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Why we insist upon
Real-World, Industry-Based projects:
 Senior
Engineering Project Course(GE
494/IE470)
Department of Industrial & Enterprise Systems
Engineering
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
by:
Harry S. Wildblood
Senior Engineering Project
Coordinator
(best
viewed in IExplorer 4 and newer)
A
number of features of the course define its uniqueness and its
value as an educational experience.
Problems offered
by the participating companies are real and have that
sense of urgency; each partnering company provides financial support
and is vitally interested in the project outcome. This involvement
makes the experience extremely valuable for our students.
Programs that rely on problems which are not vital to
companies or on problems generated by faculty members are
generally less effective.
Students have continuous interaction with the
contact engineer(s) from the company and meet at least twice a
week with the faculty advisor assigned to their project. This
is a great opportunity to learn by example as the contact
person and the faculty advisor engage the students in the
problem-solving process. As the project progresses, its
direction can change drastically; mid-course renegotiation of
the problem statement is not at all uncommon.
The
communication skills that make this program work are
emphasized throughout the course. During the first week of the
semester, students visit the partnering company to completely
understand the
problem statement, scope of work and deliverables, as well as
the business process of the company. Oral presentations are
given on-campus at 5 and 10 weeks, with an on-site, formal
progress report/presentation at the company facility during
week 11 or 12. Four written reports are prepared by
the students, including the final
report detailing their findings, economic analyses, drawings,
etc. At semester's end, all participating companies
attend the Final Symposium on campus, where the student
teams give formal presentations of their results and
recommendations.
The time deadlines which are set by the length
of the semester are typical of engineering in the real world.
A feasible solution that is delivered in a timely manner is
required. Students learn to create a problem statement and
project plan that represents something they can deliver within
a semester.
Students learn to use a variety of
resources and are discouraged from "re-inventing the
wheel." They are required to perform a thorough library search
and to consult with faculty members throughout the university.
The students' broad engineering education provides them with a
solid foundation for understanding a variety of technical
areas. Funding is made available to the student teams for
travel, equipment,
laboratory time and tests, software, prototyping, and other
activities required by their projects.
Students learn
to appreciate general engineering knowledge as the key
to solving many current engineering problems in manufacturing
and design. The tremendous variety of issues they face on
their project gives them a chance to put their engineering
education to work. During the periodic oral presentations,
students have an opportunity to critique and contribute to the
progress of the other projects underway during the semester.
Team work and group dynamics are an important
part of the experience. Students learn to coordinate the
activities of the individuals who compose the project team. No
other university course is as effective in developing this
vital skill for today's engineers. GE 494/495 requires a
radical change from the solitary performance that is typically
expected of engineering students.
The faculty
members in general engineering have research interests and
technical specializations that span the spectrum of
engineering disciplines. The senior project course provides a
regular opportunity for industrial interaction for the
teaching faculty. As a result, there is a tremendous wealth of
expertise and experience available to the student teams.
For
information on sponsoring a senior design project, please follow this link or e-mail
Peggy Hills with your request.
Thanks.
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