Design Case Studies is one of the new courses that has beendeveloped through the National Science Foundation Coalition, SYNTHESIS,to initiate systemic reform of undergraduate engineering education. Thecourse is designed to update and enhance the design content of thecurrent mechanical engineering curriculum at Tuskegee University. Theseextensive case studies cover all aspects of the life cycle of selectedengineered products in which exemplary design practices have beenfollowed. They provide useful examples of design synthesis, interplaybetween technical and societal factors, industrial practice, multipleengineering disciplines and business considerations. Moreover, theyprovide a variety of design experiences, illustrate examples of good andbad engineering, and offer an opportunity to raise questions and discusssolutions. Study issues in reliability, maintenance, marketing, anddesign for easy assembly and manufacturing are highlighted. Since casesare about real engineering activities, students can compare theirjudgement and decisions with those made by the professionals and explorethe differences and the reasons. The Design Case Studies course has beentaught at Tuskegee University as a design elective course since Fall1993. This paper addresses the course development, implementationcurrent syllabus, and assessment
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