Abstract: Educational reforms and recent trends have pushed CAD education further into the mainstream of higher education. This has resulted in a rapidly increasing number of students enrolling in introductory level CAD courses, producing a flood of digital assignment submissions that need to be evaluated in a timely manner. This overwhelming situation has led to accelerated work on software tools for autonomous analysis and grading. However, the type and complexity of CAD model that can be analyzed, and the quality of the feedback that is generated, are still quite limited. In response to this predicament, and also efforts to reform an actual mechanical engineering CAD (MCAD) course, a new approach, framework, and software tool have been developed, based on visual representation and analysis of metrics. These novel instruments are aimed at supporting a more diverse and inclusive analysis and assessment of MCAD models, with a focus on the overall outcome a student produces, which includes model structure, history of model creation, and modeling strategy. The first part of this paper presents the novel approach and instruments for enhanced feature-based MCAD model analysis in the educational context. The second part of this paper reports on their development and implementation, and on the empirical results obtained during testing and evaluation.

Keywords: competency development | formative feedback | knowledge discovery | MCAD model analysis and assessment | radial visualization | visual analysis

Abstract: Preface and Acknowledgements (Editorial)

Keywords: Editorial

Abstract: Due to the pandemic, there has been a shift from conducting paper-based in-person exams to conducting online exams. To still be able to evaluate students, a closed-ended test was implemented to verify the skills acquired by the exam candidates. We have developed on Moodle platform an online test called Technical Drawing Test (TDT2) based on graphic questions with closed answers both single and multiple, replacing the open-ended graphic questions of the previous in-person paper exam mode and with the same contents. This article aims to show the method by which the types of exercises were chosen according to the skills to be tested and to present the first results obtained, with the goal of verifying that the new test is equivalent to the old paper-based open-ended test in its ability to test candidates’ skills. The reliability of the TDT2 is quantified through two statistical synthetic indexes calculated by the Moodle platform and comparing the results of the online TDT2 with the results of the paper-based in-person exams.

Keywords: Engineering education | Moodle | Technical drawing | Testing methods

Abstract: No abstract available

Keywords: deductive | inductive | principle | publish or perish | research impact | research quality | rigor-or-relevance dilemma | trans-disciplinary research

Abstract: Fully constrained features and sound associativity are prerequisites for robustness and alterability of parametric feature-based CAD models. However, errors in associativity are very difficult to detect with traditional static analysis approaches, due to effects that remain hidden until parameter changes and model re-creation take place. Currently, studies on associativity-related CAD model deficiency have not advanced to the point of being a part of model analysis. In this paper, the novel concept of dormant deficiency, together with a three-level classification, a graph-based knowledge network, a human readable visualization of cause and effect relationships, and a software tool are presented in a newly developed approach to dynamic CAD model analysis. Within this approach, dormant deficiencies are triggered to facilitate a methodic knowledge-driven method of detecting errors in associativity. This is achieved through systematic analysis of deficiency generating effects and their related symptoms, followed by systematic backtracking to their root causes. A selection of representative examples used for testing and evaluation of the approach is included within the empirical results from practice.

Keywords: Design intent | Dynamic CAD model properties | Feature dependency | Formative feedback | Parametric feature-based CAD model alteration | Robust CAD models

Abstract: The need for innovative products led scholars to develop design methods to improve or at least to support creativity of designers. Among the different alternatives, the Problem Solution Network (PSN) was developed to solve some of the issues that characterize the German systematic approach for conceptual design. The objective of this paper is to report and discuss pros and cons of the use of the PSN for didactic purposes in an engineering design course. Both, feedback from students and teachers’ impressions, have been gathered in about ten years. The key information is then reported and discussed in this paper, highlighting that as for other academic design methods, the key problem still resides in motivating students to better understand the learned approach.

Keywords: Conceptual design | Creativity | Engineering education

Abstract: The promotion of creativity in education is intended to address many of the political challenges and goals for the development of a country, but among all of them the role of creativity in technology and economics is seen as crucial in helping nations to achieve higher employment, better economic performance and to cope with global competition. This study, currently in its preliminary phase, aims to compare the creativity levels of first-year students at a medium-sized Italian university. The degree courses in Engineering Management, Mechanical Engineering, Law and Motor Sciences were analyzed. In this analysis, students’ creativity is measured with the “Forward Flow” test by Gray et al. This test implements a new metric that uses latent semantic analysis to measure the evolution of thoughts over time. Operationally, students are asked to produce a sequence of semantically related words from a given initial word. Latent semantic analysis calculates the semantic distance between words by examining the frequency with which they appear together in a very large collection of documents. Studies conducted on the test, found in the literature, reveal that Forward Flow can predict the creativity of college students. According to these studies, even that membership in real-world creative groups (e.g. professional actors or entrepreneurs) is statistically predicted by scores on the Forward Flow test, even when controlling for divergent thinking.

Keywords: Creativity | Engineering education

Abstract: This work is part of the historic collaboration between the design and methods research groups of the universities of Udine and Brescia. In particular, it presents the results of a survey on the perceptions of engineering students on the online teaching methods activated for the technical drawing courses during the COVID-19 pandemic. 111 students at the University of Udine participated in the survey and the results of the analysis of the responses showed that, in general, online teaching methods are not comparable to face-to-face ones; however, they have been appreciated as they allowed regular teaching during this critical period. Furthermore, opinions and scores from the new teaching methods were more than positive regarding both the availability of the recordings of the lessons and the introduction of generalized corrections of exercises. The authors planned to extend the survey also to the University of Brescia to collect further pieces of information in order to constantly improve this teaching paradigm.

Keywords: COVID-19 | Engineering education | Online teaching | Students survey | Technical drawing

Abstract: Teamwork quality (TWQ) is often associated with project success. Therefore, understanding TWQ is crucial to have better design project outcomes. Since most of the studies in the past have presented a cross-sectional analysis of TWQ, the current work focuses on capturing TWQ in a longitudinal way for a project-based learning (PBL) course. The results showed that the 6 facets differed significantly during the first half of the course than towards the end. In later phases of the PBL, TWQ and team performance were positively correlated than at the beginning.

Keywords: collaborative design | design education | design teams | product development | teamwork

Abstract: In this work, we propose a Mixed Reality (MR) application to support laboratory lectures in STEM distance education. It was designed following a methodology extendable to diverse STEM laboratory lectures. We formulated this methodology considering the main issues found in the literature that limit MR’s use in education. Thus, the main design features of the resulting MR application are students’ and teachers’ involvement, use of not distracting graphics, integration of traditional didactic material, and easy scalability to new learning activities. In this work, we present how we applied the design methodology and used the framework for the case study of an engineering course to support students in understanding drawings of complex machines without being physically in the laboratory. We finally evaluated the usability and cognitive load of the implemented MR application through two user studies, involving, respectively, 48 and 36 students. The results reveal that the usability of our application is “excellent” (mean SUS score 84.7), and it is not influenced by familiarity with Mixed Reality and distance education tools. Furthermore, the cognitive load is medium (mean NASA TLX score below 29) for all four learning tasks that students can accomplish through the MR application.

Keywords: augmented and virtual reality | distance education and online learning | improving classroom teaching | mixed reality | mobile learning

Abstract: Mixed Reality (MR) could help students in the understanding of complex concepts as well as increase their motivation in the learning process. In this work, our aim is to propose a MR application for the support of engineering students in the understanding of assembly drawings of complex machines. We presented the application of our design methodology for this case study. Then, based on the results of a user study with a sample of students, we tried to improve the usability and the user experience of the MR application, proposing an updated version. The usability of the revised application was in the range “good-excellent” (mean SUS score 77.0). We also presented the lessons learned in this case study, that can be a starting point for a renewal of consolidated didactic processes aiming at future application of MR in other STEM courses.

Keywords: Augmented and virtual reality | Distance education and online learning | Improving classroom teaching | Mixed Reality | Mobile learning

Abstract: Additive Manufacturing (AM) has become an established discipline in both research and education. However, to achieve its full potential AM requires a step-change in design thinking, which makes Design for AM (DfAM) education and training crucial. This paper reports results from the first attempt to investigate the uptake of DfAM in higher education. This research required the development and administration of an articulated online survey, in which educators worldwide who teach AM and DfAM have participated. The results show that DfAM is taught in a considerable number of courses. However, the survey revealed that DfAM is seldom recognised as a distinct course or topic and the relevance attributed and proportion of teaching dedicated to DfAM within wider AM is typically marginal. DfAM is being mostly taught in North America and Europe and is also typically taught in institutions that are research active in AM or specifically DfAM, suggesting the subject has not yet reached maturity or diffusion into mainstream design and engineering curricula. It was interesting to find that currently, the contents of courses do not differ significantly between engineering and design programmes.

Keywords: 3D printing | design education | Design for Additive Manufacturing | survey

Abstract: ASME Y14.5 and Y14.43 standards share the task to define a coherent context in which geometric tolerances may find a rational approach. Even ASME Y14.5 defines the rules, meanings, and descriptions of geometric tolerances, ASME Y14.43 applies them aiming to design and build functional gages able to check if the geometric characteristics, assigned on a drawing, have been reached in a physical component. Many of the assumptions given in the ASME Y14.5 may be understood only when the design of a functional gage is approached. The need to build such kind of device is strictly connected with the need of industry that requires best-practices able to check geometric characteristics of products in a short time. The basic elements of ASME Y14.43 are summarized in the paper and a functional gage, taken from the edition of 2011, is elaborated and discussed. The root of the American standards has been associated with the philosophical school of pragmatism in which more attention is paid to practical examples and how every theoretical conceivement must be verified by scientific experimentation.

Keywords: Functional gages | Geometric dimensioning and tolerancing | Pragmatism

Abstract: Analyzing an assembly and recognizing how the components can mate with each other in order to satisfy the functionality for which they have been designed is not a trivial task. Teaching such a problem to engineering students requires they are familiar with a set of components and how much larger or thin can be the errors intrinsically related to the technologies employed in their production. A set of steps are necessary to reasoning about the right identification of a chain of dimensions that influences a functionality. Then can be useful to have a table where collect the data, especially when the number of parts is relevant. The paper presents a new format for the table that can be used in all kinds of problems that may occur in design: analysis, analysis with constraints, and synthesis. The way how to employ such a table and the steps to solve each problem is discussed with known examples.

Keywords: Modeling | Tolerance analysis and synthesis | Tolerance stack-up

Abstract: Within the field of industrial engineering, the use of systems for computer-aided design in mechanical engineering (MCAD) has been consolidated over the years. However, the potential benefits and advantages that these MCAD systems are capable of bringing to the product development process are still limited by, among other factors, the prevalent application of low-quality modeling strategies. This situation is reflected in the numerous MCAD models being created which can hardly be altered without causing unexpected and undesired side effects and errors, even though model alterability and reusability are essential requirements within the traditional design process. To improve this situation, MCAD curricula and education at institutions of higher education need to be restructured to further the development of skills and competency. This includes the development of MCAD modeling behavior in students, which is the outcome of understanding how to translate and correctly apply domain core concepts within strategic MCAD modeling. The aim of this paper is two-fold. Firstly, it attempts to provide an overview of efforts to restructure the MCAD course at the institution represented by the authors. Secondly, it tries to outline the individual stages of the development and implementation of the proposed innovative systematic approach to MCAD education, and to report on and summarize results achieved and experiences noted. A study of work previously published by the authors will facilitate a better understanding of this educational project, and such work is referenced below, but cannot be repeated, due to space limitations.

Keywords: Learning experience design | Learning from errors | MCAD skills and competency development | Reflection on performance and outcome

Abstract: Automation of CAD model grading is obviously capable of considerably reducing the time required for analyzing and assessing CAD models created by students, though the type and complexity of CAD model that can be analyzed, and the quality of the feedback that is generated, are still quite limited. Recent trends to allow students to use the same software tools as teachers use for grading CAD models suffer, from the methodological and conceptual approach, because grading provides feedback that is based on a finalized result, and thus always contains one assessment criterion that is related to the completeness of the solution. Being structured in this manner, it cannot be a direct part of the process and learning experience during the performance itself, that is the design, creation, and alteration of a CAD model. This paper reports on efforts and results from the first step of a two-step project to improve this situation as follows. Firstly, a learning-experience-oriented approach is presented, aimed at improving skill and expertise development in regard to robust and alterable parametric feature-based solid model creation. Secondly, a novel concept and a key metric for CAD model assessment and core behavior evaluation are introduced. Thirdly, a newly developed software tool is presented. This tool is dedicated to supporting students in putting into practice this learning-experience-oriented approach.

Keywords: CAD model alterability and associativity | Dormant deficiency | Formative feedback | Reflection on performance and outcome | Skill and competency development

Abstract: There has been increasing research on pedagogical approaches, sustainability competences, and how to connect them in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). This paper's aim is to provide deeper insights into the system of pedagogical approaches and sustainability competences, as well as how these interrelate. A survey was developed to investigate sustainability teaching in 15 HEIs. The survey was sent to educators of each HEI from which 668 responses were obtained. The responses were analysed in a five-step process: (1) descriptive statistics; (2) Pearson correlations; (3) principal component analyses (PCAs) to detect groups; (4) Pearson correlations between the groups; and (5) regressions. The first step provided the base to carry out the PCAs, from which three groups for the pedagogical approaches (Universal, Social, and Environmental) and three for the sustainability competences (Extrospective-social, Introspective-personal, and Cogitative-processual) were obtained. The correlations between the groups showed that: (1) the competences are closely interrelated; (2) the pedagogical approaches are somehow interrelated; and (3) the pedagogical approaches are somehow interrelated to the competences. The regressions showed that the Universal and Social groups would be most suitable to develop all the competences' groups. The Environmental group develops only the cogitative-processual competences' group. The results served as bases to propose the Sustainability Teaching System (STS), which provides deeper insights into the system of pedagogical approaches and sustainability competences by grouping them, as well as showing directionality and strength. To improve sustainability teaching, it is necessary to understand the pedagogical approaches' groups and how they can develop the competences' groups.

Keywords: education for sustainable development | Higher Education Institutions | holistic thinking | pedagogical approaches | sustainability competences | systems thinking

Abstract: This paper proposes a framework for the systematic adaptation and digitalisation of engineering product development courses in the event of a crisis. Applicants can use resources of the framework to identify crisis-related boundary conditions that impact the delivery of education and are assisted in determining the necessary level of course digitalisation to respond to the crisis. Furthermore, the framework comprehends a review of modern educational teaching objectives, as well as a table containing tools and methodologies linked to educational targets. These can be used to enhance course design to keep students independently of their learning profiles engaged in study activities and to uphold an excellent knowledge acquisition in a volatile environment. An exemplary application of the framework on a CAD course in a higher education context guides the educator through the processes.

Keywords: crisis education | crisis scenarios | digitalisation | Engineering education | post COVID-19 transition

Abstract: The “San Pietro al Monte Abbey project: a virtual tour for everyone” consists in the construction of a high-tech station that allows visitors with mobility limitations to be virtually accompanied by a guide to the Benedictine abbey of San Pietro al Monte along the ancient access route that can only be reached on foot with trekking equipment. The room with the virtual instrumentation is located in the Casa del Pellegrino in Civate (Lecco, Italy). It is a museum structure-based located in a media reception building. From its entrance, it is possible to see the final destination. The virtual tour preserves the dialogue between the environment, the monument, and the ‘virtual pilgrim’. By also acting as an information database, it enhances the use of the basilica of San Pietro al Monte even for visitors equipped with tablets who reach the building on foot. The virtual tour application has been developed with Unity3D. The interactive application has different virtual scenes with photos, 360 ∘ videos, an external digital twin of the abbey, and some interesting internal digital twins of the most important monuments inside the abbey.

Keywords: Digital twin | Photogrammetry | Virtual tour

Abstract: Considering reviewers' opinions on the paper, presented at EPDE2021, in which the data were not sufficient to compare different cohorts, now we are able to answer if there have been differences in students' assessments, based on some questions of the academic survey on didactics, comparing answers for courses held pre-and-during Covid19 pandemic. In 2020 every educational institution moved their didactics toward an online platform. Every course had to introduce and experiment with new forms of didactics that prevent in-person events, either in lectures or laboratory. Courses of design traditionally require a strict relation between student-instructor and student-student. The need to operate by moving the contact to an online connection creates, at the beginning of the period, a lot of distrust among teachers of such courses. The “Machine Drawing” course is one of these. Briefly recalling how the courses have been revised, with the employment of a communication platform like Teams®, the answers, given by students, are collected and the differences along the time are highlighted. Three academic years have been considered: 2017-2018, 2019-2020, and 2020-2021. A further correlation has been made considering different didactics and the global efficiency of the course in terms of abandonment, number of successes (number of people that pass the exam), and the effects on the grades (marks) obtained. Reflecting on such data, a new consideration has been done on the methodologies that can still continue to be used in the future when the explicit problem of pandemic emergency does will not influence anymore the traditional way of teaching.

Keywords: Online didactics | students' assessments | teaching quality improvement

Abstract: The "An Ocean of Science" project promotes effective interventions and innovative educational paths to support the growth of knowledge and skills in schools, helping competent institutions to guarantee more inclusive cohesion policies with a high cultural and scientific impact. The project also supports innovation in education and training by providing opportunities for cultural and socio-educational development within the framework of the cultural heritage located in the marine environment and the protection of the sea.

Keywords: Cultural heritages | Education and training | Educational laboratory | Innovation in educations | Marine environment | Science projects

Abstract: This paper presents the results of a survey carried out with students enrolled in the first two years of the BS in Engineering at three Italian university locations. The study is part of a wider range of methods, tools and aids for the improvement of teaching and learning of technical drawing at university level developed by the University of Brescia, Udine, and Cassino and Southern Lazio. In particular, this work analyses the results of questionnaires related to the basic technical drawing outcomes, taking inspiration from previous research work in this field. What emerges is a positive picture that shows students’ interest in 3D CAD modeling topics such as part or assembly construction, but also their interest in more traditional subjects like sketching and dimensioning.

Keywords: CAD | Engineering education | Students’ surveys | Technical drawing

Abstract: Individual traits strongly impact team composition and the biases arising from them can also impact design activities. One such bias highlighted in the study is the familiarity bias (i.e., a bias that might be present between the two individuals due to their prior acquaintance). In order to detect the familiarity bias, participants from 4 universities who evaluated their peers and rated them for (1) their perceived degree of influence, (2) trust, (3) the amount of agreement they had with the other team member and (4) the amount of agreement the other individual in the team had with them. It was found that familiarity bias exists in collaborative teams. Its impact on the four variables, especially on influence, was discovered. In the end, the study briefly highlighted the importance of studying the factors (like the one revealed in this study) that affect influence in design teams as it eventually impacts design outcome. It was found that the individuals who explore most idea clusters, are less likely to be perceived influential and teams having the most influence produced a smaller number of idea clusters. Overall, the study contributes to understanding the factors affecting human cognition and behaviour in the design teams.

Keywords: Collaborative design | Design cognition | Design education | Teamwork

Abstract: This paper analyses the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in a distributed product design project-based learning (PBL). The paper presents the ICT use of five international student teams during three product design phases: identification of opportunities, conceptual design, embodiment design. General results show that student teams used around 30 different ICTs for both taskwork and teamwork. Students reported that they used previously known ICTs or ICTs properly introduced to them during the initial course workshop. Results also show that team members often work individually on their tasks and use various procedures to share their results. Also, teams conduct some activities synchronously, suggesting the need for teams to have a collaborative workspace. Cloud-based collaborative ICTs (e.g. whiteboard, computer-aided design, document editor, task management) showed huge potential for individual and team tasks. Hence, educators and teams should carefully consider which ICTs to implement and learn, as it might greatly impact the execution of the product design PBL course.

Keywords: Collaborative design | Design education | Distributed teams | Project-based learning | Technology

Abstract: The concept of Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) is gaining popularity along with AM, despite its scopes are not well established. In particular, in the last few years, DfAM methods have been intuitively subdivided into opportunistic and restrictive. This distinction is gaining traction despite a lack of formalization. In this context, the paper investigates experts' understanding of DfAM. In particular, the authors have targeted educators, as the perception of DfAM scopes in the future will likely depend on teachers' view. A bespoke survey has been launched, which has been answer by 100 worldwide-distributed respondents. The gathered data has undergone several analyses, markedly answers to open questions asking for individual definitions of DfAM, and evaluations of the pertinence of meanings and acceptations from the literature. The results show that the main DfAM aspects focused on by first standardization attempts have been targeted, especially products, processes, opportunities and constraints. Beyond opportunistic and restrictive nuances, DfAM different understandings are characterized by different extents of cognitive endeavor, convergence vs. divergence in the design process, theoretical vs. hands on approaches.

Keywords: Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) | Design methods | Early design phases | Opportunistic DfAM | Restrictive DfAM

Abstract: Sketching is becoming an irrelevant activity of engineering studies. The availability of many software that aids designers in all phases of design, not only analytic but synthetic, push technicians, designers to use such tools, giving up the employment of a simple pencil and eraser on a sheet of paper. The productivity of software tools is obliged to speed and manage the whole design process; even freehand sketching remains the fundamental means to communicate the first ideas immediately. During Brainwriting sessions, the ability to explain by sketches first elaborations of a possible solution, that must be understood by co-designers, is the first step that allows more fruitful discussion and immediate adjustment towards a quick embodiment of valid proposals. The paper describes how such techniques has been introduced in the mechanical engineering curriculum. The case of study reports the experience of the Brainwriting online, which has been tested during lockdown due to the pandemic disease of COVID-19. Further in the paper it is suggested a new interpretation of the de Saussure general linguistic studies, in term of a communication that is associated to a drawing.

Keywords: Brainwriting | Communicate design intent | Interactive design | Product design | Semiology | Sketching

Abstract: Since Learning Management Systems (LMS) appeared some 20 years ago, their experimentation grew slowly, compared with the explosion that occurred after the Covid-19 emergency. Due to the closure of schools and universities worldwide, every educational institution and their teachers had to move towards the usage of LMSs for Online Distance Learning (ODL). This obliged the teachers to quickly familiarize with such kind of didactics and every kind of course faced these new opportunities. Machine Drawing is a course that requires much interaction between teachers and students and may not exploit validly many modalities invented in LMS. This paper presents the experiences done implementing online didactics, trying to apply all the online tools to the traditional way of teaching. Mainly laboratory activities, made online, must reproduce the interaction made in-person. Nevertheless, online connections opened new ways to try stricter relationships between the teacher and those students, who have less skill, even shyness, and then may accumulate delays. Differentiating the way in which didactics (lecture and laboratory) may be delivered, some traditional techniques have been improved. Employment the video recording of all activities done has given students the opportunity to repeat the more delicate steps of some topics. The check online of designs and elaborations by instructors allows students to be more concentrated on explanation, which may be done collectively or singularly. Comparing the results of exams before and after online didactics revealed that the number of students that passed the exam and the average of reached grade grew significantly.

Keywords: Machine drawing | Online classroom | Virtual class

Abstract: Teaching product design is not a trivisal task. Considering the experience done along 20 years of teaching at master level class in mechanical engineering it is possible to take stock. The model followed is Project-Based Learning and this method can be licensed as the model that gives greater satisfaction to all attendees. Students give high score to the survey organized by university at the end of the course to assess didactic validity. Also, teachers have many stimuli when discussing with students the activities proposed. The course is based on the development of an industrial product that solves a problem, eventually posed by industry or emerged by customers. Based on the course schedule, the different phases of product development put in evidence the steps that require divergent thinking and those where it is necessary to employ convergent thinking. A case study allows explaining all the phases of product design.

Keywords: Integration of design methodologies | Product design and development | Project-Based Learning | Project-Based Pedagogy

Abstract: Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) have been incorporating sustainability into education and curricula, where recent research has focussed on sustainability competences, pedagogical approaches, and how to connect them, generally on a single HEI. The process of integrating sustainability into education based on curricula assessment has been explained using adoption of innovations; and has the potential to explain the process of developing competences through pedagogical approaches. The aim of this paper is to investigate this process at academic discipline level. An online survey was developed to investigate teaching sustainability competences in 13 HEIs, from which 678 responses from educators were obtained. The competences and pedagogical approaches from the responses were ranked, and then the connections between the competences and pedagogical approaches per discipline were analysed using a correlations-based framework, from which three disciplines groups were created. The groups were categorised using diffusion of innovations theory, which indicated that some disciplines are more innovative than others in adopting sustainability competence-based teaching. The results are used to propose two frameworks to better understand the adoption of sustainability competence-based teaching: (a) the D-RAPID framework; and (b) the Disciplinary Multi-dimensional Sustainability Influence Change for Academia (D-MuSICA) memework. The adoption of sustainability competence-base education must expand from a single HEI perspective to a disciplinary collaborative one spanning many HEIs, where academic disciplines should learn from each other's insights and mistakes and provide students with more transdisciplinary skillsets to make societies more sustainable.

Keywords: academic disciplines | competences | education for sustainable development | educators | pedagogical approaches | teaching

Abstract: Additive manufacturing represents one of the most promising and innovative technologies of the moment. In fact, it is considered among the nine technological pillars on which Industry 4.0 is based. In particular, it has received a lot of interest from industries, educational institutions and government agencies. For these reasons, it is necessary to develop and train a specialised workforce and to prepare it for these new opportunities. This work aims to investigate, through the completion of a survey based on a systematic review of the literature, the current state of education and dissemination of educational practices related to the training of young engineers at university on the issues of additive manufacturing and related to Industry 4.0. The results show that the introduction of additive manufacturing education represents an important leverage in the preparation of young engineers who benefit from it both in terms of personal preparation and in terms of learning and refining different skills. However, certain aspects, linked to the need to have adequate equipment and a properly trained teaching staff, should not be overlooked.

Keywords: 3D printing | Additive manufacturing | Engineering education | Industry 4.0 | Systematic literature review

Abstract: Advancing formative assessment in MCAD education is an important but difficult problem. Success in this endeavor requires feature-based MCAD model assessment to consider the quality of a model from various viewpoints. That includes the absolute criteria that are associated with technical domain knowledge and also criteria related to model deficiencies. For the latter, this entails assessing the results of wrong or inappropriately applied system commands, and of partial or entire modeling strategies. Here, an approach that combines the perceptual abilities, creativity, and domain knowledge of the human user with the computational power of current desktop computing has great potential to contribute to solving the problem. The aim of the current paper is two-fold. Firstly, it presents a novel approach to analyzing feature-based characteristics of MCAD models, an approach that is aimed at advancing formative assessment in the educational context. This approach is based on visual analytics and efforts to combine visualization, human factors, and data analytics. Secondly, it reports on the technical architecture and concrete implementation of a newly developed visualization environment for a software tool to enable and put into practice this novel MCAD model assessment approach. The development of this new visualization environment is based on an advanced visualization pipeline that employs radial visualization, while supporting dedicated user interaction techniques to facilitate analytical processes.

Keywords: Advanced visualization pipeline | Formative feedback | Radial visualization | Strategic knowledge built-up | Visual analysis of multivariate data

Abstract: The use of integrated Computer Aided Design/Engineering (CAD/CAE) software capable of analyzing mechanical devices in a single parametric environment is becoming an industrial standard. Potential advantages over traditional enduring multi-software design routines can be outlined into time/cost reduction and easier modeling procedures. To meet industrial requirements, the engineering education is constantly revising the courses programs to include the training of modern advanced virtual prototyping technologies. Within this scenario, the present work describes the CAD/CAE project-based learning (PjBL) activity developed at the University of Genova as a part of course named Design of Automatic Machines, taught at the second level degree in mechanical engineering. The PjBL activity provides a detailed overview of an integrated design environment (i.e. PTC Creo). The students, divided into small work groups, interactively gain experience with the tool via the solution of an industrial design problem, provided by an engineer from industry. The considered case study consists of an automatic pushing device implemented in a commercial machine. Starting from a sub-optimal solution, the students, supervised by the lecturers, solve a series of sequential design steps involving both motion and structural analysis. The paper describes each design phase and summarizes the numerical outputs. At last, the results of the PjBL activity are presented and commented by considering the opinions of all the parties involved.

Keywords: Engineering education | Integrated CAD/CAE design | Interactive education | Project-based learning | Virtual modeling

Abstract: Planning prototyping strategies for conceptual design purposes is a crucial activity, which needs a clear understanding of the potentialities of the different typologies of prototype. Therefore, to prepare future designers, it is very important to provide the required information in design-related academic courses. However, prototypes and prototyping activities are often taught in specific courses with a major emphasis on the underpinning technologies, but with limited attention on design implications, especially about the fuzzy-front-end of the design process. The work presented in this paper aims at investigating about how students perceive the usefulness of prototypes during conceptual design activities, in order to provide first indications about the gap to be filled. To this purpose, two classes of students participated to an experimental session, and were asked to perform a conceptual design task individually. Subsequently, they participated to an on-line survey developed to gather information about the perceived usefulness of prototypes, in relation to the performed conceptual design activity. Several findings have been obtained from this work, but maybe the most impacting one concerns the different consideration that the two samples of students had about the fidelity of prototypes. Indeed, differently from what recently highlighted in current literature, it emerged that engineering students preferred low-fidelity prototypes. However, other unexpected evidences have been found, which highlight that at least for the considered institution, students still lack a comprehensive understanding of the design-related potentialities of prototypes.

Keywords: Additive manufacturing | CAD | Design | Design education | Engineering education | Prototyping

Abstract: The excessive exposure to noise seriously harms human health and interferes with people's daily activities. The Environment Action Programme of the European Union committed to decrease noise pollution, moving closer to levels recommended by the WHO by 2020. When considering the noise policy instruments, including the legislative, economic and communicative way, the policy applications mostly rely on legislative ones. Although, there is intensive control strategies based on legislations related to environmental noise and legal punishments (as economic way) to the facilities, the public noise complaints have been still increasing. Hence, it is required to increase the capability of staff on the use of communicative instruments of noise management. The Erasmus+ Noise Training Project (NTP) aimed to improve the skills and practices of staff working on environmental noise management (ENM), using innovative methods. Moreover, it improved the sharing of good practices on noise management in audits between European countries to provide the high acoustic quality of urban cities. In the present paper, the comparative analysis on ENM applications between project partner countries (Turkey, Italy and Spain) is described and the final version of the new curriculum focusing on environmental noise is illustrated, together with its transferability potential to additional EU Countries.

Abstract: As a scientific consequence of the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, several initiatives have taken place in order to monitor noise levels trends before and after the lock down phase in several Italian and European cities. In Monza (Italy), since June 2017, a new smart noise monitoring system consisting of 10 sensors developed in the frame of the LIFE MONZA project is continuously measuring acoustic data every second and transmitting them hourly to a dedicated server. The sensors are located both along a main street of the Libertà district characterised by high traffic flows and along secondary streets of the district; they are positioned on (preferably sensitive) buildings facades and on streetlamps. In the present paper results of a study concerning changes occurred in noise levels trends before and during the lock down phase for the smart sensors are presented, together with a comparison with noise levels collected by the same sensors in the equivalent months of the previous year. Some preliminary considerations regarding the reliability of the sensors themselves are also provided.

Keywords: LIFE MONZA | noise mapping | noise monitoring | smart network of sensors

Abstract: The aim of this work is to study methods and criteria to objectively evaluate Geometrical Product Specification (GPS) and Geometrical Dimensioning and tolerances (GD&T) basic skills of engineering students. To do so, it is important to define who is the examiner, what is the topic of the exam, how to examine, when and why. In particular, for what concerns the topics, knowledge, competences, skills, concepts and abilities should be assessed. Basic knowledge is the easier topic to evaluate in an objective and reliable way, for example using closed-ended questions, but skills like creativity are difficult to measure. Following the principles of Bloom’s taxonomy, a technical drawing evaluation grid has been developed and used by the authors. The grid has eight learning levels, and target knowledge, competences, and skills have been defined for each learning level, then specific tests to verify the target for each level have been studied and developed. In this paper some examples of application of the grid are described and some preliminary results and considerations are reported. In particular, using an objective closed-ended question test, which rigorously assesses the basic levels of the grid, “residual” students decrease in number, and the students increase in number, the test is cost-effective.

Keywords: Bloom’s taxonomy | Engineering education | Engineering students evaluation | GPS/GD&T | Technical drawing

Abstract: Since students attending basic engineering courses are numerous and show different background regarding high school, experience, skills and attitudes, it has become important for educators to assess the level of their prior knowledge. In Italy, in order to access university engineering courses (BS degree level), students usually must take an entrance test; it assesses their knowledge about basic subjects such as mathematics, physics and chemistry, as well as their logical and linguistic skills. However, this test does not refer to technical subjects, e.g., the technical drawing. The two university research units of Udine and Brescia collaborate in developing the Technical Drawing Test-Level 0 (TDT-L0), a test-based method to assess students’ prior knowledge about basic engineering graphics topics like axonometric and orthographic projections, sectional views, basic dimensioning standards, etc. This paper describes the definition of the test contents - the selection of the questions to ask to the students - as well as the way to analyze the collected information and exploit the results to improve the learning and teaching experience of both students and educators. An adoption of the TDT-L0 at the University of Udine is reported as first validation.

Keywords: Engineering education | Prior knowledge assessment | Technical drawing | Test

Abstract: The paper presents the original integration of ICT tools and e-learning platform into an infrastructure to support Project-based learning for a design class that is geographically distributed across different countries. 30 Mechanical Engineering students from 4 European countries tested the infrastructure prototype for the development of an innovative solution in the field of white goods. The results produced evidence about the suitability of the proposal together with strong and weak points of the infrastructure, that can support further development and adaptation into different contexts.

Keywords: collaborative design | design education | distributed design | e-learning | project-based learning

Abstract: Mechanical and Management Engineering are some of the stakeholders involved in product development, with different competencies. They must share the responsibility for best solution identification to accordingly answer the customer needs and to authorize the production of products that can have success with a positive economic return. Higher education curricula should prepare such professionals, and this is the reason because courses of product design are proposed to such classes. Even the programmes of the corresponding courses are necessarily different the part related to concept generation is similar. The work aims is to identify analogies and differences between the classes of Mechanical Engineering and Management Engineering, both in the way of leading the generation of concepts and in how the concepts generated have eventually reached the goals of innovation. BrainWriting is a method that can allow students to be productive in concept generation and is based on the two steps of sketching and gallery. This ability must be conjointly employed with the functional study of the problem to be solved. These aspects must be learned by students to avoid fixation, the inconvenience to repeat indefinitely only what is already known. The design alternatives generated by teams of students will be assessed by teachers and experts in the field, following the method proposed by Shah. After such classification, further comparison between the two classes will be done to identify the aspects of the cultural imprinting of such future professionals.

Keywords: BrainWriting | comparison between different classes | creativity and innovation | creativity assessment | Product design education

Abstract: The first phases of designing an industrial product are those in which creativity has the predominant weight in all the design process. Teaching to be creative is extremely complex and ambiguous, given the elusiveness of the mechanisms that guide it. In this work, the process of generating concepts has been observed during the laboratory of a dyad workgroup of master’s degree students in mechanical engineering in a course of Product Design and Development. Starting from a standard session of the 635 method (Brainwriting) it has been observed how the concepts have evolved in a continuous Brainwriting developed in five steps, between feared and almost manifested moments of fixation and exhaustion, towards increasingly mature and conscious solutions, despite the inexperience of the team members. Some aspects have been highlighted on the rotation mechanism of the different Brainwriting sessions and how this has contributed to concepts development; therefore a framework of a three-step Brainwriting session is proposed, which takes inspiration from this experience and those performed of past years.

Keywords: 635 method | Brainwriting | Concept generation | Continuous Brainwriting

Abstract: ANOVA is currently employed in association with the Robust Design in order to discover the parameters most influencing a particular performance of a device in the phase of development. Such relation has been studied for many times and literature is abundant. The peculiar nature of the Taguchi Method with the employment of orthogonal arrays introduces new elements in the investigation of the most influencing parameters. Considering that the plan of the experiment is organized on the base of level parameters combination orthogonal and balanced, ANOVA can be applied to each parameter individually and this gives new insight on the occurrence of noises in correspondence of some levels parameter. The paper analyses this kind of relation, reproducing an example from literature and discussing how ANOVA can be employed in such a study. Robust Design is an extraordinary method to be used in product development with the experiments simulated from CAE analyses. In this context, more conscious employment of such methodologies can aid in managing and organizing the study and experimentation on new products or processes. In another section a second example from the authors is re-proposed and some new insights are shown.

Keywords: ANOVA | Robust Design | Taguchi Method

Abstract: Eco-design is the integration of environmental considerations within product design and development. Eco-design represents an important innovation driver for companies; however, well-known barriers limit the diffusion of this design paradigm in the industrial world. Amongst these, lack of eco-knowledge is correlated to the adopted eco-design teaching methods. Previous experience has highlighted that traditional teaching methods such as university lectures or refresher courses are not an effective means for disseminating eco-design knowledge in the industrial world. In this context, the present paper proposes a novel eco-design teaching method based on a transformative strategy for promoting eco-design and facilitating the learning process. This approach, tested in collaboration with an Italian manufacturing firm, is considered the first attempt to implement a repeatable eco-design teaching approach that can be scaled up in different industrial contexts. Several company departments, including management, marketing and commercial affairs, design and engineering, and a testing laboratory were involved in the training program. Technical results show that company employees were able to autonomously implement re-design solutions and improve the environmental performance of a coffee machine upon completion of the course. The quantitative evaluation of formative outcomes through assessment before and after the course highlights a significant increase in the awareness of personnel and knowledge relating to eco-design.

Keywords: Eco-design | Eco-knowledge | Life cycle assessment | Product portfolio | Teaching

Abstract: New tools are needed to support CAD course reform efforts. These reforms aim to increase the development of strategic knowledge and modeling skills within CAD competency, and their implementation requires better structured and more frequent assessment and feedback. In particular, formative assessment and formative feedback are essential. Unfortunately, within CAD education, dedicated techniques and tools are not yet available to support the implementation of formative assessment, and, in particular, to assist learning goal and outcome-oriented assessment of CAD models produced by students. The aim of the current paper is two-fold. Firstly, it strives to present a novel approach for parametric feature-based solid model assessment in the educational context. This is based on deficiency analysis in relation to learning outcomes. Secondly, it reports on the implementation and application of a newly developed software tool module to enable and put into practice this novel CAD model assessment approach. The new module will be combined with a module for surface CAD model assessment to form an integrated semi-automatic software tool that is aimed at supporting assessment of both parametric feature-based solid models and surface models.

Keywords: Competency development | Formative feedback | Geometric CAD model usability | Reflection on performance and outcome | Strategic knowledge build-up

Abstract: To address some of the shortcomings of the traditional approach to CAD education in relation to the increasingly complex and highly competitive global labor markets, while also taking advantage of recent developments in educational research and cognitive science related to how students learn, a novel approach to improving CAD education has been developed and implemented. The approach integrates negative knowledge and learning from errors as crucial elements in combination with traditional teaching methods (positive knowledge) and formative assessment/feedback. To examine different facets of teaching/learning-related phenomena aimed at providing grounds for improving learning outcomes achieved within a recently restructured MCAD course, empirical research was conducted. In this paper, the results of that empirical research are presented and discussed in regard to learning experience and self-evaluated competency development. The results and insight gained herein are based on student feedback from a set of over 700 questionnaires collected and analyzed using a multi-method approach.

Keywords: Competency development | Curriculum design | Integrated teaching method | Learning experience | Negative expertise | Strategic knowledge build-up

Abstract: This paper presents a learning outcomes-based methodology to produce a summative assessment to use in any course at any educational level. It takes into consideration the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) to define the learning outcomes, Bloom’s taxonomy to define the assessment questions and the QR code to help managing large class size. The methodology has been applied in a case study regarding the technical drawing course of the BSc Engineering programme at the Faculty of Engineering in Italy. In general, the implementation of the new assessment, during the two academic years of analysis, has shown good results in terms of reduction of failures (7% in the first year and 3.9% in the second year), improvement of the weighted average mark (4.6%), reduction of the minimum mark obtained (8.1%), increase of the maximum mark obtained (3.1%) and time reduction of 48% to upload marks to the electronic register.

Keywords: assessment questions | Bloom’s taxonomy | engineering education | European Qualifications Framework (EQF) | technical drawing

Abstract: The book was inadvertently published with an error in Chapter 50. The author’s name has been changed from ‘Barbara Moty’ to ‘Barbara Motyl’.

Abstract: The paper presents an experimental setup suited to a starting introduction of high school and undergraduate students to basic topics in vibrations, data acquisition and signal processing. The setup is portable, based on low-cost gear motor, sensors and control electronics, with 3D printed custom parts, and it has been used in different education contexts. Its specification, realization, features and usage are discussed in the paper.

Keywords: Engineering Education | High School | Mechanical Vibrations | Mechatronic Systems | Undergraduate Students

Abstract: This paper reports about project-based learning activities carried out within the course of Design of Automatic Machines at the University of Genova. This didactic experience, provided to the students enrolled in the second-level degree in Mechanical Engineering, aims at providing the knowledge of those methods and tools required to optimally design functional parts of automatic machines, here including the mechanical architecture and the actuation subsystem. Lecture hours are equally devoted to the introduction of theoretical concepts and to lab exercises, which leverage on the extensive and advanced use of dedicated CAD/CAE software tools (i.e. PTC Creo). In particular, the projects are related to the in-depth study of automated packaging systems, initial (sub-optimal) design solutions being provided by an industrial partner with years of practice in the sector. After a description of the educational goals, the presentation discusses the phases of the activity and the main methodological aspects. In addition, the adopted tools for the design and simulation of the developed systems are discussed in detail.

Keywords: CAD-based shape optimization | CAD/CAE tools | Design parametrization

Abstract: Environmental noise has been increasing day by day and this leads to serious health problems. European Union Environment Action Programme committed to decrease noise pollution, moving closer to levels recommended by World Health Organization by 2020. One of the key legislative instruments for achieving this is Environmental Noise Directive (END). European Commission Report on Evaluation of END published in 2016 highlighted the variances across Europe in terms of implementation of national strategies for environmental noise management (ENM). These variances in terms of practice and approaches to training bring the need for greater knowledge and practice exchange with using innovative developments. This is the primary focus of “Noise Training Project (NTP)” financed by EC under Erasmus+ Program. The main objective of NTP is to promote vocational skills of technical and administrative staff working on ENM. Within the project's scope, a survey was performed to analyse staff's perception regarding their training needs and training courses they have previously attended to. In this extent, a new curriculum focusing on environmental noise will be developed. The comparative analysis on ENM applications between project partner countries will also be introduced. In this article, the main structure of the project, its objectives and progresses are presented.

Keywords: Environmental noise | Qualifications | Training

Abstract: One of the main goal of the LIFE MONZA project, which started in September 2016, is to reduce the average noise levels present in the Libertà district by means of both top-down (creation of a limited traffic zone to forbid the access to trucks, limitation of vehicles speed, lanes-width reduction and pedestrian crossing introduction, substitution of the current asphalt with a silent one) and encouraged bottom up actions (people involvement, ideas contest among students, pedibus service, etc). In this paper, first results of activities carried out in the mentioned pilot area of Life Monza project are illustrated.

Keywords: Environmental noise | Low cost sensors | Low noise paving | Noise management | Noise monitoring

Abstract: The main objective of LIFE MONZA (Methodologies fOr Noise low emission Zones introduction And management) concerns an easy-replicable method for the identification and management of the Noise Low Emission Zones, urban areas subject to traffic restrictions, whose impacts and benefits regarding noise issues are testing in the pilot area of the city of Monza, located in North Italy. Noise LEZ has been introduced in Libertà district, by top-down actions (infrastructural interventions) and encouraging an active involvement of the people, in the definition of a more sustainable lifestyle (bottom-up actions). Monitoring activities in pilot area regarding noise, air quality and the wellbeing conditions of the citizens have been carried out, and they are still ongoing, before and after the Noise LEZ implementation and the available results are described in this paper, in order to discuss and to evaluate the main effects of Noise LEZ introduction in urban planning and in lifestyle of the inhabitants.

Keywords: Noise Low Emission Zone | Noise monitoring sensors | Noise urban planning

Abstract: Motivations for the research activity on teaching methods could be listed as: Institutional duty; reduction of evaluation costs; establishing convenient relationships between teaching, research and publications; developing educational programs for non-academic learners; consolidating learning outcomes. Teaching is the most commonly recognized mission of university, and evaluation has a cost in terms of time and resources, both precious: At least a portion of the exam, the one concerning factual knowledge, may be done in economies of scale. The most of basic technical drawing teachers works with very large classes and faces the dilemma of choosing what to sacrifice among teaching quality, research projects, earning opportunities, personal interests, etc. A possible partial solution to such a dilemma is to work on projects aimed at teaching innovation, so to create convenient relationships between teaching, research and publications. A further consequence of lowering the cost of evaluation would be to make cost effective a more tests and, consequently, to achieve less temporary learning. Not just simple notions but also skills and abilities. In this paper the authors presents a structured synthesis of teaching innovation experiences of a ten-year span. Over time, they were divided into four integrated directions: definition of prerequisites, expected outcome evaluation grids; authentic assessment methods; teaching and learning tools.

Keywords: Design methods | Engineering education | Learning techniques | Technical drawing

Abstract: This paper aims at assessing the impact of inventive design education on students attending a class on Methods and Tools for Systematic Innovation. The study stems from the difficulty to understand how much personal inventive talent influences the final evaluation, especially in a context where students are asked to solve open problems, as conceptual design ones. To overcome the potential bias due to the individual talent, the authors propose to determine the impact of their teaching activity by means of an ex-ante/ex-post correlation analysis. Several cohorts of students along the years have been asked to solve some design problems at the beginning of the course, when no topics have been thought yet. An adapted creativity metrics enriched to map course contents measures the students' performance at the beginning ot the class (ex-ante). These results get correlated to the students' final grades (ex-post) in order to highlight areas where teaching has a stronger impact and those where talent remains predominant.

Keywords: Conceptual design | Creativity | Design education

Abstract: Additive Manufacturing (AM) is a potentially revolutionary technique in industry with claims of high skills shortage in the recent days. It is assumed that full exploitation of AM capabilities can be made possible by a paradigm shift steered by engineering design. Future generations of engineers might benefit from Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM), which targets AM potential and enables design freedoms. In this context, the paper investigates AM education for a better understanding of the main AM-related subjects taught in universities. To this scope, the authors gathered 52 syllabi of courses taught in highly-ranked technical universities worldwide that relate to AM. From the investigation, it emerges that AM is the core discipline of the course in 42 out of 52 cases and considered widely as an independent domain to date. As for taught subjects, it was found that design aspects in AM and DfAM are poorly focused on, while manufacturing and process areas are the most popular. This poses a challenge especially to the design community, as the current situation might limit the exploitation of AM capabilities.

Keywords: Additive Manufacturing | Computer Aided Design (CAD) | Design education | Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM)

Abstract: Student competitions can play an important role in education: they promote interest and engagement of the students, as well as of the teachers. In the case of engineering, one of the most challenging contests in Europe is the Motostudent event, joined by the University of Brescia (UniBS) in 2016 for the first time. It is a typical implementation of Kolb’s theory of experiential learning, where engineering theory and application meet in an intensive, ‘hands-on’ team work experience, resulting in a very effective learning process that involves the so-called soft skills as well. The paper aims at briefly reviewing the scope of competitions like the Formula SAE and sharing the authors’ experience in a similar event, the Motostudent contest.

Keywords: engineering education | Experiential learning | Formula SAE | motorbike design | Motostudent | student design competitions

Abstract: The paper presents an integrated approach to suspension design with educational purposes. A dedicated design tool was created to instruct automotive engineering students in the whole process of suspension design across the various CAE tools involved, from early kinematics studies to CAD, vehicle dynamics simulations and FEM modelling. The tool has given birth to a proven design procedure that the authors would like to share in this paper with focus on the educational side, although suspension kinematics design is not certainly a novel subject in itself. The tool includes geometries like the widely used McPherson strut, complex five-link schemes for high-end road cars, and typical racing car geometries like the so-called push/pull rod systems used on Formula 1 and Le Mans racecars. It has been applied successfully to various projects developed by professionals as well as by students, including the latest three Formula SAE (FSAE) single-seaters of the University of Brescia (Brescia, Italy) team. The paper is structured as follows. The introduction describes the role student design competitions play in higher engineering education, and within the frame of the Automotive Engineering course at UniBS in particular. A selection of relevant bibliography on the topic is listed. The Educational scenario section deals with the specific case of the Automotive Engineering course at UniBS and the requirements posed by student competitions, also in the frame of the Dublin Descriptors, and shows how suspension design can play a pivot role in a FSAE project. The A tool for suspension kinematics: requirements, description, solution section presents the software tool in itself. The math underlying the user interface is outlined. Finally, the integration features towards other CAE tools are presented with the related advantages.

Keywords: Dublin Descriptors | engineering education | Software integration | suspension kinematics | vehicle design

Abstract: In recent years, long distance learning has become more and more popular. Web based technologies, that allow the sharing of information in real time, as well as the development of Learning Management Systems, provide the required technological support to implement long distance courses. However, long distance learning is characterized by a completely different relationship between teacher and student, in respect to the traditional teaching approach. It is then important to understand if this difference can affect the students learning outcomes. In this paper the comparison is presented between the summative assessment of two separated groups of students, attending an engineering drawing course, that is part of the curriculum for the bachelor degree in mechanical engineering. One group attended the course in a traditional form, while the second group attended the course in remote. The aim of the study is to verify if significant differences exist between the two groups of students, in terms of learning outcome. The identification of such differences is the premise to develop appropriated teaching strategies, aimed to overcome possible deficiencies related to the teaching approach.

Keywords: Engineering drawing | Learning outcomes | Online teaching

Abstract: Eco-design is a design paradigm aiming to the development of sustainable products. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is considered an eco-design tool able to assess the product environmental performances through a life cycle perspective. However, LCA shows some limitations in industry's daily practice and cannot be considered a standard for implementing eco-design. The paper aims to describe the implementation of a novel eco-design teaching approach involving company's employees from different technical departments. LCA analysis of company's product portfolio allowed to create a specific eco-knowledge, used to train designers and engineers on this subject for the implementation of eco-design actions during the development of new products (espresso coffee machine). Results highlighted relevant learning outcomes and significant improvements in terms of environmental sustainability of a new product design.

Keywords: Eco-design | Eco-knowledge | LCA | Teaching

Abstract: Recent efforts to reform CAD education are aimed, among other things, at increasing the development of strategic knowledge and modeling skills within CAD competency. This requires better structured and more frequent assessment and feedback than can be achieved with current, mostly summative-based, techniques. Here, formative assessment and formative feedback appear to offer a viable solution. Unfortunately, within CAD education, dedicated techniques and tools are not yet available to support the implementation of formative assessment, and, in particular, to assist learning goal and outcome oriented assessment of CAD models produced by students. Moreover, those frameworks and tools for CAD model analysis and evaluation that are available and deployed within commercial and industrial settings cannot be directly used in educational settings, due to differences in assessment criteria and evaluation goal settings. The aim of the current paper is, firstly, to present a novel approach for surface model assessment in the educational context, which is based on deficiency analysis in relation to learning outcomes, and, secondly, to report on the implementation and application of a newly developed software tool to enable and put into practice this novel surface model assessment approach.

Keywords: Competency development | Formative feedback | Geometric CAD model usability | Reflection on performance and outcome | Strategic knowledge built-up

Abstract: Transdisciplinary processes have been the subject of research since several decades already. Transdisciplinary processes are aimed at solving ill-defined and socially relevant problems. Many researchers have studied transdisciplinary processes and have tried to understand the essentials of transdisciplinarity. Many engineering problems can be characterised as ill-defined and socially relevant, too. Although transdisciplinary engineering cannot widely be found in the literature yet, a transdisciplinary approach is deemed relevant for many engineering problems. With this paper we aim to present an overview of the literature on research into transdisciplinary processes and investigate the relevance of a transdisciplinary approach in engineering domains. After a brief description of past research on transdisciplinarity, implications for engineering research, engineering practice, and engineering education are identified. In all three areas, the current situation is described, while challenges are identified that still exist. The paper ends with a research agenda for transdisciplinary engineering.

Keywords: Engineering education | Industry 4.0 | Project-based learning | Social relevance | Transdisciplinary collaboration | Transdisciplinary engineering | Transdisciplinary processes | Transdisciplinary research | Transdisciplinary systems

Abstract: Design methods are claimed to support designers but, although they are largely taught in academia, their industrial uptake is still lacking. Many reasons have been identified about this flaw and some potential suggestions have been proposed and discussed in literature to overcome the problem. However, a further evidence is that although many students learn such methods from years, they partially or totally abandon the learned methods in their professional careers. This could partially explain the gap between academic and industrial diffusion of design methods. Literature provides suggestions for improving the learning experience of students but different didactical contexts may need more tailored solutions. The work shown in this paper exploits the problem solving potentialities of the TRIZ toolset to provide hints for improving a course focused on teaching a systematic conceptual design method. A set of suggestions has been obtained together some guidelines for applying the considered TRIZ tools to other didactical contexts.

Keywords: Creativity | Design education | Design learning | Design methods

Abstract: Interactive learning experiences are becoming the standard for today’s ‘tech-savvy’ generation of students and an important issue for research in instructional technology. The design and implementation of higher education, incorporating interactive technologies, can be difficult and often requires high levels of design knowledge. Our intent is to assist researchers, instructors and designers in identifying an effective methodology to design interactive learning contents that use recent interactive technologies, in particular 360° video, and encourage greater student engagement. In this study, 360° videos have been designed and implemented in an engineering program but the design methodology we suggest can be apply in any industrial or educational context. Then, 360° videos have been evaluated by the students as highly immersive and engaged environments that surround them and offer them an increased sense of presence, giving them a 360-degree view of the environment. In this type of video, viewers no longer only look at a single screen, they can point the camera lens wherever they want, allowing viewers to watch the video from multiple perspectives (active), rather than only from the director’s point of view (passive).

Keywords: 360° video | Engineering education | Student engagement | Virtual reality

Abstract: This work presents the development of an integrated framework and related tools for innovation and improvement in the teaching of Technical Drawing. This framework is based on the “Technical Drawing Evaluation Grid—TDEG.” This grid is currently used, by the authors, for the definition and the development of different kinds of tools for supporting both teaching and learning and for the evaluation of Technical Drawing and engineering graphics topics knowledge in general. In particular, this paper focuses on the problems related to knowledge evaluation and assessment of Technical Drawing using online tests. Then, the LaMoo project which is a tool under development for the structured construction of questions for online tests in Moodle environment is presented.

Keywords: assessment methods | engineering education | Moodle test | teaching methods | technical drawing

Abstract: The Taguchi method is widely employed in several fields to manage and improve processes. It is interesting that it could be used during product development, considering it as the basic element to quantify the uncertainty of the device performance prediction. During product design, when many design aspects still must be understood by the design team, it is necessary to apply interactive approaches in order to simulate the behaviour of the device, employing CAx tools. Basically it is important to identify the most suitable “loss function” that can be associated with the characteristic function. In order to plane the investigation, the device under development ought to be described in term of the Design Matrix of Axiomatic Design, allowing the designer to characterize the relationship among the functional requirements and the corresponding design parameters. The nature of this relationship, generally not known a priori, can be revealed by the employment of the Taguchi method, once a suitable Objective Function has been chosen and the noise factors are identified. Analysing the performance of a device in a simulation of its behaviour in several operational conditions allows designers to discover whether there are correspondences or contradictions among design parameters. This can be synthetically said a robust design process. In order to enhance these aspects a design of experiment must be planned. The weak point of the procedure consists in the correct choice of the function that characterizes the device behaviour. Considering the wide academic debate on this point, the paper proposes a unique Noise Reduction function to be used in conjunction with all types of “loss function”. The Design Matrix can be checked and its nature can suggest the validity of the product under development and discover contradiction. The paper discusses an interactive procedure able to integrate the Taguchi method and the axiomatic approach.

Keywords: Axiomatic design | Design matrix | Noise reduction | Robust design | Taguchi method

Abstract: Humour may improve performance in creative problem solving as demonstrated in various studies, although the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon are still unclear. In this work the mechanisms of how humour facilitates creative problem solving during the conceptual phase of product design will be investigated. From the educational point of view all the activities that tend to reduce fixation during conceptual design are welcome, because students without specific experiences in work group and in generating original ideas reproduce always what is already known. In order to study the impact of humorous visual stimuli on creativity an experiment was performed. A sample of students of a MSc class in Management Engineering was divided into two sets and engaged to generate ideas concerning benches and shoe racks by Brainwriting (635 method) in two different ways: without stimulus and with stimulus. Three experts evaluated the concepts proposed in the generation phase and the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking (TTCT) was used to measure creativity. A correlation analysis among the different assessments made by evaluators was performed. The interquartile distance method was used to identify and delete the extreme and abnormal values. Finally, a sensitivity analysis was used in order to demonstrate that even changing the TTCT criteria weights the experiment outcome does not vary. The results obtained in this study shows that the concepts obtained using Brainwriting combined with humorous visual stimulation reach better creativity scores than those obtained without stimulation. Lastly, some hypotheses are suggested in order to explain some seemingly contradictory outcomes.

Keywords: Brainwriting | Creative Thinking | Creativity | Humour | Torrance Test of Creative Thinking

Abstract: With the rising importance of CAD models for product development and the recent strong promotion of hybrid geometric modeling from within the industry, the focus of teaching methods in current CAD education, as practiced in most institutions of higher education, needs to be reconsidered. From a pedagogical point of view, this situation represents a challenge, as it requires new, innovative teaching methodologies which advance the development of competency going beyond basic domain knowledge and skills limited to operating a CAD system. In this paper, a new and innovative direction for CAD education is offered, which is based on the integration of traditional teaching methods with an educational approach using negative knowledge. Central aspects of framework development and concept translation are presented together with promising results obtained through a multi-method oriented empirical study of this newly developed and now fully implemented approach.

Keywords: CAD model usability | certainty in goal-oriented action | learning from errors | Negative expertise | reflection on performance and outcome | strategic efficiency

Abstract: Due to the full integration of CAD systems into modern product development and engineering, the competency to create usable geometric models has become an essential requirement for current CAD users. To avoid serious repercussions for future engineering labor, the focus of CAD education needs to be raised from the teaching of knowledge that is merely aimed at operating a system, to the development of basic strategic knowledge. From a pedagogical point of view, this situation represents a challenging task that requires new, innovative teaching methodologies. These new methodologies must facilitate the development of know-how and cognitive ability to organize domain knowledge within a holistic mental model allowing for accurate perception of the significance of circumstances and the possible consequences of actions. In this paper a new direction for CAD education is presented, based on the integration of traditional teaching methods with an educational approach based on negative knowledge. Analysis of first empirical results of this newly developed and implemented approach showed promising results. Improvements were observed in a better understanding of issues related to the usability of CAD models and an increased capability to recognize critical modeling situations and thus prevent the mistakes typically made by novices. Also, successful autonomous attempts could be observed of recovery from situations caused either by an accumulation of small mistakes or by severe modeling errors, which usually require remedial intervention by academic supervisors.

Keywords: Learning from errors | Negative expertise | Normative geometric knowledge | Strategic knowledge

Abstract: Purpose: Learning systematic conceptual design approaches could be difficult for students who are asked to adapt their intuitive design rationale to more abstract and divergent thinking styles. The purpose of this study is to propose a conceptual design approach with a well-defined reference framework and procedure to help students to gradually move toward concreteness and to explore the design space. Design/methodology/approach: The so-called problem–solution network approach has been taken as a reference and upgraded with a specific framework to manage abstraction levels. A first didactical application of the proposal is described, and specific feedbacks from students have been collected by means of an anonymous survey. Findings: Despite the limited course time allotted for the argument, students’ feedbacks revealed that the proposed abstraction framework is useful to learn systematic conceptual design and to support the understanding of creative design thinking. Research limitations/implications: The proposal has been applied on a single class of MS engineering students in a course where only a part of the available time was allotted to conceptual design activities. However, the received positive feedbacks are encouraging and allow pushing toward more comprehensive applications and investigations. Originality/value: The proposal shown in this paper uses acknowledged concepts of abstraction and function to propose a new integrated framework to manage abstraction levels in problem solving activities. The framework has been implemented in a very recent conceptual design approach based on problem–solution co-evolution, which has been proposed to overcome the flaws ascribed to classical function-based methods.

Keywords: Abstraction | Design education | Design strategies

Abstract: The introduction of Low Emission Zones, urban areas subject to road traffic restrictions in order to ensure compliance with the air pollutants limit values, set by the European Directive on ambient air quality (2008/50/EC), is a common and well-established action in the administrative government of cities. The impacts on air quality improvement are widely analyzed, whereas the effects and benefits concerning the noise have not been addressed in a comprehensive manner. The definition, the criteria for analysis and the management methods of a Noise Low Emission Zone are not yet clearly expressed and shared. LIFE MONZA project (Methodologies fOr Noise low emission Zones introduction And management - LIFE15 ENV/IT/000586) addresses these issues. The first objective of the project, co-funded by the European Commission, is to introduce an easy-replicable method for the identification and the management of the Noise Low Emission Zone, an urban area subject to traffic restrictions, whose impacts and benefits regarding noise issues will be analyzed and tested in the pilot area of the city of Monza, located in Northern Italy. Further objectives include the monitoring and the analysis of the effects, due to the introduction of the Noise Low Emission Zone, on air quality improvement and on the wellbeing conditions of the inhabitants of a selected pilot area, the identification of the type of interventions that can induce beneficial and synergistic effects, such as those relating to the planning of traffic flows and the adoption of low-noise pavements, and the active involvement of the population in the definition of a more sustainable lifestyle. Background conditions, structure and objectives of the project will be discussed in this paper.

Keywords: Environmental noise | Low Emission Zones | Sound urban planning

Abstract: Industry 4.0 represents one of the most challenging themes for engineering design and also for engineering education. At this moment there are few studies in the field of engineering teaching that aim to investigate how the educational needs of students and of the industrial workforce are changing. On this basis, this research would like to investigate which are the necessary skills and expertise young engineers require to be ready for the Industry 4.0 framework. In particular, a questionnaire was developed to analyze this situation. It has been administered to students enrolled in the first and second year of the engineering undergraduate degrees held in three Italian universities: Brescia, Udine and Cassino. During two different academics years, a total of 463 students participated to the survey. The questions were aimed to investigate some key issues of Industry 4.0, and the students’ digital belief and behaviors at their entrance in the university education system. The collected answers provided a picture of the actual situation in these three universities with some relevant considerations about engineering education. So, the fundamental question that authors want to answer is “Are the Italian engineering students effectively ready for Industry 4.0 or do we still work on it?”

Keywords: digital skills | Engineering Education | Industry 4.0 | questionnaire | student skills

Abstract: The very rapid evolution of digital technologies and the "Internet of Things" phenomenon are today some of the most important issues that product designers have to face. Consequently, today designers need to understand and manage these new technologies in order to exploit their potential into innovative products. Therefore, it is recommendable that designers focus their activities on the design of the meaning and on the user interaction of products, in order to create smart products that are easy-to-use and enjoyable. In order to address all these issues, the authors set up an experimental workshop in which students with different backgrounds in design-related disciplines were asked to collaborate to the design of a domestic product that allows new tangible interaction with live-data streams. In addition, students were asked to develop the functioning prototype of their design solution, by using rapid prototyping and physical computing techniques. The students were able to develop working prototypes of products that are capable of communicating information derived from real-time data streams. Some of the most representative results of this workshop are presented in the paper.

Keywords: 3D printing | Design education | User centred design

Abstract: The paper discusses the problem of the correct identification of the Objective Function and the associated SNR function that designers must choose when employing the Taguchi method in product design, considering this step as the basic element to quantify the uncertainty of the device performance prediction. During product design, when many design aspects must still be understood by the design team, it is important to identify the most suitable “loss function” that can be associated with the characteristic function. The second step considers the variability of the characteristic function. The Taguchi method considers many Signal to Noise Ratio functions whereas in the paper the use of a unique function is suggested for all kinds of loss function. The discussion is argued in the context of so-called parameter design, with the perspective of identifying the best ranges of variation of the parameters that designers have identified as influential on the characteristic function, and also to adjust those ranges in order to obtain twofold results: reduce Bias between the mean value of the characteristic function response and the target value; obtain less variability of the characteristic function. The discussion of a case of study will point out the approach and the use of a unique Noise Reduction function.

Keywords: Loss Function | Noise Reduction | Signal to Noise ratio | Taguchi method

Abstract: Design education is a highly debated topic since decades, yet the focus on multi-disciplinary classes has gained a paramount importance due to the multi-disciplinary nature of today's global challenges. This paper contributes to the discussion through the description of the Design Methods and Processes course at Alta Scuola Politecnica, an original educational experience jointly developed by Politecnico di Milano and Politecnico di Torino with a highly selected number of MS students from Architecture, Industrial Design and all branches of Engineering. After positioning this discussion with respect to the relevant literature, the paper describes the educational model of this course and the reflections made after 5 years of implementation. Students show to catch the essence of the design workflow thanks to the educational path structured as a problem-analysis-and-solving process. However, dealing with multi-disciplinary task demands a careful composition of students' teams since it can positively/negatively affect the learning experience as well as students' motivations.

Keywords: Design education | design practice | educational background | multi-disciplinary design | team working

Abstract: With a steadily increasing use of CAD systems within digital prototypes in product design and development, the capacity to create viable geometric models that can be used in various computer-aided engineering processes is becoming an indispensable necessity. However, with the current trend of commercial CAD systems increasingly to promote hybrid geometric modeling environments, this requirement poses a new challenge for education, as it requires a teaching strategy that goes beyond the sum of subject learning in surface modeling and solid modeling. In this paper, a novel teaching approach is introduced, which integrates negative knowledge as one crucial element in combination with traditional teaching methods to support competency development that reaches beyond the acquisition of basic modeling skills and domain knowledge.

Keywords: curriculum design | hybrid geometric modeling | learning from errors | Negative expertise | shape engineering | transversal abilities

Abstract: In the twenty-first century, meeting our technological challenges demands educational excellence, a skilled populace that is ready for the critical challenges society faces. There is widespread consensus, however, that education systems are failing to adequately prepare all students with the essential twenty-first century knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in life, career, and citizenship. The purpose of this paper is to understand how twenty-first century knowledge and skills can be appropriately embedded in engineering education finalised to innovative product development by using additive manufacturing (AM). The study designs a learning model by which to achieve effective AM education to address the requirements of twenty-first century and to offer students the occasion to experiment with STEM (Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) concepts. The study is conducted using the quality function deployment (QFD) methodology.

Keywords: additive manufacturing | and mathematics | engineering | engineering education | learning/training model | Quality function deployment | science | technology | twenty-first century skills

Abstract: Most universities have introduced 3D CAD education and training in their engineering courses in recent years so as to respond to the actual needs of the industrial world for high-skilled design engineers. It is well demonstrated that the effectiveness of such courses depends on teaching an effective design approach rather than training for the use of specific commercial CAD tools. Since open-source CAD software has emerged in many fields as a promising alternative to commercial off-the-shelf systems, the present paper investigates the possibility for universities to adopt open-source instruments to effectively support their educational goals. Open-source 3D CAD systems are quantitatively evaluated by an original Compliance Index which considers the design tools typically used to model and draw industrial products and their weights in accomplishing the design tasks. The results obtained for the evaluation of a set of open-source CAD systems are presented and critically discussed.

Keywords: 3D CAD | CAD teaching | Open source 3D CAD | Software evaluation

Abstract: This work presents an interactive self-learning tool named Technical Drawing Learning Tool-Level 2—TDLT-L2—for teaching manufacturing dimensioning to engineering students. The tool was designed for the students enrolled in the first year of the Bachelor in Management and Mechanical Engineering of the Universities of Brescia and Udine. It consists of a simple interactive tool, based on video and drawing animations, aimed at demonstrating the connection between real and simple machining processes and workpiece dimensions on technical drawing. TDLT-L2 is currently available in two versions: as a standalone application for Windows or Android based operating systems and as a set of interactive PDF documents. It was conceived as the first module of a package of tools that will be developed, based on the learning levels proposed in the Technical Drawing Evaluation Grid—TDEG. A preliminary evaluation of TDLT-L2 effectiveness was done involving the Management and Mechanical engineering students of Udine in some dimensioning exercises. The statistically considerations done on the obtained results confirmed the validity of the tool as a self-learning instrument with an average increase of marks of about 8.8%. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 24:519–528, 2016; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/cae; DOI 10.1002/cae.21728.

Keywords: engineering education | manufacturing dimensioning | multimedia application | self-learning tool | technical drawing

Abstract: According to several literature sources, Product Planning is acknowledged as a primary driver of future commercial success for new designed products, and it is schematically constituted by the identification of business opportunities and the selection of most promising alternatives. Despite the recalled relevance of Product Planning, it emerges that a marginal quantity of companies have adopted formal methods to carry out this task. The paper attempts to provide a major understanding about such a limited implementation of Product Planning techniques and other open issues emerging from the analysis of the literature concerning the initial phases of engineering design cycles. The presented study investigates the claimed benefits of methods described in the literature, the level to which such tools are diffused through educational programs in Technical Institutes, the expectations and the demands of a sample of enterprises with respect to new tools supporting Product Planning. It emerges that, whereas existing methods strive to fulfil relevant properties according to the perception of the companies, limitations come out in terms of the transfer of the proposed techniques and their perceived reliability.

Keywords: Design education | Fuzzy front end | Idea generation | Industrial survey | New product development | Review of design methods

Abstract: Several studies report that many novice engineers result to be skilled in CAD but poor in knowledge of the basics, visualization and spatial skills and ability in freehand sketching. There is a debate on if such lack of fundamentals dues or not to the increasing role of CAD and the decreasing role of manual drawing in the basic courses of engineering graphics. This study aimed to investigate the issues related to the use of CAD and manual drawing in teaching engineering graphics fundamentals by a review of the literature of the Engineering Design Graphics Journal and the International Journal of Technology and Design Education from 2000 to date. It was found that current students: have a lower initial level of knowledge and experience; have little chance to develop sketching and visualization skills if trained only by CAD; and their assessment usually focuses more on CAD skills than on the knowledge of the basics. Solutions proposed to such issues are: introductory courses of manual drawing at college and high schools; assessment of students' initial skills; and tests more focused on the knowledge of the rules and basics of engineering graphics language.

Keywords: Computer aided design (CAD) | Design education | Design learning | Engineering drawing | Pedagogy

Abstract: It is commonly recognized that the definition of product requirements is an essential step of any design process. Many techniques have been proposed for building a suitable design specification, i.e. for defining a set of requirements characterized by validity, completeness, operationality, non-redundancy, conciseness and practicability. Among them, several methods and tools primarily aim at populating the design specification: some of them focus on very specific objectives but are applicable in many different domains (e.g., Design for X). Others are domain specific, but try to cover the entire scope of the specification (e.g., checklists and standards). This paper describes an abstract-level checklist for requirements definition, suitable for any field of application, aiming at producing exhaustive lists of requirements. A previous experimental application with Mechanical Engineering students clearly showed that the proposed multi-purpose checklist allows populating design specifications more complete than those defined without any support. This paper follows up demonstrating the capability of the novel checklist against the checklist for conceptual design by Pahl and Beitz.

Keywords: Design education | Design methods | Design specification | Requirements | Requirements checklists

Abstract: ABSTRACT: The paper describes an interactive Finite Elements Analysis (FEA) tool that aims to improve the learning of mechanical behavior of materials in industrial engineering schools. We implemented a “user in the loop” approach where students can explore the mechanical behavior of virtual specimens selected from a library of standard elements (cantilever beam, IPE beams etc.). The users can apply forces or displacements interactively by mouse or haptic device, and visualize and “feel” the structures stress configurations. We extended our previous work and compared this novel approach with respect to traditional FEA learning techniques. A test with twenty engineering students showed that learners following the interactive approach are faster in completing the given assignment showing a reduced error rate.

Keywords: engineering education | haptics | real-time finite element analysis | virtual reality

Abstract: ABSTRACT: In this paper a framework based on the concept of functional dimensioning features is presented. It is aimed at supporting a methodological approach to explicit modeling with a focus on issues related to its use in MCAD education and practice. The proposed framework is based on the assumptions that shape, dimensions, and required manufacturing precision of a mechanical component are designed to fulfill specific functionalities. Principle formation and development regarding geometric entities and associated functional meaning are approached with an orientation on the concepts and definitions introduced by the GPS system of standards. Application of the GPS standards requires that dimensions and tolerances of the functional elements are specified within the nominal representation of a part or component. The traditional method of representing such information is a 2D technical drawing. However, explicit modeling provides new perspectives and opportunities for approaching 3D modeling, since it allows the addition of geometrical constraints and driving dimensions directly on the 3D model. In this context, the concept of functional dimensioning features is introduced, aimed at providing an integrative correspondence between concepts as specified by the GPS standards and the operative framework as provided by explicit modeling.

Keywords: CAD education | design intent | functional dimensioning | GPS standards

Abstract: In the field of Ambient Assisted Living, the present research proposes a combined User-Centred Design approach that exploits the strengths of systematic and participatory design methodologies with the final aim to design an assistive device to solve mobility problems of elderly people in crowded environments. The application of the approach allows research to investigate which information gathering technique is more effective for this context of use and to find out competitive AAL solutions for specific target users. The experimentation is carried out by students attending an industrial design course. An experimental protocol is arranged to compare the outcomes from the different stages of the approach application. The scientific contribution of the present work regards both the presented results, that confirm how much effective is ethnography in respect to role-playing and traditional desk research in case of products oriented to special target users, and the educational experiences in the field of AAL.

Keywords: Ambient assisted living | Design education | Evaluation | Requirement gathering | User centred design

Abstract: Concept map are not a new phenomenon in engineering education and are nowadays used to enhance "meaningful learning." In literature a lot of works on the use of the concept maps in education exist, but not many within the "interactive" context. This study contributes to expand the framework of research on the development of web-based 3D interactive concept maps. They incorporate web-based 3D interactive images that support the learning of abstract and difficult topics in Engineering drawing course, motivating the students and increasing their attention. The effects of different learning strategies (2D concept mapping vs. web-based 3D interactive concept mapping) on the learning outcomes and on the spatial ability are investigated. The results of this study shows that Web-based 3D interactive concept maps compensates spatial ability deficits, that is, helps students who have low spatial ability to build an effective mental representation of the learning content.

Keywords: concept map | engineering education | interactive learning | spatial ability | web3D

Abstract: The research presented in this paper aims at evaluating how simple and intuitive are the learning, understanding, and application of some creativity enhancement methods by non-expert users in an engineering design context. The three methods under investigation are TRIZ, C-K theory and SCAMPER. To evaluate the training experience the authors set an evaluation framework based on Kirkpatrick's Four Levels of Evaluation and used a questionnaire to collect students' experiences. The results show that the understanding and the consequent application of the three creativity enhancement and idea generation methods are judged positively by the participants. In particular, TRIZ method represents the most appreciated at all, while SCAMPER stands out for its intuitiveness and easiness of use. Finally, C-K theory is revealed as the newest one and very promising for future developments. © 2014 Springer International Publishing.

Keywords: C-K theory | engineering education | SCAMPER | training evaluation | TRIZ

Abstract: Modern corporations, institutions, universities and schools consider e-education as a way of educating larger groups of students in less time and of reducing the use of various resources. Since setting up a web-system for e-education requires a significant amount of time, as well as the necessity of having a computer and other resources, the assessment of the goals and desired effects of the online system should be made in the preparation phase. It is important to highlight that only putting course contents on the web, without using appropriate pedagogical models and principles, without appropriate means of communication between participants and instructors and without the use of modern information technologies to present the learning content is not enough to fulfil educational goals. It should be noted that, after the substantial initial investment and excitement about the possibilities of e-education, many sources of difficulty and dissatisfaction regarding online learning have emerged. Most e-learning studies propose possible improvements in course material, with little attempt to explore the learners' dimension, context, pedagogical considerations or technology aspects. In this article, we have analysed the aspects that need to be considered when designing an e-learning platform for engineering education and we have proposed a methodology, based on the Quality Function Deployment approach, useful for the preparation phase of distance learning systems. Finally, we have explained the impact of new information technologies (Web3D technologies) on online engineering education and highlighted how these tools have been implemented in the e-learning platforms for mechanical engineering that we have developed.

Keywords: distance education | engineering education | interactive learning environments | lifelong learning | pedagogical issues | technology integration/innovation

Abstract: In engineering colleges, first-year students come from different kinds of high school and have different technical backgrounds. In engineering graphics courses, the weaker students are the ones entering with a lower technical background. Such students are less motivated and have generally difficulties in keeping high their attention level during the lessons. In this study, the use of a webcomics structured in graphic novels was experimented as a motivational support in an engineering graphics course. Sixty nine students of a class taught by using webcomics as support and 47 students of a class taught traditionally were classified according to the kind of their high school of provenience: technical; scientific; non-technical and non-scientific. The findings showed that in the class where webcomics were used, students from non-technical and non-scientific high school scored a higher level of attention compared to others. The teacher who used the webcomics commented it an effective tool to encourage and stimulate weaker learners to actively participate to the lessons and the majority of students agreed such tool was stimulating. At the same time, some students considered the webcomics representation of engineering graphics topics as too far from the reality. It is concluded that the use of webcomics structured in graphic novels is a proficient way to better motivate weaker students to arouse and keep their attention at a high level during engineering graphics lessons. © Maxwell Scientific Organization, 2014.

Keywords: Comic strips | Engineering education | Graphic novels | Teaching | Technical drawing

Abstract: The importance of methodologies and computer-aided tools for problem structuring and solving has been demonstrated by various research activities since the 1970s. The need for systematizing the first phase of problem solving activity has led the authors to the development of a dedicated procedure for problem reformulation and the implementation of a dedicated software package, named BOB-UP®. It aims at driving the user to reformulate the initial problem using a dialogue-based system hiding an accurate cause-effect analysis. BOB-UP® provides three tools (Ill-Balls diagram, Fight diagram, and a linguistic composer) that guide step-by-step the user to the right problem formulation. This paper presents the experimentation of such CAI tool within two courses at the University of Bergamo. The first is a compulsory course for the master degree in Mechanical Engineering, while the latter is an elective course for the master degree in Mechanical Engineering and Management Engineering. The experimentation has been carried out with 56 students sub-divided into three groups according to their competences on problem structuring and solving and technical background. We considered five problems related to industrial applications coming from different technological domains to demonstrate the independence of the results from the specific industrial area. Finally, results are discussed presenting advantages and drawbacks. They have been evaluated according to specific criteria to evaluate its usability and efficacy; in addition, students were asked to fill a questionnaire to comprehend the perception they have on BOB-UP® usefulness and potential. © 2013 TEMPUS Publications.

Keywords: BOB-UP® | CAI tools | Cause-effect analysis | Engineering education | Problem structuring | TRIZ

Abstract: The current particular critical moment for the Western industry, and the introduction of information technologies have profoundly changed the product development process. One of the most important modifications occurred is the integration of the two traditional fields of product design and product engineering into the new concept of industrial Design &Engineering. The consequent shift and the extension of the designer's area of expertise concerning the product development process have led to amplify his typical knowledge: both more and more technical knowledge, and also knowledge more focused on conceptual issues and creativity. This trend is fostered by the intensive use of computer systems and also by various Design &Engineering courses, where it has been possible to experimentally observe the difficulty for students to learn the necessary body of knowledge and to manage a wider product development process. However, the multidisciplinary approach to the product development process and to the related education issues are still based on tools and methods developed for a specific kind of user, or usually used in an unarranged way. The research presented in this paper aims at defining the guidelines for developing an integrated framework to support the Design &Engineering education and the multidisciplinary design process based on a structured integration of knowledge and tools currently used by the two main areas of reference. The paper presents the guidelines for the integrated framework and the experimental activities used for the framework validation. These activities have allowed the authors to check the framework usability during team design activities and also to verify its effectiveness in improving students' learning capabilities. Some elements derived from the analysis of the experimental data demonstrate that both students and professional designers can use the framework to assist them throughout the design process and that the knowledge learning related to the project is fostered. © 2013 TEMPUS Publications.

Keywords: Design & engineering Design process | Design education | Multidisciplinary design

Abstract: Traditional computer-aided design (CAD) education in mechanical engineering still remains a major challenge today both in industrial settings and in academia. As in many other CAD-related engineering disciplines, there are several shortcomings to be surmounted in the dissemination and development of procedural knowledge and skills in the form of know-how related to the operation of CAD systems. Unfortunately, current educational philosophy does not offer a pedagogy providing sufficient strategic knowledge and understanding to enable students to use CAD systems as intended - that is as knowledge-intensive design and communication tools to properly develop and convey design intent. However, apart from knowing what to do, there is another important aspect to strategic knowledge which is frequently over-looked and ignored in research today, and that is knowing how to avoid serious mistakes. This is a central quality of professional expertise, which is commonly referred to in the literature as negative knowledge. Research presented and discussed in this paper is aimed at providing a framework for negative knowledge and domain knowledge related model evaluation concepts that allow for direct translation of this approach into practice, with the goal of improving learning behavior, skill acquisition and competency building for CAD education in mechanical engineering. © 2013 CAD Solutions, LLC.

Keywords: CAD education | Design intent | Feature-based design | Negative expertise

Abstract: Nature is a starting point to analyse and to conceive solutions for complex systems, and a reservoir of inspiration to provide innovative answers to the product development as well as to the interaction between man and nature: this is the first key idea that the authors would like to transmit to the new generations of engineers and designers. Furthermore, it is also important to embed the development of technology within a sustainable development frame-work: from this point of view the authors are encouraging students to develop a particular case-study.

Keywords: Bionics | Design education | Theory of technical systems | TRIZ

Abstract: Achieving a strict correlation between academic and industrial world is an important development direction in the engineering education field. The authors' first step along this path was the activation of several courses on methodical design, and the second step was the activation of a tight cooperation with industries, so that students could develop their thesis facing up to real problems. The fundamental advantages of this approach are: a) accustom the students to follow a design method; b) increase students' ability to find out and to consider "all" the possible solutions for a given problem, with the scope to choose the "best" one; c) increase students' ability to evaluate solutions' behaviour; d) possibility for the students to follow the production of the designed or modified machine. From the educational point of view, the two important aspects of this particular work are: a) The cooperation with the industrial world: the design was developed in cooperation with a company specialized in die-cutter machine production. The company realised and now produces a new machine based on this work. b) The application and integration of several design methods.

Keywords: Design education | Design methods | Die-cutting machine

Abstract: The overall aim of this paper is to present a web-based system to simulate the process of aircraft design in a competitive environment. The main purpose is to provide a tool to introduce design and simulation problems in engineering-design education. The structure of the system is a game where a group of teams carry out the design of an aircraft trying to optimize product performances and minimizing product and development costs. The web-based framework is a three-tier system developed in a pure Java platform using the JavaServer Faces technology for the presentation layer and Hiber-nate/HSQL for the persistence layer.

Keywords: Competitive environments | Engineering education | Lean simulation | Product design | Web-based simulation

Abstract: This paper deals with a semester-long educational experience the authors led at the University of Calabria for reproducing current developments and uncertainties in real-world concurrent engineering, knowledge management practice and virtual enterprise organization. Students with different backgrounds (mechanical engineering, computer science engineering and management engineering) were selected in order to form a laboratory class and then were divided into many multidisciplinary teams. Such teams played different roles and were required to collaborate on the Web to simulate a virtual enterprise, which was aimed at designing virtual prototypes of average complexity articles. In addition to that, any team was involved in the construction of a knowledge base for codifying the explicit knowledge arising from the execution of technical and managerial tasks. The paper deals with models, methodologies and technologies that have been used in this laboratory experience and, moreover, it describes an approach for simulating, in an educational environment, some aspects of the behaviour of virtual enterprises generated by a virtual organization.

Abstract: This paper deals with a semester-long educational experience the authors led at the University of Calabria for reproducing current developments and uncertainties in real-world concurrent engineering, knowledge management practice and virtual enterprise organization. Students with different backgrounds (mechanical engineering, computer science engineering and management engineering) were selected in order to form a laboratory class and then were divided into many multidisciplinary teams. Such teams played different roles and were required to collaborate on the Web to simulate a virtual enterprise, which was aimed at designing virtual prototypes of average complexity articles. In addition to that, any team was involved in the construction of a knowledge base for codifying the explicit knowledge arising from the execution of technical and managerial tasks. The paper deals with models, methodologies and technologies that have been used in this laboratory experience and, moreover, it describes an approach for simulating, in an educational environment, some aspects of the behaviour of virtual enterprises generated by a virtual organization. © 2001 Taylor & Francis Ltd.