances. Or perhaps a skateboard deck was designed to
withstand repetitive loading resulting from a 200 pound
person jumping 24 in. high and landing on the deck over and
over. Testing can help prove the hypothesis that the deck
can safely withstand the design loads. In EDD, students will
need to determine either what question they are trying to
answer or how they can prove that their prototype performs
as designed. Either way, it is important to identify exactly
what data is needed and exactly how the test will be
conducted.

Activity 5.1.1 Test Criteria

Introduction

Generating solutions to a technical problem may seem easy;
however, in order to ensure that your design does, in fact,
solve the problem, you need to test your solution. Testing
should be designed to verify that the design specifications
have been met and that the design performs as intended. Test
criteria provide the benchmarks or standards against which
you will compare the results of the tests that you perform
on your prototype. When you formulate test criteria, always
identify a specific question that you will answer or a
specification that you will address. Consider both
quantitative and qualitative data requirements. Quantitative
refers to data that can be measured, such as mass, time, or
distance, and is represented by numerical values.
Qualitative refers to data that cannot be measured but that
describes some quality or categorization and may be
informal. Qualitative data can be pass-fail (attractive-
unattractive), yes-no (hot-cold), or categorical data
(gender, religion, excellent-average-poor).


Student Task 1: Ask your mentor about different ways of
testing a new prototype. Share your ideas on how you will
test your prototype.

Mentor Task 1: Share with the student your experience with
testing prototypes. Give feedback to the student about how
they will test the prototype.

Student Task 2: Discuss with your mentor ways to validate
and verify test results. What methods should you use.

Mentor Task 2: Brainstorm with your student proper ways to
create a test.

Student Task 3: Develop a list of testing criteria and share
it with your mentor.

Mentor Task 3: Give feedback about the testing criteria.
Make suggestions to make it better.
 Unit 5

Performance Objectives

It is expected that students will:

· (required mentor input) Select and describe a valid
testing method that will be used to accurately evaluate the
effectiveness of their design solution in solving the
problem.

· (required mentor input) Prepare a description of the
testing method that will be used to validate and verify the
design solution.

· (required mentor input) Create a valid justification
for the selected testing method.

· (required mentor input) Devise a list of testing
criteria that will be used to evaluate the prototype and
determine the success or failure of the design solution.
5 Spring Break Spring Break
6 Unit 5 – Test, Evaluate, and Refine the Solution
Lesson 5.1 Plan the Test Phase

Project 5.1.2 Test Procedure

Introduction

Consider the things you do every day. Many of these
activities have set procedures and methods to ensure
successful completion of the task. Think about dressing in
the morning. It would be ridiculous to put your shoes on and
then attempt to put your socks on over them or to brush your
teeth and then put the toothpaste on the brush. In the
science classroom, there are set lab procedures to be
followed to ensure the successful completion of the lab. If
you have ever performed a dissection on a specimen, you know
that it is necessary to remove the organs in the proper
sequence with the correct tools or the specimen will be
damaged. Athletes usually follow a prescribed sequence of
warm-ups and stretching exercises to help prevent injury.
Without this, they would put themselves at risk of an injury
that could sideline them for the remainder of the season, or
even end their career.

Student Task 1: After creating your testing document, share
it with your mentor. Seek feedback from experts on your
testing plans.

Mentor Task 1: Is the test valid? What are the limitations
of their testing method? 		Unit 5

(required mentor input) Identify, define, and
implement necessary modifications to testing methods based
on expert feedback and ongoing research.
7 Unit 5 – Test, Evaluate, and Refine the Solution
Lesson 5.1 Plan the Test Phase


Preface

Many engineering and product failures are well documented.
Most of the infamous examples involve tragedies such as
bridge collapses, oil leaks, or an event that has a major
negative impact on the environment or people. In fact, many
engineering and product failures occur that few people ever
hear about. Some products fail because they do not sell –
they may not have been marketed well or they may not be
desirable. But often a product fails because it does not
perform the intended or advertised function or because it
breaks easily. A product that does not perform the function
for which it was purchased has little value at any cost. A
lot can be learned from visiting the clearance aisle where
many failed consumer products end up.

Testing is intended to verify that a product does, in fact,
successfully solve the problem that it was intended to
solve. While decisions involving sales and marketing can be
subjective, well-designed and implemented tests can provide
clear evidence that the product will safely meet consumer
needs and perform its intended function.

Students designed their test(s) in the previous lesson. In
this lesson they will carry out their tests and determine
whether or not their designs meet the product
specifications. Based on testing results, students may have
to face some tough decisions about their next steps. If the
results of the test(s) indicate that their design does not
meet the expectations, they may have to return to a previous
step in the design process to rethink and revise the design.
The critical design review should provide clarity about how
to move forward.

Concepts

1. The results of prototype testing are used to refine
the design and to improve the design solution.

2. Design reviews are used at crucial stages of the
design process to gather input and perspective in order to
determine how to proceed with a design.


Lesson 5.2 Test the Prototype

Project 5.2.1 Test and Evaluate the Prototype

Introduction

What is the purpose of the test? Is it to validate your
predictions or is it to answer a question? How do you know
that a test is successful? These are only a few of the
questions that designers answer when testing a prototype or
system and evaluating their test results.

A design solution may solve the technical problem at hand,
but what if the test isn’t accurate or repeatable? Does the
engineer immediately revisit the design process? No, the
engineer would seek input from other experts to troubleshoot
the testing results. This is exactly what your team is going
to do . . . run a test, collect data, and seek the advice of
experts on the evaluation of the testing results.

Student Task 1: Perform the testing procedure(s) at least
three times and collect data for each test on the forms that
you created in Project 5.1.2 Test Procedure. Are your test
results accurate? Is your testing procedure repeatable?
Share your results with your mentor.

Mentor Task 1: Help the students evaluate their testing.
Should they retest using your recommendations.

Project 5.2.2 Critical Design Review

Introduction

A critical design review is an important assessment of your
project as you near the end of the design process. A design
review could be completed at any point in the design
process, and undoubtedly your team has done this both
formally and informally. A more formal design review,
however, is a more focused effort and includes all important
stakeholders in addition to experts. During the design
review, you will evaluate what has been accomplished and
decide what to do next.

Student Task 2: Set up a critical design review with your
mentor using Project 5.2.2. Decide with your mentor if you
should continue to modify your design.

Mentor Task 2: Make recommendations after this meeting on
what could be modified to make the project better. 		Unit 5

Performance Objectives

It is expected that students will:

· (required mentor input) Conduct testing of their
prototype.

· (required mentor input) Design and participate in a
critical design review to evaluate their prototype and
determine how their project will proceed.

· (required mentor input) Identify, define, and
implement necessary modifications to their design based upon
their test results.
8 Unit 5 – Test, Evaluate, and Refine the Solution
Lesson 5.2 Test the Prototype

Project 5.2.3 Redesign and Refine

Introduction

Your team has just completed your critical design review.
During this review your team and the panel should have come
to consensus as to whether or not your prototype testing is
complete for this project. You might make some modifications
to your prototype design. For other design aspects, you will
not make modifications but will document suggested changes
or reflect on why your design will not work and why. There
are various reasons for justifying next steps. Factors such
as limited remaining time or budget may drive this decision.
Sometimes a design will not work, but your attempt and
methods could benefit you or others in the future as they
try to tackle the same problem. Regardless of your strategy,
documentation is important.

Student Task 1: Based on Project 5.2.3 Redesign and Refine,
decide with your mentor if you should further modify and
retest your prototype.

Mentor Task 1: Make suggestions on what the student should
do. Evaluate time, budget, etc. to see if it is possible.


 Unit 5

Performance Objectives

It is expected that students will:

· (required mentor input) Identify, define, and
implement necessary modifications to their design based upon
their test results.
9 Unit 6 – Communicate the Process and Results
Lesson 6.1 Documentation and Presentation

Project 6.1.1 Project Portfolio

Preface

From high-level research to simple weather observations, all
scientific endeavors yielding useful data must be written
and reported in a meaningful way in order to share the
gathered information. Without the sharing of information,
there is very little purpose in gathering it. Project
documentation for this course can take on many different
forms. Process documentation in the form of a project
portfolio (hard copy or electronic) is required from all
student teams. In addition, student teams should provide
outcome documentation. Choices for output documentation
formats that are presented in this lesson include PowerPoint
presentation, three panel display board, or website
creation.



In a practical sense, the mastery of research techniques and
the ability to organize, evaluate, and present information
are professional skills at which all students should become
proficient. Many reports used in business and industry today
are the result of meticulous research procedures. Most
college papers are a form of technical research writing.
Knowing where to find information, how to document original
research, and how best to organize and present this
information are valuable skills in many professional and
scholarly undertakings. In addition, the selection of
meaningful visual aids and written text are as important to
the success of a presentation as the dialog used by the
presenter. Both emphasize important points being made in the
presentation and often convey information better than
dialog.



The goal of this lesson is to introduce students to the
necessary skills to convey information about their project.
They will explore a variety of formats with which to present
a summary of their research project.

Concepts

1. The use of presentation software allows designers to
present visual aids and project information in a
professional manner.

2. The media format used for a presentation is chosen in
order to effectively communicate the design solution process
to a target audience.

3. Presentations and displays of work provide the means
to effectively promote and justify the implementation of a
project.

4. A well-done presentation can enhance the perception
of the quality of work completed for a team project.


Introduction

Your team has just completed your critical design review.
During this review your team and the panel should have come
to consensus as to whether or not your prototype testing is
complete for this project. You might make some modifications
to your prototype design. For other design aspects, you will
not make modifications but will document suggested changes
or reflect on why your design will not work and why. There
are various reasons for justifying next steps. Factors such
as limited remaining time or budget may drive this decision.
Sometimes a design will not work, but your attempt and
methods could benefit you or others in the future as they
try to tackle the same problem. Regardless of your strategy,
documentation is important.

Student Task 1: Discuss with your mentor what documents and
data should be in a portfolio. Share the documents you want
to use for your portfolio.

Mentor Task 1: Share your expertise on the use of a
portfolio. Evaluate the students documents that they want
to use in their portfolio.

Student Task 2: Ask your mentor about presenting your
portfolio to a group of professionals. Share your
presentation with your mentor.

Mentor Task 2: Share your experience in giving presentations
in you job. Evaluate the students presentation and make
suggestions to make it better.

 Unit 6

Performance Objectives

It is expected that students will:

· (required mentor input) Gather data and information
compiled throughout the project and create a project
portfolio and presentation of their design solution.

· (required mentor input) Identify appropriate
techniques for delivering formal presentations.

· (at school) Orally present an effective technical
presentation on the chosen design solution.