Integrating CDIO Skills and Technical Knowledge from Different Modules in a Project

As part of the Singapore Polytechnic’s plan to adopt the CDIO framework, the second year curriculum of the Diploma in Electrical and Electronic Engineering (DEEE) programme has been redesigned to include a design-build project. This paper outlines the issues and challenges that arise during the implementation of this project. Three objectives for this project have been identified: to facilitate the conceive-design process but, at the same time, produce viable project ideas, integration of knowledge from different technical modules, and optimal use of curriculum time and resources.

To ensure viability of the project, a microcontroller kit set used in the laboratory of one of the technical modules is used as the main backbone for the project. Students are given the liberty to conceive and design solutions based on the kit. In this way, students’ anxiety in fabricating the entire electronic system may be alleviated. Based on the students’ ideas, they will only need to design and fabricate the hardware interface to the kit.

The scheduling of some topics in the technical modules is also modified to provide ‘just-in-time’ knowledge for the students as they embark on their project. Finally, in the later half of the semester, some curriculum time from two of the technical modules are ‘donated’ to the project so that students have sufficient time to complete their project. A survey of the first group of students who have gone through the redesigned curriculum shows that more than 70% of them have understood the CDIO cycle, are confident of designing a product based on customers’ needs and are able to see the connection between different technical modules.