Information-Rich Engineering Design (I-RED)

Michael Fosmire, Purdue University David Radcliffe, Purdue University

fosmire@purdue.edu dradclif@purdue.edu

ASEE Annual conference, June 2012

Overview

• Investigate some Design Models• Propose Integrated IL/Design Model• Sample Applications

Need: Integrated Model

• Model recognizable to Engineers and Librarians• Co-constructed by both to capture important

components of each discipline

• A bridge to help start conversations and find common ground for collaborations

Prior Work: ABET Mapping• 3b) Ability to design and conduct experiments• 3c) Ability to design a system…to meet desired needs

within realistic constraints.’ • 3e) Ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering

problems• 3f) Understanding of professional and ethical responsibility• 3h) Understand the impact of engineering in a global,

economic, environmental, and societal context• 3j) Knowledge of contemporary issues• 3i) Recognition of the need for, and ability to engage in

lifelong learning

-Riley et al; Sapp Nelson+Fosmire

Prior Work: ABET Mapping• 3b) Ability to design and conduct experiments• 3c) Ability to design a system…to meet desired needs

within realistic constraints.’ • 3e) Ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering

problems• 3f) Understanding of professional and ethical responsibility• 3h) Understand the impact of engineering in a global,

economic, environmental, and societal context• 3j) Knowledge of contemporary issues• 3i) Recognition of the need for, and ability to engage in

lifelong learning

-Riley et al; Sapp Nelson+Fosmire

Engineering Design

• Central to Discipline of Engineering:• “Design is regarded by many as the core problem-

solving process of technological development. It is as fundamental to technology as inquiry is to science and reading is to language arts.” -ITEA (2007)

• Ill-structured problems mirror post-graduation situations, enhance transferability and deep learning

Info Gathering and Design

-Atman et al, JEE 2007

Consistently find first-year students gather less information than seniors, who gather less than professional engineers. • Number of Sources• Kinds of Requests (Aspects of Problem)• Time Spent Gathering Information

Design Models

Client Statement (Need)

Problem Definition

Conceptual Design

Preliminary Design

Detailed Design

Design Communication

Final Design (specs+docs)

Product

-Dym and Little, 2000

“The literature review is so well documented and understood that it might seem unnecessary for us to comment on it here….however, can be both vast and greatly dependent on phase or stage of the design.”

“Radcliffe” Design Model

Note: • Team dynamics• Reflection Stages

are unique

Connection to IL

Characteristics of Info Activities

Information Activities

Develop Knowledge Management Strategy

What is the level of specialization and variety of technical and other knowledge across the team members? What is their level of proficiency in information-seeking and critical evaluation? What additional information-seeking skills are required? How might additional information skills be best developed? What communication and documentation policies and infrastructure will the team use?

Information Activities

Provide Context

What are the historical, social, cultural, political, geographical, and economic contexts of the problem? Who are the stakeholders? Who will “use” this product, system or service throughout its lifecycle – from the cradle to the grave? What are the most important requirements or functions for various stakeholders? Which are absolutely necessary (needs); which are discretionary (wants)? What are the measures of success for all stakeholder groups?

Information Activities

Investigate Prior Work

What approaches are possible to address this kind of problem? What examples of solutions for this kind of problem exist? What existing products, systems or processes tackle similar needs/ opportunities? What technologies might be used to tackle this need or opportunity? What competing companies work on this type of problem?

Information Activities

Assess Technologies and Approaches

Are there relevant Standards for conducting tests of materials or components? What tools would help in designing a full-scale model? How do proposed new solutions compare to existing ones in terms of performance, user desirability, financial viability, or other indicators of success? How can you assess the quality of externally provided information? What are the inherent strengths/limitations of the technologies? What is required to create, operate, and maintain this technology?

Information Activities

Assemble Detailed Technical Information

What properties does a component have and what does it need to have to work properly within the system? What components need to be fabricated, and what properties do they need to have to work with the rest of the system? What components already exist that can used as part of the solution? What are the standard inputs/outputs for your systems or sub-systems (for example, appropriate interfaces, size of conduits for moving materials)?

Information Activities

Distill and Translate Project Knowledge

Is the documentation prepared and presented in a form and style most appropriate to the future user of that information? Are there other ways to communicate information efficiently yet accurately? (Images, tables, graphs, etc.) Is information ethically presented/not misleading or only portraying one side of the evidence?

Information Activities

Manage Information and Document Lessons Learned

What new information was generated and how important/valuable is it? Is all the pertinent information gathered /created and used in the design process been fully documented and catalogued including calculations, models, graphic images, tables, and other non-textual information? Are all stages of the product/system/ process life-cycle adequately documented? How is this information made accessible?

Implications• Resources needed depend on stage of design

process• Mixture of technical, social, economic, legal

resources• Metacognitive process threads throughout project• Beginning and end focuses on Knowledge

Management• Can target appropriate stage, or try to integrate

throughout design project

Applications

Provide Context:• Design Problem: Provide clean water to a community in

Sub-Saharan Africa• Activity:

1. Brainstorm: List the assumptions you can make about the community to guide your project. (materials available, budget, culture, local expertise, etc.)

2. Locate information to inform one of your assumptions.

3. Was your assumption correct? What other assumptions from your list do you need to validate?

Applications

Assess Technologies and Approaches:• Design Problem: Provide clean water to a community in

Sub-Saharan Africa• Activity:

1. Determine ‘success’ factors of a solution (e.g., cost, ease of use, local materials)

2. Locate an appropriate product that could be applied to the problem. What is your assessment of the product?

3. Locate two external sources that evaluate or compare this product (or underlying technology) in a similar situation.

4. What is the assessment of those sources? How has it changed your assessment of the value of your chosen technology?

Conclusion

• Assembling Examples and Approach into Monograph

• Initiatives at PU Press

• IL Handbook series• Engineering Education

series

Coming

Fall 2013

Chp Title

1 What is Information Literacy Anyway?2 What Does Engineering Design Entail?3 Where Do Information and Design intersect?4 Whose Idea was That and Why Does It Matter?

5 How do Engineers Manage Their Information?

6 Getting Your (Information) Act Together: Developing a Knowledge-Management Strategy

7 Finding the Lay of the Land Understanding the Context

8 Finding Out What Clients Really Need: Understanding the Task

9 Searching Outside Your Box: Taking advantage of prior art

10 We Have a Winner: Evaluating Potential Solutions

11 Making it Real: Finding the most Suitable Materials and Components

12 Making it Safe and Legal: Meeting standards, codes, and regulations

13 Selling Your Solution: Persuading with Integrity

14 Don’t Re-Invent Your Wheel: Capturing Lessons from the Project

Thank You

Michael Fosmire David Radcliffe Purdue University

fosmire@purdue.edu dradclif@purdue.edu