1. Overview of CDIO: Past, present and future
Our graduates need to understand the entire life-cycle of a product. Too often our educational programs tend to focus on design-build, … or design, … or even more limited to just the analysis part of design. Our graduates go out into the work force thinking their jobs will be to just solve more problems and that the answer to the problem is the objective. We need to change the way they view engineering by changing the way we teach engineering.
Professor Johan Malmqvist Chalmers University of Technology Gothenburg, Sweden

2. OUTLINE
What is an engineer? What is the professional context of engineering?
The need for a new approach
The CDIO goals and vision
What do engineering graduates need to be able to do?
How can we do better at educating them?
Future developments to the CDIO approach
Concluding remarks & discussion

3. WHAT DO ENGINEERS DO?
”Scientists investigate that which already is. Engineers create that which has never been Theodore von Karmann
”What you need to invent, is an imagination and a pile of junk” - Thomas Edison

4. INUSTRY EXPECTATIONS - DESIRED ATTRIBUTES OF AN ENGINEER (BOEING, CA 1995)
A good understanding of engineering science fundamentals
Mathematics, Physical and life sciences, Information technology
A good understanding of design and manufacturing processes
A multi-disciplinary, systems perspective
A basic understanding of the context in which engineering is practiced
Economics, History, The environment, Customer and societal needs
Good communication skills - written, oral, graphic, and listening
A profound understanding of the importance of teamwork.
Personal skills
High ethical standards
Ability to think both critically and creatively—independently and cooperatively
Flexibility
Curiosity and a desire to learn for life

5. GOVERNMENTAL EXPECTATIONS
”The engineering profession aims to solve problems of technical nature, concrete and often complex, and associated with the creation, realization and operation of products, systems and services. This ability is the result of a combination of technical knowledge and and knowledge of economics and social science, both firmly based in science”
- Commission des titres d’ingénieur, France)
(my translation)

6. TO SUMMARIZE: THE MAIN GOALS OF ENGINEERING EDUCATION
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
The next three slides offer an alternative to the information transfer model of education -- experiential learning. This approach to learning will be explored in Session 3.
Refer to “Rethinking Engineering Education”, pp This is a key slide. Be sure participants understand the CDIO goals. Focus on the first two; the CDIO approach tells us how to achieve these goals.
Engineering education should always emphasize the technical fundamentals. Nothing in the CDIO approach is meant to diminish the importance of the fundamentals or students’ need to learn them. Deep working knowledge and conceptual understanding are emphasized to strengthen the learning of technical fundamentals.
This goal recognizes the need to prepare students for engineering.
This goal recognizes that some students will not become practicing engineers, but will pursue careers as researchers in industry, government, and higher education. Despite different career interests, all students benefit from an education set in the context of product, process, and system development.

7. EVOLUTION OF ENGINEERING EDUCATION
Innovation, Implementation, Collaboration skills Practice
Pre-1950s: Practice
2000: CDIO
1960s: Science & practice
1980s: Science
It is important to note, this is not an either/or situation. Within the CDIO context, we can do both. We don’t need to sacrifice deeper disciplinary knowledge for gains in the personal, interpersonal, and systems level skills.
Analytical skills Disciplinary knowledge Theory
We are not where we want to be – engineering education needs reform!

8. CENTRAL QUESTIONS FOR PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION DESIGNERS
What is the professional role and practical context of the profession(al)? (need)
What knowledge, skills and attitudes should students possess as they graduate from our programs? (program learning outcomes)
How can we do better at ensuring that students learn these skills? (curriculum, teaching, learning, workspaces, assessment)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

9. THE PROFESSIONAL ROLE(S) OF ENGINEERS
”Engineers Conceive, Design, Implement and Operate complex products and systems in a modern team-based engineering environment”

10. CONTEXT FOR ENGINEERING: THE C-D-I-O PROCESS
Lifecycle of a product, process, project, system, software, material
Conceive: customer needs, technology, enterprise strategy, regulations; and conceptual, technical, and business plans
Design: plans, drawings, and algorithms that describe what will be implemented
Implement: transformation of the design into the product, process, or system, including manufacturing, coding, testing and validation
Operate: the implemented product or process delivering the intended value, including maintaining, evolving and retiring the system
Duke University

11. At what level of proficiency?
What is the full set of knowledge, skills and attitudes that a student should possess as they graduate from university?
At what level of proficiency?
In addition to the traditional engineering disciplinary knowledge

12. FROM UNDERLYING NEED TO PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES
Educate students who:
Understand how to conceive- design-implement-operate
Complex products and systems
In a modern team-based engineering environment
And are mature and thoughtful individuals
Process
Product
4. CDIO
Disciplinary
knowledge
2. Personal
3. Inter-
personal
Translating needs to goals is good engineering practice.
The underlying goals, stated earlier in this session, are translated into four major categories: technical, personal, interpersonal, and the product, process, system lifecycle (CDIO). These four categories will be used to outline the REQUIREMENTS document, that is, the CDIO Syllabus.
Team
Self
The CDIO Syllabus - a comprehensive statement of detailed goals for an engineering education

13. THE CDIO SYLLABUS CDIO Syllabus contains 2-3 more layers of detail
A generalized list of competences that an engineer should possess
Program specific (1) and general (2-4)
Created and validated by alumni, faculty and students
A ”complete” reference model
1 Disciplinary Knowledge & Reasoning:
1.1 Knowledge of underlying sciences
1.2 Core engineering fundamental knowledge
1.3 Advanced engineering fundamental knowledge
2 Personal and Professional Skills
2.1 Analytical reasoning and problem solving
2.2 Experimentation and knowledge discovery
2.3 System thinking
2.4 Personal skills and attributes
2.5 Professional skills and attributes
3 Interpersonal Skills
3.1 Multi-disciplinary teamwork
3.2 Communications
3.3 Communication in a foreign language
4 CDIO of Complex Systems
4.1 External and societal context
4.2 Enterprise and business context
4.3 Conceiving and engineering systems
4.4 Designing
4.5 Implementing
4.6 Operating
CDIO Syllabus contains 2-3 more layers of detail

14. The CDIO Syllabus v2.0 - 3rd level of detail (excerpt)

15. VALIDATION OF THE CDIO SYLLABUS: STAKEHOLDER SURVEY AT MIT
Sample: 6 groups surveyed: 1st- and 4th-year students, alumni 25 years old, alumni 35 years old, faculty, leaders of industry
Question: For each attribute, please indicate which of the five levels of proficiency you desire in a graduating engineering student:
Scale:
1 To have experienced or been exposed to
2 To be able to participate in and contribute to
3 To be able to understand and explain
4 To be skilled in the practice or implementation of
5 To be able to lead or innovate in
Refer to “Rethinking Engineering Education”, pp

16. PRIORITING LEARNING OUTCOMES – SURVEY OF FACULTY, ALUMNI, INDUSTRY LEADERS
5. Innovate
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
4. Skilled
Practice
3. Understand
2. Participate
These graphs highlight the importance of collecting data to validate program decisions and persuade decision makers.
1. Exposure
REMARKABLE AGREEMENT!

17. VALIDATION AGAINST NATIONAL ACCREDITATION FRAMEWORKS
The CDIO syllabus has been compared national accreditations in many countries
Same pattern:
The CDIO Syllabus states outcomes for engineering education that reflect a broader view of the engineering profession
Its greater levels of detail facilitate program and course development.
A program whose design is based on the CDIO Syllabus will also satisfy its national requirements for specified program outcomes.
ABET EC 2010 (USA)
CEAB (CANADA)
EUR-ACE (Europe)

18. The CDIO Syllabus v 2.0 as Program Outcomes
1.0 Disciplinary Knowledge and Reasoning
1.1
1.2
1.3
Demonstrate a capacity to use the principles of the underlying sciences …
1.1.5 Use the Finite element method to solve partial differential equations
Apply the principles of fundamental engineering science
Demonstrate a capacity to apply advanced engineering knowledge in the professional areas of engineering
2.0 Personal and Professional Skills and Attributes
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
2.5
Analyze and solve engineering problems
Conduct investigations and experiments about engineering problems
Think systemically
Demonstrate personal and professional habits that contribute to successful engineering practice
Demonstrate ethics, equity, and other responsibilities in engineering practice 18

19. The CDIO Syllabus v 2.0 as Program Outcomes (cont.)
3.0
Interpersonal Skills
3.1
3.2
3.3
Lead and work in groups
Communicate effectively
Communicate effectively in one or more foreign languages.
4.0
CDIO
4.1
4.2
4.3
4.4
4.5
4.6
4.7
4.8
Recognize the importance of the social context in the practice of engineering
Appreciate different enterprise cultures and work successfully in organizations
Conceive and develop engineering systems
Design complex engineering systems …
4.4.7 Compare and evaluate different product suggestions based on function, environmental impact, production and cost ..
Implement processes of hardware and software and manage the implementation process
Operate complex systems and processes and manage operations
Lead engineering endeavors
Demonstrate the skills of entrepreneurship 19

20. How can we do better at assuring that students learn these skills?
Within the available student and faculty time, funding and other resources

21. VISION FOR A CDIO-BASED EDUCATION
An education that stresses the fundamentals, set in the context of Conceiving – Designing – Implementing – Operating systems and products:
A curriculum organised around mutually supporting courses, but with CDIO activities highly interwoven
Rich with student design-build projects
Integrating learning of professional skills such as teamwork and communication
Featuring active and experiential learning
Constantly improved through quality assurance process with higher aims than accreditation
This leads to the organization of the CDIO Themes:
Curriculum
Design-Build
Teaching and Learning
Assessment

22. MORE AND MORE AUTHENTIC DESIGN EXPERIENCES IN THE EDUCATION
Design-build experiences are instructional events in which learning occurs through the creation of a product, process, or system
Provide the natural context in which to teach design, innovation, implementation skills
Provide a platform for training other CDIO syllabus skills (teamwork, communications etc)
Solar- driven aircraft, KTH
Point out that design-implement experiences are not restricted to product development. They are equally applicable in engineering disciplines that focus more on processes or systems, e.g., chemical engineering or biological engineering.
Formula Student, Chalmers

23. THERE SHOULD BE MULTIPLE DESIGN–BUILD PROJECTS IN THE CURRICULUM
Intro to Mech Eng
Joint project in Machine elements & Manuf technology courses
Machine
design
Mechatronics project course
Product development
project
Automotive
eng project
Creative, ”conceptual” design
Design for manufacturing
Redesign Multiple objectives
Creative design incl business aspects Cross-dept teams
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Simple prototype Qualitative
More advanced prototype Some simulation Company is customer
Prototype as needed More simulation
Prototype Simulation as needed Company is customer

24. STUDENT WORKSPACES FOR CDIO

25. EXAMPLE: MIT AERO-ASTRO DEPARTMENT
Conceive
Design
Implement
Operate

26. DEVELOP GENERIC SKILLS THROUGH INTEGRATED LEARNING EXPERIENCES
Integrated learning experiences develop both technical knowledge and “generic” skills (communication, teamwork, ethics, sustainability, etc)
Generic skills are context-dependent and should be learned and assessed in the professional context (Bowden, Barrie, Edström… )
Integrated training of generic skills reinforces understanding of disciplinary content – they will acquire a deeper working knowledge of engineering fundamentals
...communication as a generic skill...
...communication as a contextualized skill...

27. GENERIC SKILLS IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION - EXAMPLE
Communication in engineering means being able to
Use the technical concepts comfortably
Discuss a problem of different levels
Determine what factors are relevant to the situation
Argue for, or against, conceptual ideas and solutions
Develop ideas through discussion and collaborative sketching
Explain technical matters to different audiences
Show confidence in expressing oneself within the field
The same interpretation should be made for teamwork, problem solving, professional ethics, and other engineering skills.
Make the points that
This is what it means to see skills as engineering skills.
Engineering skills are not something other than technical content, they have everything to do with technical content, they are inseparable, embedded.
We realise that providing opportunities to developing them is necessary is our students should become engineers who can engineer. Engineering skills are enabling for engineering.
Colleagues who see skills as a ”soft” addition, something different to the ”hard” engineering core, will not understand the rationale for the integrated curriculum. It is because they don’t have this engineering-flavoured view on communication.

28. INTEGRATE THE CURRICULUM
An integrated curriculum has a systematic assignment of program outcomes to learning activities and features a explicit plan for progressive integration of generic skills
Planned learning sequence -- Vehicle Engineering -- KTH
CDIO Syllabus
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Introductory course
Thermo- dynamics
Control Theory
FEM in Engineering
3.2.3 Written communication
3.3 Communi- cation in English
Mech I
Mech II
Electrical Eng.
Math I
Math II
Solid Mechanics
Math III
Bachelor Thesis
Product developm
Fluid Mechanics
Numerical Methods
Physics
Statistics
Sound and Vibrations
Signal Analysis
Opti- mization

29. DEVELOP ACTIVE AND EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING ACTIVITIES
Active and experiential learning engages students by setting teaching and learning in contexts that simulate engineering roles and practice
Reformed mathematics emphasizing simulation of realistic engineering problems
Working method based on modeling, simulation & analysis, MATLAB programming
Motivated importance of mathematics and applied mechanics courses
Year 1 lab example

30. THE 12 CDIO STANDARDS – GUIDELINES FOR EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT
Program focus
1,2,3
CDIO as Context
CDIO Syllabus Outcomes
Integrated Curriculum
4,5,6
CDIO
Introduction to Engineering
Design-Build Experiences
CDIO Workspaces
Teaching & Learning
7,8
Integrated Learning Experiences
Active & Experiential Learning
Faculty development
9,10
Enhancement of Faculty CDIO Skills
Enhancement of Faculty Teaching Skills
Evaluation
11,12
CDIO Skills Assessment
CDIO Program Evaluation

31. EFFECTIVE PRACTICE: THE CDIO STANDARDS
1. The Context
Adoption of the principle that product. Process, and system lifecycle development and deployment are the context for engineering education
2. Learning Outcomes
Specific, detailed learning outcomes for personal, interpersonal, and product,.process and system building skills, consistent with program goals and validated by program stakeholders
3. Integrated Curriculum
A curriculum designed with mutually supporting disciplinary subjects, with an explicit plan to integrate personal, interpersonal, and product, process, and system building skills
4. Introduction to Engineering
An introductory course that provides the framework for engineering practice in product. Process, and system building, and introduces essential personal and interpersonal skills
5. Design-Implement Experiences
A curriculum that includes two or more design-implement experiences, including one at a basic level and one at an advanced level
6. Engineering Workspaces
Workspaces and laboratories that support and encourage hands-on learning of product, process, and system building, disciplinary knowledge, and social learning
7. Integrated Learning Experiences
Integrated learning experiences that lead to the acquisition of disciplinary knowledge, as well as personal, interpersonal, and produc, process,t and system building skills
8. Active Learning
Teaching and learning based on active experiential learning methods
9. Enhancement of Faculty Skills Competence
Actions that enhance faculty competence in personal, interpersonal, and product and system building skills
10. Enhancement of Faculty Teaching Competence
Actions that enhance faculty competence in providing integrated learning experiences, in using active experiential learning methods, and in assessing student learning
11. Learning Assessment
Assessment of student learning in personal, interpersonal, and product, process, and system building skills, as well as in disciplinary knowledge
12. Program Evaluation
A system that evaluates programs against these 12 standards, and provides feedback to students, faculty, and other stakeholders for the purposes of continuous improvement
The CDIO Standards are found in “Rethinking Engineering Education”, pp ; in the Handbook, pp. 3-15; and at the CDIO webstie,
NOTE: The version in the Handbook is dated 2004; minor word changes were made for the book and the website in 2007.

32. CDIO IS A REFERENCE MODEL, NOT A PRESCRIPTION
Everything has to be translated- transformed to fit the context and conditions of each university / program
You are probably doing some CDIO elements already
Take what you want to use, transform it as you wish, give it a new name, assume ownership
CDIO provides a toolbox for working through the process

33. CURRENT AND EMERGING CHALLENGES FOR ENGINEERING EDUCATION
Need to educate engineers to be more effective leaders and entrepreneurs
Need to educate engineers to work in interdisciplinary teams
Need for more experiential and project-based learning
Adaptation of engineering education to prepare for increasing globalization
Increasing awareness and response to environmental changes

34. CDIO SYLLABUS, ENGINEERING LEADERSHIP AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP SKILLS
CDIO syllabus skills

35. CDIO+EL SYLLABUS COMPONENTS
Engineering Leadership
4.7 Leading engineering endeavors
Creating a Purposeful Vision
4.7.1 Identifying the issue, Problem or Paradox
4.7.2 Thinking Creatively and Communicating Possibilities
4.7.3 Defining the Solution
4.7.4 Creating New Solution Concepts
Delivering on the Vision
4.7.5 Building and Leading Organizations and Extended Organizations
4.7.6 Planning and Managing a Project to Completion
4.7.7 Exercising Project/Solution Judgment and Critical Reasoning
4.7.8 Innovation – the Conception, Design and Introduction of New Goods and Services
4.7.9 Invention – the Development of New Devices, Materials or Processes that Enable New Goods and Services
Implementation and Operation – the Creation and Operation of the Goods and Service that will Deliver Value
Entrepreneurship 4.8 Engineering Entrepreneurship Company Founding, Leadership and Organization Business Plan Development Company Capitalization and Finances Innovative Product Marketing Conceiving Products and Services around New Technologies The Innovation System, Networks, Infrastructure and Services Building the Team and Initiating Engineering Processes Managing Intellectual Property
CDIO Syllabus contain one more layer of detail

36. EXAMPLE: GORDON ENGINEERING LEADERSHIP PROGRAM (MIT)
Mission: To educate and develop the character of outstanding MIT students as potential future leaders in the world of engineering practice and development, and to endeavor to transform engineering leadership* in the nation, thereby significantly increasing its product development capability. * Engineering leadership is defined as the technical leadership of the innovative conception, design and implementation of new products/processes/projects/materials/molecules/ software/systems

37. CURRICULUM

38. A STRATEGY FOR LEARNING FOR SUSTAINABILITY IN A CDIO PROGRAM
Chalmers University of Technology, 5-year MScEng programme in Mechanical Engineering
Sustainable development of products and systems is a vital part of Chalmers’ ME programme. We educate engineers that are well-prepared to create and develop products and systems that improve safety and quality of life for a growing population. (abbrev)
Fundamental sustainability knowledge
2nd year course in Sustainable Product Development
Integrated & applied sustainability knowledge
Integrated learning experiences in - Intro to ME
Solid mechanics - Materials - Manufacturing - …
Integrated in all master programs, eg CO2-minimizing manufacturing design in Production engineering
Advanced
sustainability knowledge
Specialised
sustainability knowledge
Master programs in:
Sustainable energy systems Industrial ecology
Bachelor
Master

39. INTEGRATED SUSTAINABILITY LEARNING EXPERIENCES IN BACHELOR PART
Year 1
Quarter 1
Quarter 2
Quarter 3
Quarter 4
Intro course in mathematics
Calculus in a single variable
Linear algebra
Calculus in several variables
Programming in MATLAB
CAD
Mechanics and statics
Strength of materials
Introduction to mechanical engineering
Year 2
Mechanics: Dynamics
Machine elements
Thermodynamics and energy technology
Industrial production and organisation
Integrated design and manufacturing project
Material science
Material & manufacturing technology
Sustainable product development
Industrial Economics
Year 3
Mechatronics
Automatic control 7.5 ECTS
Bachelor diploma project
Fluid mechanics
Elective 1
Elective 2
Mathematical statistics
Fundamental sustainability knowledge
Integrated sustainability learning experiences (> 1 ECTS)
Planned sustainability learning sequences (examples)

40. CDIO-BASED EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE INNOVATION
4th year Product development project course, interdisciplinary student teams
Design-build and business development for sustainable innovations
Collaboration with start ups and established firms
Solar tracker actuator (SKF)
Wave energy (Vigor Wave)
Ultralight electric vehicle (CleanMotion)

41. CONCLUDING REMARKS
The CDIO approach provides a reference model for engineering education where professional practice and innovation is focused
The CDIO approach is codified in the CDIO syllabus and standards. CDIO elements can be used as an integrated set or piecewise, are subject to adaptation to local context etc
CDIO is an open endeavor – you are all welcome to participate and contribute - 97 universities worldwide are now members of the CDIO Initiative
To learn more, visit or read Rethinking Engineering Education: The CDIO Approach by Crawley, Malmqvist, Östlund, & Brodeur, 2007

42. Thank you for listening! Any questions or comments?