Project design (PD) education system — A model to equip industry-ready engineers: A case study of project design I

Abstract

This paper describes the Project Design (PD) Education at Kanazawa Institute of Technology (KIT) and an effective module to equip students with the relevant skillsets of an engineer to be ready for the industry. A case study of the Project Design I (PD I) is used to demonstrate the workflow involved. The process in each Project Design (PD) courses will ensure students acquire soft skills, e.g. communication, collaboration/teamwork, presentation, etc., from early years and continue to apply the skills in their problem-solving process at the final year. This paper also illustrates several steps involved in the process such as identifying, investigating and analyzing problems before creating ideas or providing selected solutions to the problems. Teamwork skills are specifically instilled in the course in order to ensure participation of each student. The communication and thinking skills that were claimed lacking before, are improved with the continuity of the courses in any educational program.