Work in progress - practical "know-how" in engineering: dissection labs & capstone design

Based on a series of previous studies to identify the design engineering body of knowledge, methods are being sought to effectively implement a "know-how" skill set within the mechanical/automotive/materials engineering curriculum. Aside from acquiring competence in the standard engineering sciences and analytical methods, greater emphasis is being put towards establishing an innate feel for machinery, precision measurements, manufacturing methods, team based project work and a range of professional practice issues. Lack of sufficient exposure to an experiential knowledge base is being overcome though a series of "dissection and rebuild" laboratories plus team projects with shop-intensive content requiring conceptualization, planning, detail design, manufacturing, prototype assembly and testing. The capstone design experience is being implemented with a view towards establishing engineering design teams operating within a "virtual company" who report to a management board constituting the diverse interests in a corporation. These include senior engineering, expert consultants, the manufacturing division, finance, marketing and clients.