Integrating Graduate Design Coaches in Undergraduate Design Project Teams

Abstract

This paper describes how a graduate mechanical engineering student was employed as a design coach on a senior undergraduate design team working on the development of a low-cost, low-volume plastic injection modeling machine. Traditional undergraduate design teams are formed with novice, inexperienced engineering students with limited training in project planning and management. By introducing a graduate engineering student who is formally trained in design methods and project management and who has experience in design practice, it was felt that the undergraduate students could focus more on the engineering design aspects of the project, similar to the work that they would experience upon graduation. For the graduate design coach, four roles were identified: design tool teacher, design reviewer, project manager, and, in this unique case, customer. A critique of the roles, including the time spent in each, is provided. This experience proved more satisfactory to both the students and the industry sponsoring customer than had been the case with similar projects.