(221b) Applying Engineering Optimization Principles to Engineering Education: Optimization of a Student Project Experience’s Design and Implementation

Engineering is the field of optimization and as such engineering faculty are uniquely equipped to apply an optimization perspective to education. Here we consider both the constraints with current best practices toward the objective of obtaining long-term student success as applied to an engineering course group project experience. Specifically, we apply the global education optimization objective of positively impacting students to develop skillsets that enable students to be successful in both career and in life. Student success is defined globally as both overall wellbeing (emotional, mental, social, and physical) in addition to engagement in the workplace, which is consistent with recent long-term studies. The constraints of the education environment are generally defined as 1) time, 2) financial resources, and 3) student/faculty motivation and abilities. The impact of this approach was assessed following IRB approval and the results of a multi-year study are reported herein. Overall, we find great value in using optimization principles to help individual instructors as they continually work to improve the educational framework for their students.