engineering & product development
​academic  library

ENGINEERING & PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT ONLINE
Engineers address society's needs and problems by designing and producing products and services. The field is diverse and includes Christian professionals who design skyscrapers, design machinery, oversee public works, and develop software and systems.

​The purpose of this course is to provide an overview of the concepts of product engineering and development from a Christ-centered perspective. Students will analyze the life cycle of a product to prepare it for distribution and target markets. The course begins with building an understanding of the product life cycle, from the initial idea to drafting 
requirements to using 3-D modeling tools and other design tools. The final unit focuses on assembling project plan pieces for a product and evaluating the plans for a successful product launch. In addition, the course will provide information about the different careers available to students interested in engineering, product development, and project management, as well as, organizations that provide encouragement to Christian engineers.
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This course requires substantial independent work with research and writing related to projects which are required to complete the course.  Be prepared to do such work throughout the course. A student will be unable to pass the course without completing the research, analysis, and writing portion of this course successfully.
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Assignments in this course place a strong emphasis on student inquiry, research, and writing, and much of the assessment is based on writing projects.
UNIT 1: INTRODUCTION TO ENGINEERING AND PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
UNIT 2: PROJECT CHARTER AND REQUIREMENTS (PDLC PHASES)
  1. Course Overview
  2. Introduction to Engineering
  3. Fundamentals of Product Development
  4. Project: Analyze Product Engineering (The iPhone was is an example of good product development. Although it is a recent and dramatic example of a successful new technology, there are many projects and products on which engineers work every day that are just as significant. For this assignment, apply what you have learned about engineering and product development to a product or project geared toward the Christian community.)
  5. Identifying and Testing Product Concepts
  6. Project: Product Development Process (You have surveyed different types of engineering and products and learned that the concept development process was adapted to meet the needs and requirements of each. For this assignment, identify the customer needs in a Christian market for which you want to design and develop a product. Use the concept development and testing process to explain how you would choose a product idea that would meet your customer's expectations, be biblically sound, be cost effective, and could be developed and manufactured in a timely manner.)
  7. Quiz 1: Engineering and Product Concepts
  8. Requirements in Engineering, Design and Developing a Prototype
  9. Project: Write Engineering Requirements for Your Product (In this lesson, the Apple map application illustrates how a product can fail if it is not effectively benchmarked against the competition and does not meet customer expectations. This is why requirements engineering and the engineering design phase of the product development life cycle is so important. Product failures often can be traced to poor planning at the beginning of the project.)
  10. Testing the Product
  11. Deploying Products to Market
  12. Quiz 2: Specifications, Design and Testing Products
  13. Test
  14. Course Project Part 1: Research Smart Grids (You are an engineer and would like to reduce the problem of blackouts occurring in metropolitan areas. Since 1995, electrical grid power outages have increased in the Northeast and Midwest. You want to design a miniature replica of a smart grid that integrates hardware and software that communicates with each other. You will use this model to create a realistic and scalable electrical network to prevent outages (a smart grid.)
  15. Glossary and Credits
  1. What is a Project Charter?
  2. Writing Project Charters and Understanding Requirements
  3. Analyzing Project Charters
  4. Project: (Write a Charter for a Recycling Project)
  5. Quiz 1: The Components of Project Charters
  6. What Are Requirements?
  7. Defining and Writing Requirements
  8. Writing Product Requirements
  9. Project: Reverse Engineering
  10. Quiz 2: Establishing Requirements
  11. Test
  12. Course Project Part 2: Summarizing Case Studies of Selected Smart Grid Technology (The next step after researching smart grid technology is to produce a slide show presentation that explains the two locations in the world where the smart grid technology has been used effectively)
  13. Glossary and Credits
UNIT 3: DESIGN AND 3-D MODELING
UNIT 4: PRODUCT LAUNCH (IMPLEMENTATION)
  1. Design Engineering
  2. Project: Student Engineer Needed: Houseplant Watering System  (Some universities give students the opportunity to solve real-world problems in the community. Northwestern University engineering students assisted with the design of public charging stations for electric vehicles. Students can use their skills to solve big and small problems using engineering principles and designs.)
  3. Analyze Problems and Potential Solutions in Design Engineering
  4. Analyze Design Plans
  5. Project: Design a Running Shoe  (Running shoe technology is constantly changing. Athletes and marathon runners want endurance. Olympic runners want to shave milliseconds off their sprint times. Everyday runners may want flexibility in options, colors, and different uses (indoor or outdoor). You will design a shoe with a new feature. The design requirements should include an explanation of the design feature, the materials needed to produce that feature, and a sketch of the feature on a running shoe. Your design specification should be at least 500 words and include research. Include materials needed for the features such as chemical coatings, minerals, or plastics.)
  6. Quiz 1: Exploring the Possibilities in Design
  7. Engineering Modeling Tools
  8. Practice Using Engineering Modeling Tools
  9. Project: Design a Part in 3-D (You have been faithful as a team to follow Matthew 28:19-20 and now you want your unsaved guests to feel welcomed at your weekly youth meetings. You will design a single room for the weekly youth meeting that brings honor to Jesus but is not too "churchy" to those who do not know Him. Your model should be created using one of the many free 3-D software programs available online, or you may hand draw a 3-D model of your room to scale. If you draw a model, prepare a Powerpoint presentation (with 20 slides) with the 3-D model of your room with text to explain the functionality.)
  10. Evaluate Engineering Tools and Careers
  11. Quiz 2: Becoming Familiar with Design Tools
  12. Test
  13. Course Project Part 3: Developing Components for the Final Project Plan  (Your task is to develop the components that are necessary for a project plan. Will the smart grid accomplish the task it is designed to accomplish in the city or town you have identified? As part of the project plan, you will design a physical model or a computer-generated simulation of the process.)
  14. Glossary and Credits
  1. The Implementation Stage
  2. Analyze an Implementation Plan
  3. Project: Write an Implementation Plan (Most schools, towns, and cities have Web sites. Imagine you are asked to implement a plan for a Web site for Ecclesiastes Christian School. The designs for the Web site have already been approved. You will describe the steps to develop a project team, budget, and process to build the Web site. The essay should contain at least 500 words. Evaluate at least two different Christian school Web sites. Estimate the number of images you would like to include and how many people will be needed to create the site. Interview one Web site designer to get information. Your implementation plan will have three sections: project team, budget, and process to build the Web site.)
  4. PLM, Implementation, and Industry Concepts
  5. Quiz 1: Putting Implementation into Action
  6. Implementation Plan and Product Launch
  7. Implementation Plan and Product Life Cycle
  8. Marketing, Engineering, and Implementation
  9. Project: Reverse Engineer a Marketing Plan (Engineers work with marketing professionals to identify customer needs or problems and how to match products and services to them. For example, mapping software is available on most mobile devices, allowing you to get directions from anywhere in the world. You will "reverse engineer" a marketing plan for a popular electronics product and prepare a presentation. Choose a mobile device or other form of smart technology. Perform research to identify three popular product features on the device and how the manufacturer marketed them. Develop a short video or slide show to illustrate your findings about the functions that were featured in advertisements and other marketing methods.)
  10. Quiz 2: Getting the Product Ready for the Market
  11. Test
  12. Course Project Part 4: Designing and Modeling the Smart Grid  (Write a 1,250-word paper discussing the design process for creating the smart grid technology. Explain the hardware and software that will be used and networked in the system, the power sources and generators, and the ways the power is distributed to customers. Show how the smart grid technology responds to demands for electricity. Include graphics (3-D or sketches) to help explain aspects of this and create a sketch or 3-D rendering of your smart grid. Interview an expert at an electrical power supply company to gain information. Include an additional page citing resources used.)
  13. Glossary and Credits
UNIT 5: REVIEW FULL PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT LIFE CYCLE
UNIT 6: COURSE PROJECT, REVIEW AND EXAM
  1. Reviewing the Product Development Life Cycle and Key Strategies
  2. Project: Write a Project Plan  (Pastors and other leaders work to help people struggling with life's problems by providing insights to His Word and through living a life pleasing to Jesus Christ as stated in Philemon 6, "That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus." As you may know, other professions try to find answers to life's difficulties as well. Take engineers for example. Engineers work to solve problems in daily life by providing new and improved products. Computerized systems and processes have improved everything from how cars operate to how our food is made and distributed. Barcode technology is just one example of computer technology that has improved efficiency in product distribution. You will research and write a brief product plan for a segment of barcode. Your report should be at least 750 words long. Research and evaluate barcodes and how they are based on mathematical formulas. Develop a plan for a new digital coding system to track a product or process.)
  3. Assembling a Successful Project Plan
  4. Planning, Structure, and Thinking Behind Project Plans
  5. Project: Write Part of a Project Plan Chart  (Petroleum and structural engineers work to construct and extract resources from oil and gas rigs. You will use research to identify at least three important safety measures in the construction of an offshore oil rig. You will write an essay and develop a detailed chart to explain the safety steps that are required including any federal laws, codes and regulations that should be followed by engineers in the design of an oil rig.)
  6. Quiz 1: Putting Together the Pieces of the Plan
  7. Compare and Contrast Project Plans
  8. Assembling Project Plans and Engineering for the Twenty-First Century
  9. How to Evaluate Project Plans
  10. Quiz 2: Perfecting Your Project Plan
  11. Test
  12. Course Project Part 5: Implementation Plan (Identify the resources that are necessary to implement the smart grid. What supplies are needed? What expertise is necessary? Who produces these supplies? How can you access the necessary resources? How much will it cost? Develop a list of at least 15 local or national government agencies, academic institutions, nonprofit companies, for-profit companies, or other groups or organizations that would be useful to you in the process of implementing this smart grid. They may be organizations that address certain aspects of the system or the type of technology you are using)
  13. Glossary and Credits
  1. Course Project Part 6: Finalize Your Proposal
  2. Course Review
  3. Exam