1. Reframing Engineering Education

2. The 50 CDIO Collaborators
(As of Feb 2010)
Chalmers (Sweden)
Linkoping (Sweden)
Queen’s (Canada)
Queen’s
(N. Ireland)
Jonkoping (Sweden)
Hogeschool Gent (Belgium)
Hochschule (Wismar)
Lancaster (UK)
Ecole (Canada)
KTH (Sweden)
Sydney (Australia)
Pretoria
(S. Africa)
Bristol (UK)
Liverpool (UK)
Auckland (NZ)
Umea (Sweden)
DTU (Denmark)
MIT (US)
SP (Singapore)
Naval Academy (US)
California State (US)
Shantou (China)
Colorado (US)
Daniel Webster College (US)
Turku (Finland)
Calgary (Canada)
Helsinki Metropolia Uni of Applied Sci (Finland)
ISEP (Portugal)
Tsing Hua (China)
Queensland (Australia)
Politecnico di Milano (Italy)

3. DRIFT OF ENGINEERING EDUCATION
Personal, Interpersonal Skills
Product, Process & System Building Skills
Disciplinary Knowledge
Pre-1950s: Practice
1960s: Science & practice
1980s: Science
2000: CDIO
Engineers need both dimensions, and we need to develop an education that delivers both 3 3

4. Why CDIO Initiative ?
Feedback from industries, graduates and practising engineers that certain important professional skills are not developed in the existing curriculum.
Meeting standards and criteria set by accreditation bodies such as ABET- Accreditation Board for Engineering & Technology
Falling Engineering Enrolment as well as students finding that engineering is too dry and theoretical in the first year of study 4 4

5. Goals of CDIO To educate students who are able to
master a deeper working knowledge of the technical fundamentals
lead in the creation and operation of new products, processes and systems
understand the importance and strategic impact of research and technological development on society
And to attract and retain students in Engineering 5 5

6. Why call it CDIO? Conceive- Design-Implement-Operate is the context of
Engineering Education
We believe that every graduating engineer should be able to:
Conceive-Design-Implement-Operate complex value-added engineering products, processes, and systems in a modern, team-based environment
(Crawley et al 2007)

7. CDIO Is Not A Cookie Cutter Approach
CDIO Skills Workshop 1
CDIO Is Not A Cookie Cutter Approach
Can and should be customized to the context and conditions of each institution
Not a prescriptive educational model
Local faculty ownership is key

8. CENTRAL QUESTIONS FOR ENGINEERING EDUCATION
WHAT knowledge, skills and attitudes should students possess as they graduate from university?
HOW can we do better at ensuring that students learn these skills?

9. CDIO OVERVIEW
The activities within the CDIO Initiative are based on two key documents
CDIO Syllabus (the ‘what’ of CDIO)
CDIO Standards (the ‘how’ of CDIO) 9 9

10. CDIO Syllabus (course document)
The CDIO Syllabus defines the desired outcomes for graduating students.

11. CDIO Syllabus Technical Knowledge & Reasoning:
Knowledge of underlying sciences
Core engineering fundamental knowledge
Advanced engineering fundamental knowledge
Personal and Professional Skills & Attributes
Experimentation and knowledge discovery
System thinking
Personal skills and attributes
Professional skills and attributes
Interpersonal Skills: Teamwork & Communication
Multi-disciplinary teamwork
Communications
Conceiving, Designing, Implementing & Operating Systems in the Enterprise & Societal Context
External and societal context
Enterprise and business context
Conceiving and engineering systems
Designing
Implementing
Operating 11 11

12. CDIO Standards define the distinguishing features of a CDIO program,
serve as guidelines for program reform,
create benchmarks and goals that can be applied worldwide,
provide a framework for continuous improvement,

13. CDIO Standards Standard 1 - CDIO as Context
Standard 2 - CDIO Syllabus Outcomes
Standard 3 - Integrated Curriculum
Standard 4 - Introduction to Engineering
Standard 5 - Design-Build Experiences
Standard 6 - CDIO Workspaces
Standard 7 - Integrated Learning Experiences
Standard 8 - Active Learning
Standard 9 - Enhancement of Faculty CDIO Skills
Standard 10 - Enhancement of Faculty Teaching Skills
Standard 11 - CDIO Skills Assessment
Standard 12 - CDIO Program Evaluation

14. Implementation of CDIO in SP
October 2006
13 engineering programmes revised and restructured
the School of Architecture and Built Environment,
the School of Chemical and Life Sciences,
the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, and
the School of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering.
The School of Digital Media and Info-communications Technnology (implementing in Apr 2010)

15. used and accurately measured in the Assessment System.
CDIO Skills Workshop 1
Curriculum Alignment
Learning
Outcomes
CDIO
SKILL(S)
Assessment
System
Learning Designs/
Activities
This slides identifies the 3 most important components of the curriculum (learning outcomes, Instructional methods/strategies and assessment), which need to be planned in unison to achieve consistency of purpose. For example, the assessment strategy must validly assess the learning outcomes.Similarly, the instructional methods and strategies must be those which offer the best opportunities for facilitating the types of learning identified in the learning outcomes
In basic terms this means that the CDIO Skill(s) incorporated in the Learning
Outcomes must be effectively taught through the Learning Designs/Activities
used and accurately measured in the Assessment System. 15

16. Disciplinary Subject Linkage
To show how knowledge and skills are connected and developed within a discipline
To demonstrate how disciplines work together as dynamic and related systems

17. How it works Evaluation SP Customized CDIO SKILLS Infuse CDIO Skills
CDIO Skills Workshop 1
How it works
SP Customized
CDIO SKILLS
(Competency areas
with underpinning
Knowledge)
Evaluation
Infuse CDIO Skills
Into Course &
Module structure
Produce Learning
Designs and
Activities for
developing
competence
This is the advanced organizer for the 2-day workshop. We will be covering:
SP customized CDIO skills. Firstly, we will be looking at what are the CDIO skills that will be infused into the curriculum. There are about 13 CDIO skills but we have selected to infuse 3 for a start (That’s the good news). The 13 skills were identified by MIT and 4 Swedish Universities – the original initiators of CDIO. We have customized the skills for SP’s context. We will study the underpinning knowledge of 3 skills in some detail to understand them better
Next, we will explore how we can infuse the 3 CDIO skills into your course and module curriculum. One of the practices that CDIO advocates is a curriculum that includes learning experiences that lead to the acquisition of personal, interpersonal, and product and system building skills, integrated with the learning of disciplinary content. The teaching of personal, interpersonal and, “product & system building” skills should not be considered an addition to an already full curriculum, but an integral part of it. Pl. note that not all the skills have to be infused into any one module. We will have to decide which skill lends itself to which module. In some cases, you are already been “teaching” or “using” the skills. The task is then to make this explicit.
After deciding in which module the skills lend themselves, we will design learning activities for developing the skill.
Finally, we will be looking at how we can assess the 3 skills.
ESD will support by providing the necessary training & advice.
Please note when you implement & put CDIO into practice, there should be constant evaluation going on in the background on the strengths & challenges. This will help you tweak your implementation to make it more effective.
Incidentally, later on we will be covering the concept of ITU or (Introduction, Teaching & Utilization). What I’m doing now is an example of the “I” part i.e. “Introduction”.
(To the participants) – Any Questions?
Produce
Assessment
Items for assessing
competence
ESD
Support 17

18. CDIO Teamwork Competence
Form Effective Teams
Identify the components of an effective team
Identify the stages of team formation
Identify team roles and their impact on team performance
Analyze the strengths and weakness of a team
Manage and Participate in Teams
Identify goals and agenda
Apply team ground rules
Apply facilitation and conflict resolution strategies
Display teamwork, including leadership, in a range of
team role situations

19. Focus on Active & Experiential Learning
Learning is not a spectator sport. Students do not learn much just by sitting in
class listening to teachers, memorizing pre-packaged assignments, and spitting
out answers. They must talk about what they are learning, write about it, relate
it to past experiences, apply it to their daily lives. They must make what they learn
part of themselves.
(Chickering & Gamson)
However, the teaching and learning approach is
eclectic and advocates using
methods that are appropriate to the learning outcomes

20. DESIGN-BUILD EXPERIENCES
Provide authentic real world simulated learning experiences
Naturally infuses both technical and process skills (e.g., teamwork, communications, thinking, etc)
Remember, engineering students tend to be kinesthetic learners, the learn by doing. Also, they tend to progress from the concrete to the abstract.
DTU Design & Innovation Lightweight Shelter Project

21. Introduction to Engineering
To motivate students to study engineering
Making the learning experiences more practical and real world based
Integrate both technical and essential process skills (e.g., thinking, teamwork, communication)
Capstone
Disciplines
This course should provide the students with a “hands on” experience as early in the program as possible. Projects in this course should be short duration and have small teams.
Intro

22. Assessment Approach
CDIO Skills Workshop 1
As with the pedagogic approach, eclectic but a greater
emphasis on:
Authentic Assessment – real world learning tasks that integrate a range of knowledge and skills
Formative Assessment – focusing on the learning process, rapid clear and constructive feedback
“Teaching, learning, and assessment merge into one seamless enterprise”
(Perkins)
All the of the above methods of assessment can validly assess thinking - proving they are appropriately designed for such purposes.
Identify that performance-based assessments will need to be a more significant assessment component than prior in many cases – show slides to reinforce 22

23. Evidence Standard 1 - CDIO as Context* Mission statement
Faculty and students who can articulate mission
Standard 2 -
CDIO Syllabus Outcomes*
Program learning outcomes
Validation for content and proficiency levels with key stakeholders
Standard 3 -
Integrated Curriculum*
Document plan integrating CDIO skills
Inclusion of CDIO skills in modules
Standard 4 -
Introduction to Engineering
Student acquisition of essential CDIO skills
High student interest in engineering

24. Evidence Standard 5 - Design-Build Experiences*
Two or more design-build modules in curriculum
Co-curricular opportunities
Standard 6 -
CDIO Workspaces
Adequate spaces and engineering tools
High levels of satisfaction with workspaces
Standard 7 -
Integrated Learning Experiences*
Evidence of CDIO skills and disciplinary skills in learning experiences
Involvement of key stakeholder
Standard 8 - Active Learning
Successful implementation of active learning methods
High levels of student achievement and satisfaction

25. Evidence Standard 9 - Enhancement of Faculty CDIO Skills*
Commitment of resources to faculty development
Majority of faculty with competence in CDIO
Standard 10 - Enhancement of Faculty Teaching Skills
Majority of faculty with competence in teaching and assessment methods
Standard 11 -
CDIO Skills Assessment*
Assessment methods matched to learning outcomes
Successful implementation of assessment methods
Standard 12 -
CDIO Program Evaluation
Documented continuous improvement process
Evidence of data-driven changes

26. Purpose of Evaluation
To provide a structured research driven approach to monitor and review the implementation of the CDIO Framework
“Evaluation is the process of delineating, obtaining and providing information useful for making decisions and judgements about educational programmes and curriculum.”
(Kemmis, 1989, p.117)

27. Research Questions
Are the learning outcomes, learning designs/activities and assessments aligned?
How has the integration of the CDIO skills into the syllabuses impacted the students – what is their experience?
What is the lecturers’ perception of the curriculum changes and their impact on students’ competence in the selected CDIO skills and interest in the subject?

28. Data Collection Methods
Examination of a range of curriculum materials (e.g., course documents, module documents, learning plans, schemes of assessment, assessment items)
Student questionnaires
Student Blogs
Focus group interviews with students and lecturers teaching the CDIO programmes
Observation of selected lessons (e.g., those incorporating activities related to selected CDIO skills)

29. Student Co-Participants and Blog
Students were presented with specific questions relating to their experience of lessons taught, and asked to provide their responses with examples to illustrate where possible.
A useful and novel way to help build rapport with the students, encouraging more authentic and open communication.

30. Responsibilities of Student Co-Participants
Chat to classmates and identify some broad experiences relating to learning the selected CDIO skills and the teaching approaches used
Make personal notes and/or blog their experiences
Meet with the researchers at least once a semester for group sharing

31. What the students blogged…..
In Introduction to Engineering, I learned how things around me are manufactured. That’s why I appreciate every little tool and object around me. I also developed skills like troubleshooting problems, how the work piece is to be clamped such that the workpiece is supported to undergo cutting.
Besides that, teamwork is another skill I developed. I noticed the strength of every member that I can learn from. Without good teamwork, I could not possibly develop such a workpiece. One of the most valuable skill I gained is brainstorming for using the right tool for the right purpose and thinking of developing the final product using the simplest manufacturing method.
Year 1 Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering student

32. What the students blogged…..
Having gone through 2 semesters, how would you rate (1-5) your interest in your field of engineering? (1 being Not Interested and 5 being Very Interested) Briefly explain your rating.
Rate 5. What I love most in this module was the project. We were allowed to work as group and be independent. We have to complete the project in group. During the process of doing the project, we were like small engineers. Although our skills were far from the Professional engineers, we experienced many situation which allow us to improve and find solution. Problem-solving is what engineers should do.
Year 1 Architecture and Built Environment student

33. What the students blogged…..
Having gone through 2 semesters, how would you rate (1-5) your interest in your field of engineering? (1 being Not Interested and 5 being Very Interested) Briefly explain your rating.
I would rate it 4. I feel that it is very fun and exciting learning things that are related to products that can be seen in our everyday lives. Very few modules show the link between studying and the real engineering world. However, I would grade it 5, if the products to be manufactured are chosen by us.
Year 1 Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering student

34. What the students blogged…..
Having gone through 2 semesters, how would you rate (1-5) your interest in your field of engineering? (1 being Not Interested and 5 being Very Interested) Briefly explain your rating.
I rate 5 for my interest in the field of engineering. Well before joining the school I was thinking of which course to join. I did not really have any specific course but since I like math and science, I decided to join the engineering course. At this moment, I am quite satisfied with my choice and gaining more interest in engineering although it’s hard to study and learn something new. Due to the knowledge that I have learnt, now I can see and understand some practical applications in our world which is fun.
Year 1 Electrical and Electronic Engineering student

35. Key Findings – Curriculum Documents and Materials
Some courses needed significant revision :
writing of learning outcomes generally (e.g., rationalization, performance focus, clarity of intent, etc)
Infusion of selected CDIO skills appropriately.
Designing of key learning tasks and assessment activities (including the scoring systems)

36. Key Findings – Student Questionnaire
Nearly 50% agreed and 25% strongly agreed, in favour of the implementation of CDIO.
Semester 1: mean scores ranged from 3.73 to 4.03, with an overall mean of 3.90 (SD = 0.90) .
Semester 2: mean scores ranged from 3.74 to 4.10, with an overall mean of 3.85 (SD = 0.93).
The Cronbach alphas showed high internal consistency in student responses.

37. Key Findings – Student blog and focus groups
Students perceived the importance of the CDIO skills as a valuable part of the curriculum
The explicit teaching of the selected skills seems to vary from module to module and across lecturers
Authentic learning opportunities for such skills is experienced
Specific real world tasks linked theory to practice and made the learning experience more meaningful and interesting

38. Key Findings – Lecturer Focus Groups
Lecturers saw the relevance of the CDIO framework and have experienced the positive impact of the changes made to the curriculum on student attention and interest.
More motivated students coped better with the more challenging integrated learning tasks, the less competent students required more help and time.
There was a range of practices concerning the explicit teaching of the selected CDIO skills.
There has been an increase in workload, resulting from the preparation and assessment involved.

39. Recommendations
Differentiate the learning tasks and teaching approaches to accommodate students’ different learning abilities
Continue to encourage the explicit development of CDIO skills
Address increase in lecturers’ workload
Provide necessary training to expand lecturers’ expertise

40. Conclusions
The eclectic methodology employed in the evaluation has provided a range of insights into aspects of teaching and learning relating to both CDIO implementation and the student experience of teaching and learning in SP
Selected CDIO skills implemented so far have been sufficiently well received by both students and lecturers
The next focus is on verifying and extending the range of pedagogic and assessment practices necessary for effectively meeting the range of CDIO standards.