A COHERENT AND DISCRIMINATING SKILLS STANDARD FOR INNOVATIVE DESIGN
Year: 2011
Editor: Culley, S.J.; Hicks, B.J.; McAloone, T.C.; Howard, T.J. & Ion, B.
Author: Choulier, Denis; Weite, Pierre-Alain
Series: ICED
Section: Design Education
Page(s): 173-183
Abstract
We introduced a skills and capabilities standard into two teaching modules at XX university. Four skills were defined from knowledge of the design activity, from which 32 capabilities were derived. The modules deal mainly with functional analysis and TRIZ tools for technical problems solving, but the relative proportion of TRIZ differ, as well as student's backgrounds in design. Students were asked to evaluate each of their own capabilities. This set of capabilities was easy to understand by students. The scattering seems contained, and comparisons between the series of data show differences between capabilities, skills, populations of students, and modules contents. The results show that a learning session can make students more aware of their (average) initial level and also reveal overestimated as well as non recognised initial capabilities. Moreover, all the differences we observed can be explained by the modules or students features such as students' backgrounds or amount of teaching relating to a given skill. This skills and capabilities standard therefore appears coherent and discriminating, and its use in academic and industrial context can be programmed.
Keywords: TECHNICAL CREATIVITY; SKILLS STANDARD; INNOVATIVE DESIGN; CAPABILITIES