2014-01-16

Introduction to curriculum and course

development with CDIO

Kristina Edström
Associate Professor, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
Director of Educational Development, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, Russia

Who  is  Kris)na  Edström?    

§ Engineer  &  Educa)onal  developer  
– M.  Sc.  in  Engineering,  Chalmers  
– Associate  Professor  in  Engineering  Educa,on  
Development  at  KTH  Royal  Ins>tute  of  Technology,  
Sweden  
– 2012-­‐2013  also  Director  of  Educa>onal  Development  at  
Skoltech,  Russia  
 

§ Strategic  educa)onal  development  in  

Sweden  and  interna)onally  
– CDIO  Ini>a>ve  for  reform  of  engineering  educa>on  
since  2001  
– SEFI  Administra>ve  Council  since  2010  
 

§ Faculty  development  at  KTH  

– During  2004-­‐2012,  more  than  600  par>cipants  have  
taken  Teaching  and  Learning  in  Higher  Educa,on  (7.5  
ECTS  credits)  customized  for  faculty  at  KTH  

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Designing the CDIO curriculum

– the CDIO Standards

1. Designing  an  integrated  curriculum    

2. Course  design  for  integrated  learning    
š Improving  disciplinary  courses  
š Design-­‐implement  courses    
 

1. Designing the Curriculum

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The  educa>onal  development  process  is  the  working  defini>on  of  CDIO:  
The  CDIO  Standards  
Context:  
§ Recognise  that  we  educate  for  the  prac>ce  of  engineering  [1]  

Curriculum  development:    
§ Formulate  explicit  program  learning  outcomes  (including  engineering  skills)  in  
dialogue  with  stakeholders  [2]  
§ Map  out  responsibili>es  to  courses  –  nego>ate  intended  learning  outcomes  [3]    
§ Evalua>on  and  con>nuous  programme  improvement  [12]  

Course  development,  discipline-­‐led  and    

project-­‐based  learning  experiences:  
§ Introduc>on  to  engineering  [4]  
§ Design-­‐implement  experiences  and  workspaces  [5,  6]  
§ Integrated  learning  experiences  [7]  
§ Ac>ve  and  experien>al    learning  [8]  
§ Learning  assessment  [11]  

Faculty  development    
§ Engineering  skills  [9]  
§ Skills  in  teaching  &  learning  ,  and  assessment  [10]  

Crawley, et al (2007) Rethinking Engineering

Education: The CDIO Approach, Springer.

Stakeholder  perspec)ves  
ds
ee
lif en
rk
Wo
Employers   Students  

Society   Faculty  
Engineering  
Educa)on  

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Work  life  skills  

 Disciplinary  theory      Theory  and  judgement  

applied  to     applied  to  real  problems  
“Problem-­‐solving”   Real  problems    
§ Cross  disciplinary  boundaries  
§ Sit  in  contexts  with  societal  and  
business  aspects  
§ Complex,  ill-­‐defined  and  contain  
tensions  
§ Need  interpreta>ons  and  es>ma>ons  
NECESSARY  BUT   (‘one  right  answer’  are  excep>ons)  
NOT  SUFFICIENT   § Require  systems  view  

Work  life  skills  

Technology  in  itself   Engineering  process:  

Conceive  –  Design  –  
Implement  –  Operate    
Conceive:  customer  needs,  technology,  
enterprise  strategy,  regula>ons;  and  
conceptual,  technical,  and  business  plans    
Design:  plans,  drawings,  and  algorithms  that  
describe  what  will  be  implemented      
Implement:  transforma>on  of  the  design  into  
the  product,  process,  or  system,  including  
manufacturing,  coding,  tes>ng  and  
valida>on  
NECESSARY  BUT  
Operate:  the  implemented  product  or  
NOT  SUFFICIENT   process  delivering  the  intended  value,  
including  maintaining,  evolving  and  re>ring  
the  system  
 

 
 

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Work  life  skills  

Individual  approach   Communica)ve  and  

collabora)ve  approach  
§ Crucial  for  all  engineering  work  
processes  
§ Much  more  than  working  in  project  
teams  with  well-­‐defined  tasks  
§ Engineering  is  a  social  ac>vity  involving  
customers,  suppliers,  colleagues,  
ci>zens,  authori>es,  compe>tors    
NECESSARY  BUT   § Networking  within  and  across  
NOT  SUFFICIENT   organiza>onal  boundaries,  over  >me,  
in  a  globalised  world  
 

CDIO  Standard  1:  The  context  

Educa-ng  for  the  context  of  engineering  

 Educa)on  set  in   Educate  for  the  context  of  

Engineering  science   Engineering  
 
CDIO  Standard  1  –  The  context  
 
Adop>on   of   the   principle   that   product,  
process,   and   system   lifecycle   development  
  deployment   –   Conceiving,   Designing,  
and  
Implemen,ng   and   Opera,ng   –   are   the  
 
context   for  engineering  educa>on.  

NECESSARY  BUT   Engineers  who    

NOT  SUFFICIENT   can  engineer!  

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Deeper  working  knowledge  of  disciplinary  

fundamentals  
§ Func>onal  knowledge  
§ Not  just  reproduc>on  of  
didn’t known  solu>ons  to  known  
problems  
”get it”
§ Conceptual  understanding  
§ Being  able  to  explain  what  
they  do  and  why  

”got it”
—

passed exam failed exam

See for instance Mazur, E. (1997) Peer Instruction, and Kember & McNaught (2007) Enhancing University Teaching.

Quality  of  student  learning    

–  more  useful  classifica)ons  
Feisel-­‐Schmitz  Technical  Taxonomy   The  SOLO  Taxonomy  
Judge To be able to critically evaluate multiple
solutions and select an optimum solution
Solve Characterize, analyze, and synthesize to
model a system (provide appropriate
assumptions)
Explain Be able to state the process/outcome/
concept in their own words
Compute Follow rules and procedures
(substitute quantities correctly into
equations and arrive at a correct result,
”plug & chug”)
Define State the definition of the concept or
describe in a qualitative or quantitative
manner

[Feisel, L.D., Teaching Students to Continue Their Education, Proceedings of the Frontiers in Education Conference, 1986.]

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CDIO  Standard  2:  Learning  Outcomes  

Recognising  the  dual  nature  of  learning    

Knowledge of Professional
technical and     engineering
fundamentals skills

CDIO  Standard  2  –  Learning  Outcomes  

Specific,   detailed   learning   outcomes   for   personal  
and   interpersonal   skills,   and   product,   process,  
and  system  building  skills,  as  well  as  disciplinary  
knowledge,   consistent   with   program   goals   and  
validated  by  program  stakeholders.  

The  CDIO  Syllabus  

Support  in  formula-ng  learning  outcomes  
Each  ins>tu>on  formulates  program  goals  considering  their  own  
stakeholder  needs,  na>onal  and  ins>tu>onal  context,  level  and  
scope  of  programs,  subject  area,  etc  
The  CDIO  Syllabus    
§ is  not  prescrip>ve  (not  a  CDIO  Standard)  
§ is  offered  as  an  instrument  for  specifying  
local  program  goals  by  selec>ng  topics  and  
making  appropriate  addi>ons  in  dialogue  
with  stakeholders    
§ lists  and  categorises  desired  quali>es  of  
engineering  graduates  
§ is  based  on  stakeholder  input  and  
valida>on  
• Crawley, E. F. 2001. The CDIO Syllabus: A Statement of Goals for Undergraduate Engineering Education:
see [Link]/framework-benefits/cdio-syllabus-report
• for version 2.0, see Crawley, Malmqvist, Lucas, and Brodeur. 2011. “The CDIO Syllabus v2.0. An Updated
Statement of Goals for Engineering Education.” Proceedings of the 7th International CDIO Conference

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The  strategy  of  CDIO  is    

integrated  learning    
of  knowledge  and  skills   !
Standard  3  –  Integrated  curiculum  
Integra-ng  the  two  learning  processes  

The CDIO strategy is the

integrated curriculum
where knowledge & skills
give each other meaning!
Acquisition of technical knowledge

CDIO  Standard  3  –  Integrated  Curriculum  

A   curriculum   designed   with   mutually  
suppor>ng   disciplinary   courses,   with   an  
explicit   plan   to   integrate   personal,  
interpersonal,   and   product,   process,   and  
system  building  skills.  

Development of engineering skills

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Every  learning  experience  sets    

a  balance  and  rela)onship  

Discipline-­‐led  learning   Problem/prac)ce-­‐led  learning  

¢ Well-­‐structured  knowledge  base  (”content”)   ¢ Integra>on  and  applica>on,  synthesis  
¢ What  is  known  and  what  is  not   ¢ Open-­‐ended  problems,  ambiguity,  conflic>ng  
interests,  trade-­‐offs  
¢ Evidence/theory,  Model/reality  
¢ Working  under  condi>ons  of  specific  contexts  
¢ Methods  to  further  the  knowledge  fron>er   ¢ Professional  skills  (work  processes)  
CONNECTING  WITH  PROFESSIONAL  SKILLS   ¢ ”Crea>ng  that  which  has  never  been”  
Ø Working  understanding  =  capability  to  apply,   ¢ Knowledge  building  of  the  prac>ce  
func>oning  knowledge   CONNECTING  WITH  DISCIPLINARY  
Ø Seeing  the  knowledge  through  the  lense  of   KNOWLEDGE  
problems,  interconnec>ng  the  disciplines   Ø Drawing  on  the  disciplinary  knowledge  
Ø Integra>ng  skills,  e.g.  communica>on  and   Ø Reinforcing  disciplinary  understanding  
collabora>on   Ø Crea>ng  a  mo>va>onal  context  

Example:  Communica)on  skills  in  

Lightweight  design  
Communica)on  in  lightweight  design  means  being  able  to  
§ Use  the  technical  concepts  comfortably  
§ Discuss  a  problem  of  different  levels  
§ Determine  what  factors  are  relevant  to  the  situa>on  
§ Argue  for,  or  against,  conceptual  ideas  and  solu>ons  
§ Develop  ideas  through  discussion  and  collabora>ve  sketching  
§ Explain  technical  mamers  to  different  audiences  
§ Show  confidence  in  expressing  oneself  within  the  field  
 
 The  skills  are  embedded  in,  and  inseparable  from,  students’  
applica>on  of  technical  knowledge.    
 

 The  same  interpreta>on  should  be  made  for  teamwork,  problem  

solving,  professional  ethics,  and  other  engineering  skills.  
 

 ”It’s  about  educa)ng  engineers  who  can  actually  engineer!”  

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What  does  communica)on  skills  mean  in  the  

specific  professional  role  or  subject  area?  

[Barrie 2004]

Systema)c  assignment  of  programme  learning  outcomes  

to  learning  ac)vi)es  -­‐  nego)a)ng  the  contribu)on  

Development routes (schematic)

Year 1 Introductory
course Physics Mathematics I

Mechanics I Mathematics II Numerical

Methods

Year 2 Mechanics II Solid Product

Mechanics development

Thermodynamics Mathematics III Fluid Sound and

mechanics Vibrations

Year 3 Control Theory Signal

Electrical Eng. Statistics
analysis

Oral Written Project Teamwork

communication communication management

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Engineering  skills  -­‐  implica)ons  

§ It’s not about ”soft skills”

Personal, interpersonal, product, process, and system building skills are intrinsic
to engineering and we should recognise them as engineering skills.

§ It’s not about “adding more content”

Students must be given opportunities to develop communication skills, teamwork
skills, etc. This is best achieved through practicing, reflecting, giving and
receiving feedback (rather than lecturing on psychological and social theory).

§ It’s not about “wasting credits”

When students practice engineering skills they apply and express their technical
knowledge. As they expose their understanding among peers, doing well will also
matter more to them. Students will develop deeper working knowledge.

§ It’s not about appending “skills modules”

Personal, interpersonal, product, process, and system building skills must be
practiced and assessed in the technical context, it cannot be done separately.

Place in Faculty perception of generic skills and attributes

curriculum

Integral They are integral to disciplinary knowledge, infusing and

ENABLING scholarly learning and knowledge.

Application They let students make use of or apply disciplinary knowledge,

thus potentially changing and TRANSFORMING disciplinary
knowledge through its application. Skills are closely related to,
and parallel, discipline learning outcomes.

Associated They are useful additional skills that COMPLEMENT or round out
discipline [Link] are part of the university syllabus but
separate and secondary to discipline knowledge.

Not part of They are necessary basic PRECURSOR skills and abilities. We
curriculum may need remedial teaching of such skills at university.

Barrie, S. (2004) A research-based approach to generic graduate attributes policy, Higher Education Research and Development. 23 (3), 261-275

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2.  Course  Design  for  Integrated  Learning  

Learning   What should the students

be able to do as a result
outcomes  are   Formulating of the course?
the  basis  for   intended
course  design   learning
outcomes

Constructive
alignment
[Biggs]
Designing Designing
activities assessment

What work is appropriate for What should the students do

the students to do, to reach to demonstrate that they fulfil
the learning outcomes? the learning outcomes?

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Construc)ve   What should the students

be able to do as a result
alignment  -­‐  applied   Formulating of the course?
intended
learning
outcomes

Designing Designing
activities assessment

What work is appropriate for What should the students do

the students to do, to reach to demonstrate that they fulfil
the learning outcomes? the learning outcomes?

Construc)ve   What should the students

be able to do as a result
alignment  -­‐  applied   Formulating of the course?
intended
learning
outcomes

Designing Designing
activities assessment

What work is appropriate for What should the students do

the students to do, to reach to demonstrate that they fulfil
the learning outcomes? the learning outcomes?

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Construc)ve   What should the students

be able to do as a result
alignment  -­‐  applied   Formulating of the course?
CDIO  Standard  7  –  Integrated  
intended
Learning  Experiences     learning
Integrated   learning   experiences  
that   lead   to   the   acquisi>on   of   outcomes
disciplinary  knowledge,  as  well  as  
personal   and   interpersonal   skills,  
and  product,  process,  and  system  
building  skills.  

Designing Designing
activities assessment
CDIO   Standard   11   –   Learning  
Assessment  
Assessment  of  student  learning  in  
What work is appropriate for What should
personal   the students
and   interpersonal   do
skills,  
the students to do, to reach and  product,  process,  and  system  
to demonstrate that they fulfil
building  
the learning skills,   as   well   as   in  
outcomes?
the learning outcomes? disciplinary  knowledge.  

Anyone  can  improve  a  course  

if  it  means  that  the  teacher  
works  100  hours  more  
That  is  not  a  valid  solu>on…    
This is about how to get
better student learning
from the same (finite)
teaching resources
CDIO  Standard  10  -­‐-­‐  Enhancement  of  
Faculty  Teaching  Competence  
Ac>ons  that  enhance  faculty  competence  in  
providing  integrated  learning  experiences,  in  
using  ac>ve  experien>al  learning  methods,  
and  in  assessing  student  learning.  

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The  first  strategy  is  to  use  exis)ng  resources  

!
beder  
§ re-­‐task  the  space  you  already  have  
§ re-­‐task  the  >me  you  already  have  
 
If  you  can  not  control  the  resources  you  have,    
how  can  you  ever  jus>fy  why  you  should  get  more  
resources  –  it  would  only  result  in  ”more  of  the  same”  

Examples  are  illustra)ons  of  principles  

A specific will
example illustrate

generic to
principles inspire

applications
- of many
different kinds.

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Educational development in CDIO

Improving  problem/prac)ce-­‐based  
Improving  discipline-­‐led  learning  
learning  
§ Improving  the  quality  of  understanding  
§ Adding  problem/prac>ce-­‐based  
§ Knowledge  prepared  for  use:  seeing   learning  experiences  
the  knowledge  through  the  lense  of  
– Early  engineering  experience  
problems  
– A  sequence  of  Design-­‐Implement  
§ Ability  to  communicate  and  collaborate  
Experiences  
§ Interconnec>ng  the  disciplines  
§ Improving  reflec>on  and  learning    
§ Improving  cost-­‐effec>veness  of  
teaching  

A  course  in  Basic  Materials  Science    

§ Standard  lecture  based  course  
§ Focus  on  disciplinary  knowledge  (“content”)  
Hypoeutectoid  steel  was  
quenched  from  austenite  to  
martensite  which  was  
tempered,  spheroidized  and  
hardened  by  disloca,on  
pinning..  

[Professor  Maria  Knutson  Wedel,  Chalmers]  

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A  course  in  Basic  Materials  Science    

Two  ways  of  seeing  materials  science  

From  the  inside  -­‐  out   From  the  outside  -­‐  in  
“Materials  engineers  dis>nguish   “Materials  have  a  suppor>ve  role  of  
themselves  from  mechanical  engineers  by   materializing  the  design.  The  
their  focus  on  the  internal  structure  and   performance  is  of  primary  concern,  
processing  of  materials,  specifically  at  the   followed  by  considera>ons  of  related  
micro-­‐  and  nano-­‐scale.”     materials  proper>es….”  
Flemings  &  Cahn   Östberg  

Performance   Performance  

Proper>es   500  nm   Proper>es  

Manufacturing,    
processing   Manufacturing   Material  
Structure  

[Professor  Maria  Knutson  Wedel,  Chalmers]  

A  course  in  Basic  Materials  Science    

Implica)ons  I  
-­‐  formula)ng  intended  learning  outcomes  
Old  learning  objec)ves   New  learning  objec)ves  
(the  disciplinary  knowledge  in  itself)   (performances  of  understanding)  
…describe  crystal  structures  of  some   …select  materials  based  on  
metals…   considera>ons  for  func>onality  and  
sustainability  
…interpret  phase  diagrams…    

...explain  how  to  op>mize  material  

…explain  hardening  mechanisms…   dependent  processes  (eg  cas>ng,  
forming,  joining)  
...describe  heat  treatments…  
...discuss  challenges  and  trade-­‐offs  when  
(new)  materials  are  developed  

...devise  how  to  minimise  failure  in  

service  (corrosion,  creep,  fractured  
welds)  

[Professor  Maria  Knutson  Wedel,  Chalmers]  

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A  course  in  Basic  Materials  Science    

Implica)ons  II  
-­‐  design  of  learning  ac)vi)es  
S>ll  lectures  and  s>ll  the  same  book,  but     And…  
framed  differently:   § Study  visit  in  industry,  
§  from  product  to  atoms   assessed  by  wrimen  
§  focus  on  engineering  problems     reflec>on  

§ Material  selec>on  class  (CES)  

§ Ac>ve  lecturing:  buzz  groups,  

quizzes  

§ Test  yourself  on  the  web  

§ Students  developed  
anima>ons  to  visualize  
 

[Professor  Maria  Knutson  Wedel,  Chalmers]  

A  course  in  Basic  Materials  Science    

Implica)ons  III  
-­‐  design  of  assessment  
2011:    
New  type  of  exam,  aimed  at  deeper  working  understanding  
§ More  open-­‐ended  ques)ons  -­‐  many  solu>ons  possible,  the  quality  of  
reasoning  is  assessed  
§ Interconnected  knowledge  –  several  aspects  need  to  be  integrated  
ØVery  good  results  on  the  exam  but  some  students  were  scared  and  there  were  many  
ques,ons  beforehand…  
 

2012:    
Added  forma>ve  midterm  exam,  with  peer  assessment  
§ Communicates  expecta>ons  on  the  required  level  and  nature  of  
understanding  (Feedback  /  Feed  forward)  
§ Generates  appropriate  learning  ac)vity  
§ Early  engagement  in  the  basics  of  the  course  (a  basis  for  further  learning)  
 

[Professor  Maria  Knutson  Wedel,  Chalmers]  

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Educational development in CDIO

In  disciplinary  courses   In  problem/prac)ce-­‐

§ Improving  the  quality  of  understanding  
based  courses  
§ Knowledge  prepared  for  use:  seeing  the  
§ Adding  problem/prac>ce-­‐based  learning  
knowledge  through  the  lense  of  problems  
experiences  
§ Ability  to  communicate  and  collaborate  
– Early  engineering  experience  
§ Interconnec>ng  the  disciplines  
– A  sequence  of  Design-­‐Implement  
Experiences  
§ Improving  reflec>on  and  learning    
§ Improving  cost-­‐effec>veness  of    
teaching  

Design-­‐Implement  Experiences  
student  teams  design  and  implement  actual  products,  processes,  or  systems    

§ Projects take different forms in various

engineering fields CDIO   Standard   5   –   Design-­‐
§ The essential aim is to learn through near- Implement  Experiences  
authentic engineering tasks, working in A   curriculum   that   includes   two   or  
more   design-­‐implement   experiences,  
modes resembling professional practice including  one  at  a  basic  level  and  one  
at  an  advanced  level.  
§ Progression in several dimensions
Øengineering knowledge (breadth and depth)
Øsize of student teams
Ølength of project
Øincreasingly complex and
open-ended problems
Øtensions, contextual factors
Østudent and facilitator roles

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CDIO  integrated  curriculum  development    

-­‐  the  process  in  a  nutshell  
§ Set  program  learning  outcomes    
in  dialogue  with  stakeholders  
§ Design  an  integrated  curriculum  
mapping  out  responsibili,es  to  courses    
–  nego>ate  intended  learning  outcomes    
(both  knowledge  and  engineering  skills)  
§ Create  integrated  learning  experiences    
course  development  with  construc,ve  alignment  
ü mutually  suppor>ng  subject  courses    
ü applying  ac)ve  learning  methods  
ü an  introductory  course  
ü a  sequence  of  design-­‐implement  experiences    
§ Faculty  development  
ü Engineering  skills  
ü Skills  in  teaching,  learning  and  assessment  
§ Evalua)on  and  con>nuous  improvement  

The  educa)onal  development  process  is  the  working  defini)on  of  CDIO:  
The  CDIO  Standards  
Context:  
§ Recognise  that  we  educate  for  the  prac>ce  of  engineering  [1]  

Curriculum  development:    
§ Formulate  explicit  program  learning  outcomes  (including  engineering  skills)  in  
dialogue  with  stakeholders  [2]  
§ Map  out  responsibili>es  to  courses  –  nego>ate  intended  learning  outcomes  [3]    
§ Evalua>on  and  con>nuous  programme  improvement  [12]  

Course  development,  discipline-­‐led  and    

project-­‐based  learning  experiences:  
§ Introduc>on  to  engineering  [4]  
§ Design-­‐implement  experiences  and  workspaces  [5,  6]  
§ Integrated  learning  experiences  [7]  
§ Ac>ve  and  experien>al    learning  [8]  
§ Learning  assessment  [11]  

Faculty  development    
§ Engineering  skills  [9]  
§ Skills  in  teaching  &  learning  ,  and  assessment  [10]  

Crawley, et al (2007) Rethinking Engineering

Education: The CDIO Approach, Springer.

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