Syllabus

COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES 

1. Successfully solve a client-based design challenge by following necessary steps in the engineering design process. 
2. Develop proficiency to safely use several prototyping strategies or tools.
3. Work collaboratively on an engineering team to complete an engineering design project.
4. Develop peer-critiquing skills.     
5. Use a Gantt chart to manage the project.

 ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING POLICY

Project Plans

            Project Plans will form the basis for developing and executing work in the class.  These documents will be developed by the team and will list specific goals that the team will accomplish during each of the cycles.  Goals can include (but are not limited to): research, meetings (with clients, potential users, technical experts, etc.), ordering, learning new prototyping methods, hand-drawings, CAD designs, decision making (e.g., Pugh matrices), brainstorming ideas, prototyping specific features or design blocks, testing against a design criteria, completing a design block, integration of design blocks, testing with potential users, replication of a final solution, implementation of the design, and follow-up after implementation.  In addition to the goals, the team will list the method used to evaluate success.  Teams will also assign a point value to each specific goal, which will total 100 points for each cycle. 

            There will be three cycles of Project Plans (Jan 11-Feb 8; Feb 9-Mar 8; Mar 9-Apr 12).  For each cycle, the team will submit a thoughtful draft on Tuesday, which will be reviewed by the instructor before class on Thursday.  A final draft will be submitted on Friday.  Students will be expected to meet the established goals during the 4/5-week cycle.  

            On dates listed for Project Plan evaluations, the instructors will score the team (to 100 points total) for work completed during that cycle.  Students will be expected to have paperwork, prototypes, test results, etc. available for the instructors to evaluate.

Video

       The video should report and demonstrate the features and functions of the final design solution.  The video should be 5-8 minutes long.

Written Documentation

            Each team will complete some written documentation for their project.  The nature of the assignment will vary and will be agreed upon by March 1.  The document should finalize the team’s design work, broadcast the work to a larger audience, and/or document information helpful to the client.  Some examples include a user’s manual, an abstract or conference proceedings for a local or national meeting, a grant submission to VentureWell, or a paper to a journal. A final project summary should be submitted on https://duke.makesea.com.  This summary should include uploaded documentation, a project summary, and a visual presentation of the final project.

 Team Participation

            A team participation score will be given three times during the semester and will range from 0 to 100%.  The individual team participation grade is based on technical contribution, peer evaluation, instructor evaluation, self-evaluation, attendance, etc.  Peer evaluation will be formally evaluated using the CATME software.  The course instructors make the final decision about a student’s team participation score.  

Time Management

            Attendance and active engagement are expected of all students.  Design teams are expected to work in class (2 hours per week) and outside of class (3-4 hours per week).  For the half-credit course, students should work no less than 5 hours per week on the course.  Each member of the design team is expected to contribute equally to the project.  While types of contributions will vary, effort should be comparable.  It is also important that regular team requirements rotate.  For example, one person should not act as the recorder for every meeting nor should one person do all the prototyping; rather, everyone on the team should take turns with these roles.

 Grading

            The final grade will be based on the percents shown in Table 2.  No late assignments will be accepted without permission of the instructors before the assignment is due.   Illness and family emergencies will be dealt with on an individual basis.  Individual and team grades on assignments that are turned in late will be reduced 25% per day (including weekends).  Students who fail to clean their workspace and check out through proper procedures will have deductions to their grade.  

Table 2. Calculation of Course Grade.  

 COURSE SUPPORT

POD Support

            The lab manager for the course is Murad Maksumov (murad.maksumov@duke.edu).  Students should consult him with questions related to working with POD lab equipment. Students are expected to follow all lab protocols and safety instructions outlined by the lab manager at all times.  Amanda Cyprowski (amanda.cyprowski@duke.edu) is the coordinator for the course. Students should contact Murad or Amanda with any product orders or other administrative questions.  Amanda and Murad are integral to the course, and it is expected that students will respond to emails and other requests made by them.

Other Technical Support

            In order to successfully complete their project, teams are expected to consult with appropriate faculty, including course faculty, former technical mentors, and other faculty experts.  If teams anticipate that they will need the machine shop, one or more members should be trained during the first few weeks of school.  See the Duke Student Shop webpage and joinable Sakai course, Pratt Student Shop 17 18, for information.