Work in progress: Framework for developing design-centric engineering curricula

Abstract

Research and reports show that design experience is a critical component of an engineering undergraduate program. However, in most engineering curricula, the approach in design education is more theoretical than practical and is bookended with a first-year design introduction course and a final-year capstone design project, which limit the design experience of the students and give negative implications to their design capabilities. While there have been many attempts to address the issue, student design experience continues to be an area of concern in engineering curricula. This paper presents the preliminary result of review of models, theories and practices employed in design-centric engineering curriculum. It is hoped that the completion of this research will provide a comprehensive but flexible framework that will aid engineering curricularists in developing engineering curricula centered on design with consideration of global standards and different contexts in engineering education.