Statics and Engineering Design-a new freshman engineering course at the US Coast Guard Academy

Abstract

The US Coast Guard Academy (USCGA) began teaching a new freshmen engineering course titled Statics and Engineering Design (SED) in the Fall 2000 semester. The new course represents a significant change from the Introduction to Engineering and Design course that had been taught at USCGA for more than 20 years. Teaching statics to freshman is not new; however, unlike most institutions, all freshmen at USCGA take the same first course in engineering regardless of their intended major. The critical factor that allows us to successfully teach a statics-based course to nonengineers yet provide an acceptable foundation in mechanics to future engineers is that the order and choice of topics was new. Many have argued that design is an essential component of all freshmen engineering courses. In SED, we introduce a six step problem solving process that is identified by the acronym DRIDS-V (define, research, identify, decide, solve-verify). This same process is not only used in other engineering classes but it is also used in several other freshman level classes in other departments. In SED, we put DRIDS-V to use on multiple open-ended group projects that require statics-based design and hands-on building of a system. Each project has a clear goal and multiple constraints, yet affords the cadets many opportunities to be creative while solving the problem. Nightly closed ended statics homework is completed using a three-step subset of the full design process. The initial success of the course can be partly measured in the recruiting of would-be nonengineers to engineering. By giving all USCGA freshman a fun yet real engineering course, it took away their fear of engineering and has resulted in an increase in the number of qualified applicants to the engineering majors. A comparison is made showing that future engineer SED cadets performed as well as Sophomore Statics cadets on a common multiple choice final exam.