Teaching and assessing engineering design: a review of the research

Abstract

The National Academy of Sciences has stated that undergraduate engineering education in the United States currently focuses on the study of engineering science at the expense of design. The Accreditation Board for Engineering Technology (ABET) and many industry representatives join the National Academy of Sciences in calling for a renewed emphasis on the development of design skills among undergraduate students. This article defines engineering design. It also gives a summary of the research on teaching design and assessing student design competence.