Teaching integrated system design with interdisciplinary group design exercises

With funding from the UK’s Royal Academy of Engineering, the University of Edinburgh has developed a set of three truly interdisciplinary group design exercises aimed at improving penultimate-year undergraduate students’ ability to work across disciplines and improve their preparation for transfer into industry. Three exercises on hydropower system design, potable water supply and a micro-system accelerometer are each designed and led by a Visiting Industrial Professor. The group design exercises are both challenging and popular with students and have achieved several very successful outcomes: experience of real system design; enhanced appreciation of other engineering disciplines; experience of team working where participants have different skills and expertise; demonstration of the links between design and economic viability and introduction to non-technical areas essential to fulfilling the UK Standard for Professional Engineering Competence.