• Integrating Technology into Design Challenges

  • Nine Steps of the Engineering Design Process

    The engineering design process provides multiple opportunities to integrate technology in a meaningful way. Pictured to the side are images representing the design process, but it can be simply explained as a 9 step process.

    Step 1: Define the Problem
    Step 2: Brainstorm
    Step 3: Research
    Step 4: Develop Ideas
    Step 5: Choose Best Idea
    Step 6: Build Model or Prototype
    Step 7: Test and Evaluate
    Step 8: Improve Design
    Step 9: Communicate Results

    The engineering design process is a continuous system of creativity, data collection, innovation, and communication. The process begins with an idea, but will bounce between steps as students innovate their original ideas through a feedback loop of building, testing, data collection and design improvement.

    The T in STEM

    Technology can be integrated into each step of the design process depending of the type of design challenge. Below are some ideas of how to integrate technology into the design process in a meaningful way.

    Step 1: Define the Problem

    • Provide concepts for learning, criteria, and constraints using a website or learning management system (Google Sites, Schoology/PowerSchool)
    • Students conduct a Google search to come up with their own real-life problem to be defined
    • Use Diigo to collaborate, save sites, and annotate on your saved pages while researching
    • Use Subtext iPad app to provide resources and promote discussions around imported books or articles
    • Create a list or resources using applications like Symbaloo or reading lists to guide students in their online research

    Step 2: Brainstorm  

    Step 3: Research

    • Students use various search engines to find ideas related to their project
    • Students participate in a group Wiki project (Google Sites or within Haiku LMS) or blog (Google Blog)to share resources found online that relate to their project

    Step 4: Develop Ideas

    Step 5: Choose Best Idea

    • Students create a survey to vote on best idea (Google Forms)
    • Teachers create a spreadsheet for students to complete that rates each project on how well it meets the criteria and constraints (Decision Matrix)

    Step 6: Build Model or Prototype

    Step 7: Test and Evaluate

    • Students create data tables and graphs using to organize data and identify patterns or trends (Graph Pad, Microsoft Excel), 
    • Students work collaboratively on a Google Spreadsheet to collect data

    Step 8: Improve Design

    • Teachers create a personal or shared wiki space or blog for students to write journal entries on how they improved the design after each round of tests
    • Students take photos or videos to document the improvement in their design throughout the process

    Step 9: Communicate Results

    • Students create a presentation to communicate their results ( prezi, Google Presentations, Educreations, iMovie, You Tube Editor, VoiceThread, )
    • Students participate in an online discussion describing the characteristics that made some teams do so well
    • Students create a brochure or newspaper article as if their design was then going into production

  • The Engineering Design Process

    The Engineering Design Process

    "Design Process Image" by PBS Kids

    The Engineering Design Process

    The Engineering Design Process
    "Design Process Image" from Girls Get SET for Life.

    The Engineering Design Process

    The Engineering Design Process
    "Design Process Image" from Project Lead the Way