Lessons learned from CDIO workspace development and operation

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Lessons learned from CDIO workspace development
and operation Johan Malmqvist Pete Young Stefan
Hallström Jakob Kuttenkeuler Larry
Birckelbaw Geoffrey Cunningham Bahram
Atabeyli Tomas Svensson November 12, 2009
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Background

• Design-build-test (DBT) learning experiences play
  a key role in engineering education in order to
• stimulate student interest in engineering
• train system development and implementation
  skills
• Integrate different engineering disciplines
• train non-technical skills in an engineering
  context
• DBT learning experiences also require
• more careful planning of courses and curricula
• different faculty competence
• dedicated learning environments
• However, scientific publications on the topic
  tend to focus on a particular learning
  environment. There is a lack of investigations
  that systematically analyze how to design and
  operate the learning environments that support
  design-build-test experiences.
• The paper aims to develop a set of requirements
  and guidelines that support faculty to design and
  operate such learning environments

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Outline

• Motivation
• Aims methodology
• What is a CDIO workspace?
• Survey findings
• Requirements
• Guidelines
• Open issues
• Conclusions future work
• References

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Objectives

• To describe the concept of CDIO student
  workspaces and its implementation at CDIO
  Initiative universities
• To identify benefits, limitations, critical
  issues and challenges in the area
• To develop a database of workspace data as a
  foundation for long-term research
• To summarize and generalize experiences from the
  design, implementation and operation of CDIO
  student workspaces
• To state requirements and guidelines for the
  design, implementation and operation of CDIO
  student workspaces

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Methodology

• Initial creation of a preliminary set of
  workspace discriminators
• Workshops with representatives from six
  universities
• Formulation of definition
• Identification of benefits, limitations,
  challenges, enabling conditions
• Refined identification of 49 discriminators
  classified in seven categories
• Survey of eight workspaces (more to follow) with
  respect to the identified discriminators.
  Categories
• Workspace basic facts Functions equipment
• Learning objectives Workspace usage
• Staffing operations Experiences gained
• Guidelines
• Statement of requirements and guidelines for
  workspace design and operation that help address
  identified challenges

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Surveyed workspaces

• Robert Seamans Laboratory, MIT
• Design studio, MIT
• Arthur C. Gelb Laboratory, MIT
• Poolen, KTH
• Muxen, LiU
• Innovation Lab, QUB
• Senior Aircraft Design/Build/Fly Workspaces, USNA
• Prototyping Laboratory, Chalmers
• To be added to

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Survey variables
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Concept for CDIO Workspace
Creates infrastructure and space to visibly
signal, and support the CDIO active and hands-on
learning strategies
Concept Forum
Learning Resources
Network
Implement Lab
Design Center
Social
Exhibit
Storage
Operate Center
Personal Communications
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KTH - Poolen
Individual group work
Concept forum Meetings, reviews etc
Testing

• a student lab within the department
• multi purpose premises
• 24/7 access
• designed equipped by students
• project-dedicated

Manufacturing
Assembly

• Community building

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Usage modes - basic
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Usage modes - advanced
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Experiences gained open-ended questions

• What are the major benefits of having your
  workspace?
• What do you believe are unique characteristics of
  your workspace?
• What are the major limitations of your workspace?
• What would you have done differently if you had
  the opportunity to re-design and build your
  workspace?
• How has/will the workspace change the educational
  experience at your university?
• How can the cost-effectiveness of workspaces be
  improved?
• What has the workspace enabled you to do that you
  otherwise could not have achieved?
• What are the major challenges when developing and
  operating a CDIO workspace?
• How is the use of the workspace evaluated?
• Can you provide quotes or data from student
  and/or faculty evaluations of your workspace?
• What issues need further research development?

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What do you believe are unique characteristicsof
your workspace?

• It was designed around a basic premise that
  undergraduate students would be the primary
  users, and the facilities and furniture were
  designed around this basic assumption.
• The flexibility to host extra-curricular as well
  as curricular events is one of the labs major
  positive attributes. This is a tremendous
  enhancement to community building, both internal
  and external to the Department.
• 7x24 access to the study areas.
• The centralized discussion space is unique for
  our classrooms. Shared computer data bases have
  also been a positive attribute.
• 7x24 access to the work areas is definitely
  unique and an aspect favourably received by the
  students.
• Very flexible with 4 labs connected with a
  common area for discussions, conference room etc.
  The same infrastructure can be used for all labs.
  New usage modes can easily be introduced .Several
  usage modes can be used at the same time.
• 24 hour access by magnetic card
• Accessibility
• We share the workspace with our student
  association XP.
• The lab is close to other resources (library)
• Personal storage space provided (lockers for
  computers, books etc)
• Large lockers for design-build projects
• Kitchen facilities you dont have to leave the
  lab
• Lockable spaces for course-related equipment

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What are the major limitations ofyour workspace?

• Students would like more computers in the open
  study areas
• The room size is a limitation approximately 25
  people is the maximum
• More storage space is always needed
• The lack of tools
• Common area crowded!
• Limited resources hurricane damage
• The physical limit is the only real limitation
• Limited opening hours (if not 24/7)

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Requirements

• A CDIO program must allocate workspaces which
• are designed to target student learning of CDIO
  skills, thus provide the necessary resources for
  design-build-test activities
• support and encourage hands-on learning of
• product and system building,
• disciplinary knowledge
• knowledge discovery and,
• specifically support the four phases Conception,
  Design, Implementation and Operation in the
  curriculum
• facilitate group activities, communication and
  the development of social interaction
• grant access to adequate training for users
• comply with local health and safety regulations
• are sustainable over time (activities and
  economy)

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Guidelines overall workspace design

• Map out learning modes most likely to be employed
  for both curricular and extra-curricular
  activities.
• Develop operational philosophies that meet
  objectives for pedagogy, community building, and
  skills development.
• Communicate to the faculty what the workspace
  capabilities are that can be linked to curriculum
  materials and initiatives.
• The ability to reconfigure a study area or
  meeting place, to suit different meeting modes,
  is very essential to having effective meeting
  venues that are flexible in terms of equipment
  and activities
• Avoid over-designing the workspace from the
  start, let space evolve
• Provide room for group meetings and discussions
• Involve students in the designing, building and
  later operating and developing the workspace.-
  allow for management and control by students

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Guidelines - equipment

• Within funding constraints, install equipments
  that have clear relevance to professional as well
  to curricular applications
• Include exhibits that reflect the educations
  content
• The workspace should be totally wired, or
  wireless
• Integrate with other assets, and sustainable
• Establish collaborations with external workshops
  for specialized manufacturing processes, such as
  SLS (Selective Laser Sintering)
• Provide access to internet, word-processing, CAD,
  simulation tools, etc.
• Installation and maintenance of computerized
  design tools requires significant and specialized
  effort having an IT-cognizant person quickly
  available is often crucial for classes to start
  on schedule.
• Pre-coordination of new application programs, and
  early installation and testing, should be done as
  early as possible before first use.

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Guidelines - operations

• Stress safety!
• Provide 24/7 access to workspaces once all safety
  concerns have been addressed.
• Be sensitive to differing levels of supervision
  required for students with varying skill and
  learning attributes.
• Have backup systems for hardware and software
  implementation
• Be alert for ways to improve efficiency,
  productivity, usage, training, and safety.
• Work with course instructors to pre-order needed
  supplies.
• For new course projects, do prototyping and risk
  reduction as much in advance as possible.
• Maintaining control of operating budgets is a
  continuing challenge. Budget for replacement of
  raw materials, supplies, expendable equipment
  (drills, bits, adhesives, machining stock).
• Instill into users a sense of responsibility for
  equipment and materials.
• Insure all necessary tools and supplies are
  provided up-front to insure all teams have
  adequate stocks before beginning operations.
• Provide dedicated workspaces for each team with
  inventoried tools/supplies that are their
  responsibility to maintain and track

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Open issues

• Develop and incorporate continuous improvements
  in workshop planning, procedures, and processes
• Share knowledge between consortium partners
• Assessment of student learning in CDIO workspaces
• Additional discriminators / questions to be
  analyzed?

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Conclusions

• Dedicated design-build-test workspaces are a key
  support infrastructure for a CDIO-based education
• Supporting community-building is almost as
  frequent a usage mode as supporting
  design-build-test
• Flexibility, 24/7 access and support for informal
  teacher-student contact are seen as unique
  characteristics
• Perceived limitations typically concern available
  floor area and storage space
• Costs can vary significantly depending on goals
  and students - from 100 kUSD to 10 MUSD
• Avoid over-design from start, let space evolve
• Requirements and guidelines are proposed