Present and Future Directions in Design Education

Following an era of scientific orientation in engineering curricula, a new period of curricula change and reorientation toward the practice of engineering seems to be emerging. With this in mind, an attempt is made to summarize trends in design education that mark this new era in engineering education, which will hopefully cure some of the apparent ills and deficiencies ot previous engineering curricula. The objectives of design education, based on ASCE and American Society for Engineering Education literature, are considered in detail. Constraints to design education involving students, faculty, university administration, and the Engineers Council for Professional Development are examined. It is pointed out that the ASCE, faculty, and industry can be turned into positive resources for encouraging and implementing design education. In addition, a number of models are outlined and identified for introducing decision making and design into the engineering curriculum in a meaningful way.