Pedagogy
Teaching engineering design requires educational methods that enable diverse students to learn both design concepts and processes. Instruments such as the Hermann Brain Dominance Model, Myers Briggs personality indicator, and the Kolb learning style inventory are useful here to generate student awareness of one another's strengths and to aid instructors in identifying effective teaching strategies. The TIDEE instructional model has been developed for effectiveness with diverse student populations and for easy transferability to a variety of classroom and institution settings.
Learning Activities
TIDEE instructional materials use collaborative, inductive instructional strategies that are consistent with developmental models for young adults. Collaborative learning accelerates development of cognitive, interpersonal (social), and affective skills. Students typically favor an inductive approach (from concrete experience to theoretical conclusions) over a deductive approach (from theory to physical situations). Instruction is graduated so that students establish a foundation before building higher order skills. At the earliest stage, TIDEE curricula integrate team building and design process skill development in introductory instructional units for:
- building teams and teaming skills,
- expanding design competencies in short, structured activities
- challenging student teams to apply their skills in more complex multi-week projects.
Balance in Focus
TIDEE curriculum materials address both learning processes and outcomes, both design processes and design products. Students are able to develop better products when their processes are effective and improving. But first, students must understand processes in order to monitor their effectiveness and to improve these processes. TIDEE methods include review of processes, definition of quality, and incentives for process effectiveness.
Imbedded Assessment
Students learn best when they receive frequent, constructive feedback on their learning. TIDEE instructional methods utilize peer and instructor feedback that is non-threatening. Students practice self and peer assessment in collaborative learning exercises. "Friendly" feedback is imbedded in TIDEE activities from the freshman to senior years.
