Integrated Learning at Queens University or CDIO in Disguise

1
Integrated Learning at Queens University(or
CDIO in Disguise?)

• David Strong
• Queens University
• Kingston, Ontario, Canada
• June 4, 2004

2
Overview

• Where and what is Queens Canada?
• Existing programs and curriculum highlights
• How did Integrated Learning and the IL Centre
  evolve?
• Current Status

3
About Queens University

• Founded in 1841
• Engineering (Faculty of Applied Science) started
  in 1893.
• 12,000 undergraduate students (2400 in
  engineering) and 3,000 graduate students (500 in
  engineering)
• Nominally private (Chartered by Queen Victoria)
  but actually public like most Canadian
  universities
• Highest undergraduate admissions standards in
  Canada

Benidickson Field
Welcome to Queens
Student Centre
4

• Queens is located in the City of Kingston,
  Ontario (pop. 120 000)
• Situated about half way between Toronto and
  Montreal, just where Lake Ontario enters the St.
  Lawrence River

Eastern North America
Kingstons Coastline
City hall waterfront
City Hall Harbor Front
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Existing Curriculum

• 10 engineering disciplines Mech Materials,
  Electrical, Computer, Civil, Chemical, Mining,
  Geological, Eng Phys, Eng Chem, Math Eng
• Common first year program, run by the Faculty
  Office
• First year includes a hands on design of
  experiments/design-build project course, and a
  case study based course in professional skills
• Students choose discipline in Feb of first year
  no quotas
• All programs have either final year team based
  design projects (few are DB or DBT), or
  individual theses
• A final year elective multidisciplinary project
  based course has been available since 1993
• Several disciplines include design, DB, or DBT
  courses in second and/or third year, but there
  are gaps in many disciplines

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Student Managed Projects

• Students participate in many multidisciplinary,
  non-credit competitive team projects such as
  solar car, SAE formula, mini-Baha, concrete
  canoe, concrete toboggan, etc.

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Mechanical and Materials Engineering

• Enrolment rising, approximately 160 entering year
  2
• Second year - DBT course Design Techniques
  since 1993, and a full teaching machine shop
• Third year - core project based machine design
  course

Manufacturing Engineering Peristaltic Pump
Design Techniques Automatic Tea Maker
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Mechanical and Materials Engineering

• Final year - core design capstone, elective BT
  extension (under review)
• Variety of D and DBT technical electives
• Home for SAE Formula, mini-Baha, flight teams,
  Solar Car teams

Plaza Lab prototype
Mechatronics - robotics
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So What is Integrated Learning at Queens?

• The fundamental vision of the Integrated
  Learning concept is to develop a
  multidisciplinary learning environment for
  students which elevates engineering theory to
  practice, and promotes team-oriented design and
  problem-solving skills.

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Evolution of Integrated Learning and the ILC

• January 93 introduction of TEAM, a fourth year
  elective interdisciplinary team based industry
  project course
• June 94 Civil engineering curriculum review
  initiating more integration of material, emphasis
  on communications, introduction of several short
  courses and P/F grading, more use of learning
  technology
• October 94 Jim McCowan floats proposal for
  discussion (to all faculty and students) to
  restructure first year teaching integration of
  material, more self learning design content,
  modularized labs
• February 95 faculty and student discussion
  forum generation of a survey to faculty and
  students on objectives for first year programs
• August 95 School of Business offers a training
  course for final year students to train as team
  leaders/mentors for first year student projects
• June/July 96 Queens hosts Canadian Conference
  on Engineering Education (C2E2)and Eighth
  Workshop on New Approaches to Undergraduate
  Engineering Education (NAUEE)

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Evolution of Integrated Learning and the ILC

• September 96 - Jim Mason appointed Associate
  Dean (First Year) with mandate to integrate first
  year courses and develop innovative teaching
  methods. Dean Tom Harris proposes Why Queens
  Engineering? initiative to Heads and Faculty
  Board
• Nov96 Mason visits ITLL at University of
  Colorado at Boulder. Dean Harris discusses
  WQE? initiative with regard to upcoming capital
  campaign
• Jan97 Mech 452 introduced with a focus on
  design projects integrating machine design,
  electronics, computer science, and control
  systems
• Mar97 Dean invites submissions for fund
  raising campaign
• April 97 Faculty Board adopts Faculty-directed
  first year program
• Sept 97 Fundraiser report Breakaway
  Leadership published, giving prominence and
  support for an Integrated Learning Centre.
  Pilot offering (60 students) of first year team
  project based design course.
• May 98 Department of Development incorporates
  Integrated Learning into the University Capital
  Campaign
• Sept 98 First year design course increased to
  200 students
• November 98 solicitation to faculty and
  students for feedback on Integrated Learning

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Evolution of Integrated Learning and the ILC

• January 99 First visit to Aalborg University
• February 99 creation of two subcommittees
  (Faculty students), one on innovative learning,
  the other on the creation of the Integrated
  Learning Centre
• March 99 ILC becomes number one priority in
  capital campaign
• April 99 funding for pilot Mech 215 course for
  modularized work and interdepartmental
  collaboration
• Remainder 99 visits to/from Aalborg, Boulder,
  McMaster, RPI, others. Further discussions with
  Engineering departments, Business, Education,
  Medicine, others. Meetings with heads and
  faculty regarding collaborative teaching.
• February 00 Superbuild awards 10.8M for ILC.
  Industry advisory council meetings devoted to IL
  and ILC.
• June 00 McConnell foundation awards 1.8M for
  IL curriculum development
• October00 DuPont Canada commits 2.5M for
  Chair in Eng. Education RD
• Feb 01 Charge to the Architect
• June 01 Appointment of George Sweetman as
  Director of Integrated Learning
• May 02 Excavation begins. Building redesign
  phase. Appointments of Chairs for Engineering
  Education and Design

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What are the Key Elements?

• Champions with VISION
• Broad external (international) consultation and
  visitation
• Early and regular internal consultation with
  faculty, staff, and students
• Consultation beyond the engineering faculty
• Involvement of all key resource staff as early as
  possible
• Solid and dedicated fundraising plan, including a
  marketing strategy
• Redesign and optimize plans regularly

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Integrated Learning
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Integrated Learning

• Professional skills
• how to elevate theory to practice
• Interdisciplinary experience
• inside and outside engineering
• Active learning
• more project-based learning, more
• team-learning, use of studio techniques

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Integrated Learning Objectives

• to make students aware of the range of
  professional skills and their importance to their
  eventual career success
• to introduce students to a broad range of
  technical and non-technical skills and provide
  them with as many opportunities as possible to
  practice them
• to provide students with constructive feedback on
  their skills development throughout their program
• to encourage self-awareness, and to develop a
  habit of reflection on the social implications of
  their work

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Integrated Learning
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People

• Appointment of Faculty-wide Chairs
• Chair in Engineering Education (Caroline Baillie)
• Chair in Design Engineering (David Strong)
• Hiring experienced Practitioners
• Director of the Integrated Learning Centre
  (George Sweetman)
• Adjunct Professors (Barrie Jackson, David Lay)
• Provide support for existing Faculty
• Start-up teaching grants
• Teaching seminars and workshops

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Integrated Learning
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Practice - Examples

• APSC 100
• a team-based, project-based first
• year course replacing conventional
• laboratories
• APSC 190
• a new approach to starting
• development of professional skills
• and attitudes

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Practice Examples (contd)

• APSC 400
• an interdisciplinary team-based, project-based
  course addressing real external problems
• Multi-Disciplinary Courses
• Fuel Cells, Controls, Thermodynamics, Fluid
  Mechanics

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Integrated Learning
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The Integrated Learning Centre
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Workspace

• ILC grand opening on May 6 (still much to do)
• three-story infill structure linking three
  existing engineering buildings

• Inner space is designed for team-based,
  project-based and studio-based techniques
• shared by all faculty, staff and students in the
  Faculty
• Offices for Deans staff, ILC group Engineering
  Society
• 7200 m2 (about 70k sq. ft.) gross

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Plazas

• Hub of laboratory or testing activity, often
  interdisciplinary
• 66 Instrumented benches with electronic and other
  instruments
• Flexible for various applications using
  appropriate equipment modules.

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Teaching Studio

• Elliptical configuration for up to 80 students
• Students may face centrally toward the instructor
  and a flat screen monitor (controlled by the
  instructor), or may swing around to face outward
  toward a bench equipped with a computer and
  experimental gear.

• Enhances student interest, clarifies theory
  through immediate application, and identifies
  gaps and misunderstandings quickly so that they
  can be readily corrected.

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Active Learning Centre

• Accommodates approximately 80 students
• Can be divided into two smaller groups of 30 and
  50
• Very simple rooms, essentially open space with
  moveable furniture
• Flexible for various configuration rows,
  groups, conference
• Whiteboard and projection on at least three walls

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Group Rooms

• Working offices for student teams
• Simply furnished with a table, chairs, whiteboard
  and network connections
• 42 group rooms, sized for 6 12 students
• An online booking system is available at a kiosk
  in the IL Centre's atrium, for groups to reserve
  the rooms several weeks ahead of time

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Design Studio

• Will support up to 16 teams of students working
  on team design projects
• Equipped with workstations with a variety of
  design and analysis software

• Mobile tables for 4 to 8 students
• Audio/visual for instruction
• Space for instructor/TA circulation
• Instructor can send feed to workstations for
  teaching
• A location where faculty and students from
  different departments can collaborate and
  interact on multidisciplinary and complex designs

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Prototyping Centre

• Staffing and equipment for manufacturing student
  designed objects
• Typical machine tools in one section, rapid
  prototyping/electronics in another
• Rapid prototyping capability FDM, laser cutter,
  water jet, PC board
• Mechanical and electronic assembly benches
• Allows students to build across the hall from
  where they design

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Common and Competitive Team Assembly Areas
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Site Investigation Unit

• Supports the collection and analysis of data
  obtained through field investigations, as well as
  through telemetry and satellite observation.

• Sites may be studied from the viewpoint of
  development, as part of a search for mineral and
  energy resources, for environmental impacts, for
  remediation planning, etc.

• Provides students with an appreciation of the
  multidisciplinary nature of site investigation
  work as well as the importance of a cohesive team
  effort. Students from different disciplines will
  collaborate in obtaining and analyzing samples.

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Example Floor Plan
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Live Building

• The ILC is designed to be an interactive teaching
  tool
• Electrical, mechanical, and structural building
  systems are displayed and monitored
• Produces real time data for students to view,
  plus a database of records for study and analysis
• A central database collects data on an on-going
  basis from remote measuring devices throughout
  the building
• Data can be accessed over the Internet

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Live Building - Monitored systems

• Temperature and ventilation controls
• Municipal water supply pressure, temperature and
  flow
• Envelope temperatures
• Outdoor air properties
• Glazing performance
• Enthalpy wheel performance
• CO2 sensors
• Learning Column
• Steel stair strain gauges
• Lighting performance

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Live Building Exposed systems

• Power distribution system
• Large penthouse
• Column and wall foundations
• Column reinforcement
• Wall cut-section
• Wall plumbing
• Windowed mechanical room
• Steel tree showing all steel frame connection
  types as part of landscaping

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Green Building

• Energy Agili-T fluorescent lighting, PV array,
  Enthalpy wheel, Green wall, daylight harvesting.
• Water water conserving fixtures used.
• Resources - Concrete containing 50 supplementary
  cementing materials was used in the ILC
  construction.
• BREEAM's Green Leaf Eco-Rating Program gave the
  ILC a "Four Green Leafs" rating out of 5 leaves
  indicating "national industry leadership in terms
  of eco-efficiency design, practices and
  management commitment to continuous improvement
  and industry leadership."

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PV Array
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Green Wall
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Integrated Learning
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Culture change

• Reduce the silo mentality
• Continuous exposure to new and interesting
  technologies, such as biofiltration systems, fuel
  cells, energy efficient lighting, photovoltaics,
  enthalpy wheel
• Exposure to skill sets and activities of students
  from different disciplines
• Appropriate weighting and recognition of
  technical, communication, business, and
  professional skills
• Students are immersed in an environment of
  professional engineering skills, attitudes, and
  behaviour
• In the hands-on ILC, students dont read or
  hear about it they see it, feel it, do it, and
  understand it

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Yes, we do have winter in Canada
Mini-Baha on frozen Lake Ontario
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But, we also have summer
Mini-Baha on a Lake Ontario beach
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Integrated Learning

• Thanks for your attention
• More information can be found at
• http//ilc.queensu.ca