Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Engineering Sciences 96 Engineering Design Seminar Spring 2009 Instructors: Warren Seering and Rob Howe Teaching Fellow: Ben Finio

Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Course Goals – 1 of 2 1) Understanding and becoming proficient in the engineering problem solving process Defining the problem to be solved Working with “customers” who may not understand the technical issues Generating candidate solutions – exploring the range of possibilities Dealing with constraints and limitations on possible solutions Decision making – using quantitative techniques to select the best solution

Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Course Goals – 2 of 2 2) Develop the required personal skills Working in teams Oral presentation skills Technical writing skills Professionalism

Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Course Format and Workflow This is not a standard engineering course! –No lectures, no problem sets or exams –Project-based, team work –Large, messy, real-world problem –Figuring out what to do = main problem! –Present your results orally and in writing Hands-on is the only way to learn this –But enough structure for productive learning Few X This is how engineering gets done in the real world!

Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Course Schedule 1.Skills (~1 week) 2.Problem definition (~2 weeks) 3.Problem solution (~8 weeks) 4.Solution communication (~2 weeks) Note: Durations are approximate

Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Course Schedule Skills (~1 week) Brief intro to the needed techniques and skills –Finding information –Making presentations –Working in teams

Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Course Schedule Problem definition (~2 weeks) Area: Reducing Harvard’s greenhouse gas emissions Information gathering. –Greenhouse warming, –Harvard’s emissions profile and goals –Potential methods for reducing emissions. Defining needs with stakeholders (Harvard organizations) –Facilities and Operations, Dining Services, Office for Sustainability –You should find other projects and “customers,” too. Downselecting and teaming –Analyze potential project topics: Most likely solvable, greatest impact –Select final set of three to five projects to pursue Use formal and informal decision tools

Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Course Schedule Problem solution (~8 weeks). Planning. –Essential to reach solution in available time –Teams analyze solution process –Break problem into sequences of activities –Set milestones = intermediate deadlines –Assemble formal plan for the remainder of the semester Analysis –Each team finds and applies the appropriate methods –Wide range of approaches and techniques, e.g.: quantitative modeling and optimization identifying commercial technology to deploy system configuration –Each team will make weekly progress report presentations –Each team will submit periodic written progress reports

Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Course Schedule Communicating Solutions (~2 weeks). Deliver results to stakeholders. –Produce professional-quality report and oral presentation. (Standard engineering practice) –Report writing Each student writes a section of the final report Due ~ two weeks before the final presentation (before reading period) –Final report compilation Half team members edit into a single report. –Final presentation The other half team prepares and delivers oral presentation –“Customers” and interested Harvard community

Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Course Schedule Important Due Dates Mon. April 27Individual report sections due in class Mon. May 4Report sections returned with suggested revisions Wed. May 6Revisions due to team editors Fri. May 8Dress rehearsal for final presentation Mon. May 11Final presentation; final team report due Note: All class members must be present for the dress rehearsal and final presentations!

Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Grading Individual 15%In class presentations 10%Homework assignments 10%Class participation 25%Final report section 15%Peer assessment Team 10%Interim progress reports 15%Final presentation, or Final report editing

Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Greenhouse Gases and Global Warming Human activity emits gases (esp. CO 2 )  Traps solar energy  Raises temperatures  Changes climate: higher sea levels, extreme weather, … Assigned reading (on course web site): National Academies 2008 Climate Change Report

Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Harvard’s Greenhouse Emissions Harvard’s Official Commitment: –30% emissions reduction below 2006 levels by 2016 –How to measure? How to reduce emissions? Assigned reading (on course web site): Harvard 2007 Greenhouse Emissions Inventory Also: explore other sources on greenhouse emissions and remediation

Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences A Very Brief Introduction to Giving Effective Presentations Public speaking is an essential skill for many careers, including engineering Public speaking is a scary experience for many students This class is meant to be a (relatively) safe environment for you to develop presentation skills This talk is just the start: you should find and absorb other material on giving talks –Caveat: Do as I say, not as I do - This presentation is word-heavy and graphics-light –Partially adapted from K. S. Suslick, UIUC:

Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences What’s the Message? What is the point of your seminar? –It’s unlikely you’ll be able to make more than one Why will your audience be interested? Think about the logic of the flow –Always keep the audience in mind Put in graphics & figures first, then words. Verbal comprehension is limited: Tell them what you are going to tell them, Then tell them, Then tell them what you told them

Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Formats We will use PowerPoint in this class Use big type (never smaller than 18 pt) Spell-Check your work! Don’t use long, complete sentences –Use keywords, shorten text Don’t read text to audience Make it easy to read: One idea per line DON’T get cute – keep it simple and clean