Dr. Hamill
Engineering 2021 Recap
We are wrapping up the third year of our Engineering Design & Analysis course offered at Marlborough. Though distance learning presented its challenges, it also reminded us just how important it is to incorporate remote collaboration practices into our curriculum. Students continued to engage in meaningful engineering experiences, including plenty of physical building opportunities and practicing good documentation habits in their engineering notebook. In addition, students digitally shared documentation of their daily activities and progress through weekly reports (Example 1, Example 2) and became proficient in computer aided design. Below is an overview of the projects students engaged in this year and links to examples of student work.
Project 1: Camera Obscura
Purpose: Students get their first experience going through the engineering design process and fabricating their design.
Design Challenge: Design and build a wearable camera obscura with multiple aperture options that can be operated by a single person and accommodates people with limited dexterity. The user must also be able to control the size of the image while wearing.
Deliverables: User Instructions (Example 1, Example 2) and Manufacturing Instructions (Example 1, Example 2)
Project 2: Solve a Peer’s Design Challenge
Purpose: Students learn how to actively include their user in the design process and how to do computer aided design.
Design Challenge: Solve a challenge presented to you by a partner. Examples of design challenges developed by students that they presented to their partner.
Deliverable: Technical Memo (Example 1, Example 2)
Project 3: Safer Buildings
Purpose: Students learn how to collect quantitative data and use it to drive and justify design decisions.
Design Challenge: Redesign an apartment building in Olympia, WA – which is in an earthquake-prone region of the state.
Deliverable: Statement of Qualifications (Example 1, Example 2)