Think as an Engineer
Support your learners to think as an engineer
Engineers solve problems and innovate solutions by thinking carefully about what is needed, by whom and what has already been created. They work collaboratively to review products and prototypes, evaluating to ensure the highest quality outcome is fit for purpose. Thinking as an engineer benefits from support and practice.
Which EngEd Thinking Prompt will be your favourite?
Engineering Design Cycle Sort
This way of thinking is fundamental to the engineering process. Having learners understand the terms and the way the different activities form a process is useful to provide overarching understanding of how engineers think and work.
Design Specification Support Template
These are vital to design process, ensuring that particular details of a design are clearly communicated to makers from the outset. They are a guides to help your design, helping to maintain consistency and focus. They typically include product dimensions, colours and various other elements.
Mind Map Prompt Cards
This way of thinking is fundamental to the engineering process. Having learners understand the terms and the way the different activities form a process is useful to provide overarching understanding of how engineers think and work.
Design Specification Support Template using ACCESSFM
What is ACCESSFM? This is a thinking tool to support design engineers to consider key features related to a design specification.
This tool supports learners to think about a range of ways a product can be adapted. Adapting is when you make something suitable for a new use or purpose.
It was developed by Bob Eberle, an educational administrator and author, who introduced it in his book SCAMPER: Games for Imagination Development in 1971.
This video introduces learners to the 5Ds of Robotic Engineering. 5 themes that influence engineer’s decisions about whether certain activities undertaken by humans would be better supported by robots.
Engineering Evaluator
Evaluation is a key part of any engineering process and can lead to further questions, problem finding and improving. This template provides a stimulus for evaluation aligned to the design specification.
5Ds Decision Maker
This downloadable supports learners to discuss and evaluate how different activities may pose challenge for people. It is a useful way to determine activities that would be better supported by robots.
Motion Matrix 11-14
S.C.A.M.P.E.R
5Ds Introduction video
Duration 1:30 minutes
Motion Matrix 7-11
This downloadable supports learners to look closely at nature. It is linked to the Motion in the Ocean Challenge. By noticing the way that animals move underwater, robotic engineers are inspired to design robots influenced by biomimicry.
Systems thinking mapping exercise
This supports learners to identify subsystems and their interdependencies, considering how missing or modified parts affect the overall system.
Basic Bots Guide
Supports teachers to introduces robotic components and prototyping into the classroom - just with card, fastenings, tape, and imagination!
This downloadable supports learners to look closely at nature. It is linked to the Motion in the Ocean Challenge. By noticing the way that animals move underwater, robotic engineers are inspired to design robots influenced by biomimicry..
Delving Deeper Activity
This supports learners through the process of finding problems, asking questions to understand them, and thinking about possible solutions.