Abstract
Mechanical engineers develop complex products consisting of multiple interacting subsystems, and product complexity has grown over time as sensing and communication elements have become ubiquitous. Developing these products requires engineers to take a holistic system-level view of the product and its context. Infusing systems thinking and systems engineering skills into the mechanical engineering undergraduate curriculum better prepares graduates to work on these complex systems. This paper describes the development of online learning modules for first-year mechanical engineering students that introduce the product development process while presenting fundamental systems concepts. The development of the online modules features a partnership between faculty, learning engineers, and student testers to convert materials previously presented in class into self-contained learning modules. These modules are designed to be suitable for a flipped classroom approach that allows using classroom time for “hands-on” activities based on the topics covered in the modules. The article describes the process to develop the online modules and the best practices learned for content conversion from classroom to online, embedded assessment, and protocols for student feedback, but does not include assessment results from a classroom implementation. The modules described in the paper are scheduled to be deployed in three institutions in the fall of 2024.
