We had some hands-on experience in the form of a week long Engineering-Art camp for the high school kids at Texas State University. Our example was a bridge too:
At the Bernard M. Gordon-MIT Engineering Leadership Program, we agree wholeheartedly with--and enthusiastically endorse through our teaching--the synergy of engineering product design and artistry.
In fact, we offer a project-based seminar, Engineering Innovation & Design, in which MIT students develop skills to effectively conceive, evaluate, plan, organize, lead, and implement engineering design projects. The course includes techniques to sharpen creative thinking and critical analysis of designs, as well as utilize iterative processes.
Students innovate, implement, and communicate designs that are practical, successful, elegant, interactive, robust, and holistic. We focus on project scope, and balancing real-world constraints against the limitations of technology and human cognition.
In EID, students discover a different way of looking at the world in which they'll engineer products and services.
For example, a Chemical Engineer would apply these concepts when they make drug-upscaling systems. An Aero-Astro Engineer would consider how to make sure the systems they build provide clear information to an astronaut, and an EECS Engineer would use the material when designing anything from a circuit board to any application with a user interface. In fact, any kind of engineer will face these issues.
In the Gordon-MIT Engineering Leadership Program, we provide students with real-life educational experiences that prepare them for rewarding, fulfilling careers in engineering.
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Bahram of TX 9:06AM May 15, 2012
Bruce R. Mendelsohn of MA 9:01AM May 10, 2012