Effects of first-year engineering design course models on student design process knowledge

Hands-on first-year design courses are used at a growing number of universities as the initial opportunity for students to learn about engineering design. The effects of different hands-on approaches on the development of design process knowledge in students, however, are unclear. In this study, we investigate the effects of three hands-on course models - analysis-driven textbook design projects, dissection projects, and service learning projects with actual clients. The design process knowledge of students in eleven sections of a first-year engineering course was evaluated before and after the course and course evaluations were collected at the end of the course. Results indicate that there are no significant differences in impact on design process knowledge between the three course models. From the course evaluations, the course models show modest effects on student perceptions of their creative, critical thinking, and teamwork skills and their feel for current developments in engineering.