Design of an Internet-based (i.e. UTSonline) Engineering Design Subject

This paper examines the design and development of an Internet based engineering design subject at Faculty of Engineering, University of Technology Sydney (UTS). The course management system, "Blackboard" (UTSonline), was used to provide an interactive team design environment in the Engineering Design subject. Concurrent Engineering, and student-focused- approaches are incorporated in the subject content, teaching methods, and student assessment techniques to develop the graduate attributes expected of innovative design engineers. Combined face-to-face (f2f) and the Blackboard (UTSonline) facilities are used to provide interactive learning environments for students to demonstrate the quality of their learning and skill development in a major-design project, through team working, need analysis, information gathering, design specification, application of design ideas, concept development, concept-evaluation, and concept selections. The developed engineering design subject is also proposed as a bench mark product for design-students who select as a major project to design a modern engineering design subject. The paper discusses ways in which we have examined the effectiveness of our design subject by interviewing students, industry, and teaching staff, analysing their design reports, reflective portfolios and feedback surveys.