Shaping Future Engineers Through Innovation and Hands-On Learning

Kenneth Reid, Associate Dean and Director of Engineering, Professor of Engineering, University of Indianapolis

Kenneth Reid is the Associate Dean and Director of Engineering at University of Indianapolis. He started his career as an undergraduate lab assistant at the Computer and Electrical Engineering department at Purdue, a role that made him realize his passion for teaching. He went on to academia, teaching Electrical Engineering Technology. He became a first-year director at Virginia Tech where he managed a large first year program. He later joined University of Indianapolis, commonly known as UIndy, where he ran a new and innovative program called DesignSpine, providing students with authentic engineering experiences.

Real-World, Hands-On Learning for Future Engineers

A good friend in industry once told me that “We know any engineering graduate can do the design and the math, but I need someone who can communicate and work in a team.” Students do need the disciplinary knowledge to be effective engineers, but they also need to communicate and work effectively with others. Our DesignSpine program places students in interdisciplinary teams of around five where they solve an authentic problem for a client. We solicit problems requiring a design solution from internal and external clients such as our local utility company, local manufacturers or other engineering firms. The projects range from incorporating a water pump on a low-cost farm vehicle for a local not-for-profit organization to programming a robotic arm and redesigning a manufacturing line for a local manufacturing company, as well as developing a chilled, filtered water delivery vehicle for a local utility company. Our internal projects range from designing a meditation room for the campus counseling center to an automated microphone positioning for the campus performing arts center. Working for a client on an authentic problem gives students the real-world experience they need to hit the ground running after they graduate.

Applying K–12 Innovations in University Engineering

I am part of a program called e4usa, where we have designed a high school engineering curriculum ‘for us all’, targeting students who may not even know what engineering is. This curriculum lets students explore their engineering identity, investigate the social and ethical implications of engineering solutions and study the engineering design process. We try to take these concepts into the first year of engineering at the university level as well, which are often overlooked in other programs.

Importance of Problem-Solving and Communication Skills

Developing problem-solving and communication skills is really the key to success after graduation for our students. In the DesignSpine curriculum, problem-solving, teamwork and leadership skills form an integral part. Students study project management tools designed to ensure effective teamwork and planning. Students rotate through project manager and assistant project manager roles, experiencing leadership in an authentic engineering project. Each student is fully engaged with the interdisciplinary, authentic and open-ended problem through the entire year. Each team has multiple opportunities to professionally communicate, whether that is with the client, the teaching team, visitors, or the technical review committee. We had a team that returned from a local conference and they told me that they thought they did really well. However, they added that student teams from other schools looked really nervous. I pointed out that they had done formal presentations about twelve times up to that point, and that was the only way to become comfortable and confident while speaking. This shows the value of authentic experience.

Embracing Innovation and Student-Centered Teaching

Rear Admiral Grace Hopper once said, "The most dangerous phrase in the English language is, 'we've always done it this way'”. Academia is rich in tradition, but in some cases, that tradition runs counter to necessary innovation. My first piece of advice is not to shy away from asking difficult questions and to consider what is best for necessary innovation.

Second, always put yourself in the students’ shoes and see things from their perspective. In the end, the right decisions must be made, but it is important to consider the student. For example, years ago, we moved a required class online and students had no way to raise their queries. Students became frustrated with the sudden shift, which we had not anticipated. We didn’t consider the student viewpoint and the shift did not work.

Finally, enjoy the process. The intrinsic reward when a student “gets it”, when a student graduates or when someone comes back after a few years to say ‘thank you’ is wonderful. Enjoy it!

Project Management

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