Development of a Collaborative, Distance Learning Based route to BEng/MEng qualification for Engineers in Employment.

This report presents the development of an integrated programme entitled MEng Engineering that will provide an opportunity for engineers already in the workforce to engage with upskilling that can lead to their gaining professional recognition. Progression will be provided directly from level HNC/HND/FdSc qualifications for engineers already in employment to gain BEng and MEng qualifications by part time distance learning mode. The programme will be jointly delivered by BU and BPC, the award will be a BU award. The programme will be delivered in 2-6 years depending upon entry and exit points and amount of credits studied in an academic year. The programme has been developed through close discussion with various employer representatives. It is the intention that the programme will be submitted to the Institution of Engineering Designers (IED) and the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) for Engineering Council accreditation for the academic requirements of IEng/CEng as appropriate to level

Sustainable design and the design curriculum

This paper reports on an initial study that begins the process of considering how design education should deal with the issue of sustainable design specifically in the context of the education of graduate designers in the fields of product, design engineering and interior design. Consideration is given to the development of the design curriculum and the design process. Further, a number of questions related to shaping the future of design and engineering education are also explored. The question this research seeks to address is whether sustainability, or more specifically sustainable design, should or can be an integral part of engineering/product design programmes or whether it should/or can be developed as a separate design discipline, perhaps as a postgraduate extension to the designer’s core skills set? The research also discusses the difference between, eco-design and sustainable design and the implications of the understanding of this difference for design education

Collaborative Student Centred Learning: Intellectual Property for Product Designers

This paper fits into the topics of student centred learning and learning spaces and explores the question - How will the academic/industrial interface develop? At least a basic understanding of intellectual property (IP) rights is essential for practice as a professional engineer and/or designer to ensure commercial success. Yet it is recognised that there are barriers to incorporating learning and teaching of IP within the Higher Education design and engineering curriculum. These barriers include an already ‘over-packed’ curriculum and no established pedagogy. This paper reports on an example of collaborative student centred learning activity between BA/BSc Product Design (PD) and LLB Law (Intellectual Property Practice option) (LLB) final year students at Bournemouth University (BU). The final year product design students are required to design and produce a working prototype of a marketable product. The LLB students advise on the intellectual property aspects of the design. This learning activity has been ongoing for a number of years, however, last academic year changes were made to incorporate an assessed element for both sets of students and make the learning space almost entirely virtual using the BU virtual learning environment (VLE) called myBU. It is the outcome of these changes that are reported in this paper, using data gathered from the on-line discussion forums and the feedback from students. The activity has proved to be an extremely valuable learning experience for both sets of students, providing simulation of real life for both designers and IP lawyers and bridging the academic/industrial interface

An Evaluation of Existing On-Line Learning & Teaching Resources for the Socio-Economic Aspects of Sustainable Design, New Perspectives in Design Education

This paper fits into the topic of eco-design education and explores questions related to the modern student’s perspective on design education and how we should consider the curricula from a future perspective. This paper first confirms the state of the art by reviewing the literature on the socio-centric dimension of sustainable design. This will determine the component sections required of a learning and teaching resource which focuses on the implications of human expectations and aspirations for the development of solutions to sustainable design problems

Socio-centric Sustainable Design - the Development of a Learning Resource

This paper reports on the development of a web-based learning and teaching resource specifically aimed at the socio-centric dimension of sustainable design which can be found at www.sociocentricdesign.com. A literature review focusing on the socially related aspects of sustainable design is presented, culminating in identification of the components required to understand this aspect of sustainable design, along with the understanding that its incorporation requires that the final design is left as late as possible, while considering the design’s purpose and its effects on the user, the community and society as a whole. An evaluation of existing web based resources on sustainable design is also presented. However, the focus is on the outcomes learned from the collection of primary data informing both the development of the resource and an evaluation of the outcome. The paper sets outs in some detail the content, arrangement and web interfaces for the new learning and teaching web based resource, focused on the socio-centric dimension. This includes the need for a high level of interactivity in the web interface

To Embed or not to Embed (Sustainability in the Curriculum) That is the Question – And Do We Have a Choice?

This paper fits into the stream of design curriculum development and explores a number of the questions related to shaping the future of design education and designers. The question this research seeks to address is whether sustainability should or can be an integral part of engineering/product design programmes or whether it should/or can be developed as a separate design discipline? The research also briefly addresses the difference between, eco-design and sustainable design

Developing enterprise opportunities from placements to graduate consultancy in lean sustainable design

This paper reports on the adaption of a model for consultancy of using graduates working on a contract basis for Bournemouth University (BU) but within a client organisation, and managed by a member of academic staff. The model is based on BU Design graduates undertaking a 6 month consultancy under the direction of an academic. The adapted model, discussed in this paper, offers consultancy in the area of lean sustainable design, a research specialism of the Sustainable Design Research Centre. The paper discusses the industrial relevance of design education and how design education and design research are strengthening each other with industrial relevance and investigates how to exploit existing relationships with companies who employ undergraduates on placement. It is envisaged that in order for graduates to work effectively as consultants, they will need additional development in the area of sustainable design and lean design. To address this possible shortfall a short continuing professional development (CPD) course is being developed, which will be offered to perspective consultant graduates to provide training to them in appropriate areas. In order to manage the risk associated with using inexperienced graduates to conduct the consultancy work, the projects will be managed by academics as well as providing support, by way of mentoring, to the graduates during the consultancy periods. The paper reports on research undertaken with final year design students to determine the content of this short cours

The Development of an On-Line Learning and Teaching Resource for the Socio-Centric Aspects of Sustainable Design

This paper fits into the topics of socially relevant design, design and emotion and sustainable design and explores the question how can we create a more sustainable way of life? The paper also addresses the central theme of the conference – Design Education – creating a better world. This paper reports on the next phase in the development of a web-based learning and teaching resource specifically aimed at the socio-centric dimension of sustainable design which can be found at www.sociocenticdesign.com . A more extensive literature review was conducted, of which a summary is presented, however, the focus is on the outcomes learned from the collection of further primary data. It is confirmed that there is strong dominance by the techno and eco-centric dimensions and that there is a lack of awareness of the socio-centric dimension. It is concluded that being sustainable in design actually is about leaving the final design to later; it means that first and foremost sustainable design is to consider the designs purpose and its effects on the user, the community and society as a whole. An evaluation of two existing web-based resources, that focus on eco-design, was also conducted and informed the outcomes presented in this paper. The paper sets outs in some detail the content, arrangement and suggested web-interfaces for the new learning resource focused on the socio-centric dimension. The content is arranged into the following sections based upon the recommendations generated by Conrad: Past and Future; Time; People; Consumption, Design and Theories. The results of the research suggest that a high level of interactivity in the web-interface will be required

Intellectual Property Education – Thinking outside the Box meets Colouring within the Lines

A basic understanding of intellectual property (IP) is essential for practice as a professional engineer and/or designer to ensure commercial success. Engaging students in a ‘real-life’ scenario or problem is one of the most effective methods of doing this. As they must first understand the problem, then seek knowledge to solve the problem, which ensures they develop their skills along the way. This paper concerns how intellectual property rights education is addressed in the HIGHER education of both lawyers and designers/engineers. It is written jointly, from the perspective of both design/engineering and law education and focuses on the pedagogical issues that are different or shared

Final Year Induction - Re-engagement and Re-motivation

This paper considers design education in practice and reports on a new experience undertaken at ?? University (?U) with final year BA/BSc Product Design students. Increasingly, students returning to the final year of the programme have struggled in recent years to both develop credible final year project proposals and also re-engage with academic life and meet the expectations held of them at Honours level. Therefore, the final year project team took the decision to implement a new strategy for the start of the final year in September 2011. The students returned to University a week early and undertook an intensive, week long, programme that was specifically designed to: a) Engage them fully with a return to academic life and set expectations of final year b) Expose them to a wide range of opportunities to seek meaningful problems that would benefit from a product based solution. This paper expands upon the structure of the week and the activities that were undertaken by students and also provides feedback on the experience from the perspective of both academic staff and students. The paper concludes with a detailed evaluation of the experience and what has been learnt. However, the experience has been deemed to be a success by both staff and students and planning for a similar experience next year has already begun, along with a plan to roll out the principles to all design courses within the Framework