Download ppt - Aldert Kamp, TU Delft

April 2010

Challenge the future

DelftUniversity ofTechnology

The new curricular framework

Ir. Aldert Kamp,

Director of Education Aerospace Engineering

Aerospace Engineering

2The new curricular framework Aerospace Engineering

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Faculty of Aerospace Engineering Facts and figures

• Largest aerospace engineering faculty in Western Europe

• Covering almost all areas of aerospace engineering

• High international orientation

• “Excellence” rating MSc graduates

Number of staff (fte)• 200 academic staff, incl:• 85 teaching staff• 100 PhD students

Number of students• 2200 students ( 1700 BSc/500 MSc)• 440 freshmen students


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Contents

1. The stakeholders2. Shaping the curricular framework3. The new Bachelor Aerospace Engineering

• Thematic structure• Storylines• Theme: design• Student experience in 1st year

• The new Master Aerospace Engineering• Master track structure• Standard programme outline• Theme: research

• Conclusions


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Stakeholders


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External forcesStudents

+ Enthusiastic, idealistic, inspiring+ Familiar with powerful tools + Interacting, networking, communicating

- - Are focused on study points or grades- - Don’t know what engineers do- - Don’t see interconnection of courses- - Don’t use computational tools wisely

+ Aerospace master graduates find a job within 1-2 months (Ref. studiekeuze123.nl)


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External forcesStudents: how do they learn?

• Tactile: • Touch, take apart, put together

= Engineers

• Analytical: • Math, equations, theory, analysis =

Researchers, physicists, mathematicians


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External forcesAlumni

• 40% is employed in aerospace engineering

• 30% is engineering specialist; 50% engineering manager, 20% generalist

• 10% has a PhD degree

• Most valuable constituents of the curriculum1. Master thesis and Internship2. Foundational courses (mathematics, physics)3. Design projects4. Transferrable skill trainings (Ref. promotion Saunders

2008)


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External forcesLabour market

++ Aerospace master graduates are very skilled, have learned a profession with broad and deep knowledge and skills

++ Team work

- - Concerned about gap between engineering education and practice

- - Graduateso show little organisational sensitivityo have difficulty in managing people

• Design-and-implement projects are very valuable

• No interest to employ BSc graduates (Ref. Industrial Board 2008)


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External forcesSociety

• Complex multidisciplinary problems require deep problem solvers in their home discipline who are also capable of interacting with and understanding specialists from other disciplines


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External forcesThe technical university

• Teaching engineering in a research environment

• Graduating engineers should appreciate the engineering process!

(Ref. CDIO)


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Shaping the curricular frameworkEducating all-round Aerospace Engineers


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The new Bachelor curricular framework

Preparing for the masters


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New BSc curriculum in key wordsA stronger graduate student

• CONTENT: Foundational and balanced balanced in terms of breadth and depth, in terms of

topical coverage, in terms of theory and application

• STRUCTURE: Coherent and integratedlife cycle, thematic structure, story lines, content & skills

• EXPERIENCE: Compellingobject-oriented (aircraft and spacecraft), from concrete to

abstract, learning-by-doing (-together), design-build-test experience, student in professional role in projects, explicit skills development

• METHOD: Effectivemore active teaching methods


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The logical curricular structure (1)

• Making connections

• Each semester has a theme

• Each semester has one thematic project

• The themes are all related

• Each semester has a storyline


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The logical curricular structure (2)

• One Introduction course, providing the framework for the practice of aerospace engineering

• One Capstone project

• From concrete to abstract

• Lines of advancement for knowledge and skills

• Content driven• Stressing engineering fundamentals• Balance between Air and Space


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Metaphor of the curriculum

(Ref. CDIO)

Solve the right problem

Solve the problem right


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The curriculum structure


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A curricular structure with a storyThe engineering design process


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Thematic structureEngineering design life cycle

5 main steps = 5 semesters, culminating in a synthesis project


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Storyline per semester

• The biography of a famous person in aviation, aeronautics or space is tailored and tied to the knowledge and skills that are to be developed in the semester

• Semester 1: Leonardo da Vinci• Semester 2: Anthony Fokker

• Semester 3: Burt Rutan• Semester 4: Paul MacCready

• Semester 6: Edwin Hubble


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First thematic project “Exploring Aerospace Engineering”

• A design-build-test project with a competition element

• Student in the professional role:• member of a feasibility team

• Subject: Solar Powered Flight Mission

• Theoretically a flying wing is one of the simplest and most efficient aircraft possible. Why then most of the aircraft or flyers in planetary space missions do not have the shape of a flying wing?

How can it be built to fly the remote aerial survey mission we want it to fly; on Earth or elsewhere in the solar system?


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Second thematic project “Design and Construction”

• Student in the professional role:• structural engineer

• Subject: Light-weight box structure

• Box structures are common basic elements in aircraft, spacecraft, wind turbine blades. Why do they look different in different applications? Can you tune it to its application?

• How do you design, build and test a box structure with minimum mass that sustains specified loads? Why does it fail and how can you improve it?


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MIT CDIO Engineering Education Initiative

• David C. Wisler during his visit to TU Delft Faculty of Aerospace Engineering 17 April 2009• MIT CDIO Engineering Education Initiative • Member US National Academy of Engineering• GE Aircraft Engines – retired

• “…This curriculum is the best CDIO implementation in an academic curriculum I have ever seen…”


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The new Master curricular framework

Preparing for an all-round aerospace engineer


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Shaping the curricular frameworkZoom in to Aerospace Engineering discipline


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Master Tracks and Profiles


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Concept programme outlineThe Standard 1st and 2nd year

CORE COURSES

(»15 EC)

Incl.Ethics for Aerospace Engineering (3 EC)

PROFILE COURSES

(»17EC)

No choice

ELECTIVE COURSES(20 or 14 EC)

Choice of courses in consultation with Profile Coordinator

MASTER ORIENTATION PROJECT (6 EC)OR

LITERATURE STUDY (12 EC)

32 EC

28 EC

RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES(2 EC)

18 ECInternship

42 ECMSc Thesis project

60 EC


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The choice: mono-disciplinary Specialisation, deepening

BSc

Core coursesProfile coursesElective courses (deepening

Thesis project

All in one (sub)specialisation


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The choice: multi-disciplinary Cross-over with other discipline

BSc

Core coursesProfile coursesElective courses (broadening)

Thesis project

Main point in one specialisation Cross-over with another one


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Multi-disciplinary thesis projectsin multi-disciplinary student teams

Project teams

Examples


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Master theme: research

• Research Methodologies• A systematic approach towards the design and implementation of

research

• Master Orientation Project (1 month)• To get a sneak preview of what it means to perform independent research

• Assignment “Engineering Profession” in Internship (3 months)• Reflection on how well a company is meeting the professional standards in

e.g. project management, risk management, value management, health and safety management

• Master Thesis project (7 months)


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Conclusions

• The new curriculum framework of the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering implements the bachelors-masters degree structure (BaMa) as two programmes with dedicated objectives and profiles

• The two programmes educate students to a T-shaped professional, with “breadth” and “design” as the main points in the bachelors, and “focus”, “expertise” and “research” in the masters

• Both programmes stress the engineering fundamentals and have the optimum match between engineering practice and engineering teaching by integrated curricula that are organised around the technical disciplines of aerospace engineering, interwoven with design, research and intellectual skills