Using University-Funded Research Projects to Teach System Design Processes and Tools

This paper highlights the development of a new course structure and an associated knowledge support system, deployed as a pilot program at the senior undergraduate and first-semester graduate level. These two new courses, run consecutively, allow the injection of funded research projects to be used as a means to teach topics related to systems engineering. During the two courses, the students analyzed a real Department of Defense (DoD) problem. Specifically, the courses sought to teach students how to apply systems engineering processes, tools, and analysis to engineering design problems. These two courses are described in depth, and details are given of the knowledge support system, educational structure, and assessment of this pilot program. Student perception of this new educational pilot program was assessed by surveys and is reported here.