A Conceptual Model for Engineering Curriculum Integration and Synthesis, With an Application to Industrial Engineering

这是一项用于匹兹堡大学工业工程系系级改革的计划拨款。该项目解决了工程教育中一个重要而紧迫的问题——如何开发一个全面的、综合的课程，使其(1)教学上健全，(2)为即将毕业的工程学生做好工业实践和研究生院的充分准备，以及(3)训练他们随时认识并应用他们的工程背景来解决本地和美国境外的非结构化问题。特别是，重点是工业工程（IE）课程，但我们的结果可以扩展和适应其他工程学科。课程改革的方法包含四个总体目标，即(1)整个课程的概念整合；(2)培养学生综合不同概念解决非结构化问题的能力；(3)在社会框架内提供解决问题的方法和策略，使其能够在本地和全球范围内应用；(4)创建一种可移植的开发方法，可以很容易地适应于其他工程学科。该项目是基于对IE课程改革之前工作的充分理解，并且是根据包括教师、学生和实践工程师在内的各种来源的投入来构思和组织的。该提案定义了构成“工业工程科学”的核心知识领域，并解决了学生在解决复杂的现实世界问题时如何整合不同概念的关键需求。该提案还概述了一项计划，强调将IE概念/方法与更广泛的工程熟练程度相结合，以解决开放式、非结构化问题。我们提出的将技术技能和终身技能整合和综合到课程中的模式基于两个独特的方面：强化和“及时”概念整合。该提案概述了一项计划，以确保学生更多地接触和更好地了解当今的全球商业环境。该计划还确保我们的毕业生将拥有终身的工程能力，如商业实践技能；分析数据和处理不确定性的技能；熟练操作信息系统和编程；设计、创新和解决问题的能力；以及沟通和团队合作的能力，才能成功地学以致用。此外，还提供了一个计划，用于评估方法的质量以及如何使用反馈来改善学生的学习。这项计划的结果是可移植到其他课程规划背景-在其他类似规模的IE项目；扩展到更大或更小的IE程序；还有其他工程项目。还制定了广泛传播我们工作的计划。

This is a planning grant for department level reform in the Industrial Engineering Department of the University of Pittsburgh. This project addresses an important and pressing issue in engineering education - how to develop a comprehensive, integrated curriculum that is (1) pedagogically sound, (2) thoroughly prepares graduating engineering students for industrial practice and graduate school, and (3) trains them to readily recognize and apply their engineering background to solve unstructured problems, both locally and beyond US borders. In particular, the focus is on the Industrial Engineering (IE) curriculum but our results could be extended and adapted to other engineering disciplines. The approach to curriculum reform that contains four overarching objectives, namely (1) the integration of concepts across the curriculum; (2) teaching students to synthesize different concepts to solve unstructured problems; (3) providing problem solving methods and strategies within a societal framework that allows for their application within a local as well as a global context; and (4) creating a portable development methodology that can be readily adapted to other engineering disciplines.The project is based on a sound understanding of prior work on IE curriculum reform, and is conceived and organized with input from a variety of sources, including faculty, students and practicing engineers. The proposal defines the core knowledge areas that constitute "Industrial Engineering science" and addresses the vital need for students to see how to integrate different concepts in solving complex real world problems. The proposal also outlines a plan to emphasize the synthesis of IE concepts/methods with broader engineering proficiencies in order to solve open-ended, unstructured problems. The model we propose for integrating and synthesizing technical skills and life-long proficiencies into the curriculum is based on two unique aspects: reinforcement and "just-in-time" concept integration. The proposal outlines a plan to ensure that students receive greater exposure to and a better understanding of today's global business environment. The plan also ensures that our graduates will have the life-long engineering capabilities such as business practice skills; skills to analyze data and deal with uncertainty; proficiency with information systems and programming; design, innovation and problem solving skills; and communication and teamwork skills, in order to successfully apply what they learn. Additionally, a plan is provided for evaluating both the quality of the approach and how feedback will be used to improve student learning. Results of this planning grant are portable to other curriculum planning contexts - within other IE programs of a similar size; scaled up to larger or down to smaller IE programs; and to other engineering programs. Plans are also provided for broad dissemination of our work.