Making the RSD framework ‘speak engineering’:

A problem solving framework generated by student-tutors

Presenters: Mei CheongHarry Lucas

UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDESCHOOL OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

Design Graphics and Communication

2

Teaching 1st Year Engineering students to ‘think’ like engineers and to develop their problem solving skills

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Student-Tutor Team Brainstorming

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From RSD to OPS

4

Core Issue Identified A Sister FrameworkGenerated

Optimising Problem Solving (OPS)

Simple Visual Highlights the

focal point of problem solving

Highlights the communication process in problem solving

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Application: Engineering Case Study

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• Research

the variou

s option

s and

ways to

control th

e dam

age an

d solve th

e

prob

lems

• Exp

lore alternative solu

tions an

d

evaluate

possib

le conseq

uen

ces

• Write n

ew p

rocedures

• Organise

all the proce

dures developed

• Decid

e which

problem to address

when

• Plan and im

provise new proce

dures to

get the

crew in

space

home safely

• Mission Control had to decide if

solutions presented was feasible

• Test the new procedures in the

simulator

• En

gin

eers

, as

tron

auts

and g

round

contr

ol

had

to

wor

k to

get

her

to

find

solu

tion

s

• Sol

ution

s had

to

then

be

pas

sed o

n

to

crew

in s

pac

e

• Crew in space had to determine the source of the problems and damages incurred • Ground crew had to find solutions to the problems identified

Gen

erate +

Evalu

ate

• Evaluate extent of damage• Mitigate the effects of the damage on the spacecraft and the crew• Ensure safe return of crew

Problem Definition

+Specification

Find + Reflect

Organise +

Manage

Analyse +

Synthesise

Com

munic

ate

+

Apply

APOLLO 13 CASE STUDY

Gen

erate +

Evalu

ate

Problem Definition

+Specification

Find + Reflect

Organise +

Manage

Analyse +

Synthesise

Com

munic

ate

+

Apply

Application: Problem Solving Workshops

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Application: Expositional Writing

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Application: From Task Setting to Creating Rubrics (An Education Context)

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Gen

erate +

Evalu

ate

Problem Definition

+Specification

Find + Reflect

Organise +

Manage

Analyse +

Synthesise

Com

munic

ate

+

Apply

Clarity of task, outcome and clear links between the two. Prevents students from discarding key opportunities to reconsider task, constraints and assessment criteria

Causes students to make strong links across information sets and builds linked knowledge across National Curriculum and SACE requirements D

eepen

s links across skills sets;

gives ow

nersh

ip of skills to

studen

ts

Allows s

tudents to m

ove from th

e known

to the new, e

ncourages c

reativity

,

teaches a

nd reflects

structu

re, syntax

and communica

tion acro

ss learning

areas

Teaches review skills, deepens layers of

analysis, teaches students to be actively

aware of rubrics and to incorporate

constraints into their responses

Teac

hes

dra

ftin

g, en

coura

ges

and v

alues

lite

racy

as

a ke

y

mec

han

ism

acr

oss

lear

nin

g

area

s, s

uppor

ts t

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cros

s

curr

icula

r th

emes

of th

e

Nat

ional

Curr

iculu

m a

nd S

AC

E

What to expect from the workshop

Extending from the RSD to generate your own ‘OPS’ to be applied in your context

Modifying the OPS to suit your field and/or application

Generating new frameworks for your context

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