Abstract
“Innovation and Design” is one of CUHK’s theme.
MAEG3920 (Engineering Design and Applications) is a project-based course, which aims to teach and let undergraduate students practice engineering design in a systematic manner. In this proposal, we, PIs and Co-Is, planned to provide undergraduate students a better learning and practicing experience by involving postgraduate students in preparing, delivering project material and guiding undergraduate students during the project. The course project will require undergraduate students to form groups and design a medical capsule, which is a popular research topic and a medical product in growing phase. We expect not only undergraduate students will benefit from this real-life oriented project, but postgraduate students will also benefit from the in-depth involvement in teaching and guiding the undergraduate students, enhancing their courseware preparation skills and pedagogical competence for other engineering courses, their own research and future career.
Brief write-up
Project objectives
• Increase postgraduate students’ delivery and communication skills for teaching, learning and researching by engaging them as teaching assistants in MAEG3920 “Engineering Design and Applications”
• Postgraduates can contribute to Faculty-level by serving in other Engineering courses and conducting usual research work with their acquired skills
• Provide undergraduate students with better learning and practicing experience
Activities, process and outcomes
Postgraduates prepared, delivered project content, related practical skills, and guided undergraduate students throughout the course project. Postgraduates have benefited from their deep involvement with their courseware preparation enhanced. Undergraduates are satisfied with the course and teaching assistants.
Deliverables and evaluation
• Capsules designed, produced, and tested by undergraduates
• Workshop/tutorials conducted by postgraduates
• Teaching materials produced by postgraduates
• Field trip visiting industries
• Postgraduates experience sharing seminar
Dissemination, diffusion, impact and sharing of good practices
Postgraduates shared their experiences in a seminar. Content includes discussing the structural difference between such project-based and regular courses, sharing of phenomena observed during the implementation, and possible improvements that can be implemented in the next offering.
The field trip to the industry can be replicated in other project-based courses to provide mutual benefits and increase the exposure of both undergraduate and postgraduates.
Impact on teaching and learning
The mode of deep involvement of postgraduates in an undergraduate design project has synergy and creates mutual benefits for both parties. Undergraduates’ learning experience has improved over the previous years with new and better project material, the opportunity to fabricate their designs, the organized field trip, and feedback provided from postgraduates.
