JVN: The Engineering Design Process & Competition Robotics

[JVN]

Hi All,
I'm doing a presentation in Atlanta on Wednesday evening from 7:45 to 8:30 in room C203.

The presentation is on Applying the Engineering Design Process to Competition Robotics. This is a new topic for me to discuss, but it builds on and compiles some of the lessons I've been rambling about to my students (and here on chief) for a looooooong time.

This presentation takes on more of an educational viewpoint. "How to use this process to positively influence students" might be a better title. I won't be dwelling too much on how to use it to build Einstein robots, though that topic will come up.

I feel VERY strongly that within FIRST one of the primary lessons mentors can teach their students is how to apply this design process to our competition. There is magic in this, as it hits at the root of the question "what is engineering?" and provides an easy way to expose students to the very values we are trying to instill. If we can get a student to think like an engineer, and to enjoy solving problems in a methodical manner, we have succeeded!

It has been fun for me to pull together all my various ramblings and notes into something worth discussing. If this topic sounds interesting to you I hope you'll stop by for a listen.

Maybe I'll see some of you on Wednesday night.

Regards,
John

Edit: Presentation posted here: http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/papers/2250