Implementation and assessment of a failure case study in a multi-discipline freshman introduction to engineering course

Twelve university partners are extending the use of case studies across multiple engineering disciplines. This paper focuses specifically on the implementation and assessment of a failure case study in a first year Introduction to Engineering course by the Department of Engineering Fundamentals at the University of Louisville. Case studies tie together technical, ethical, and procedural aspects of engineering and require students to undertake higher order thinking in order to synthesize the relevant issues. Case studies require students to synthesize the facts and engineering principles they have learned. A major objective of the case studies is to expose students to some aspects of the modern practice of engineering, namely: Teamwork, problem and data analysis, design creation, presentation and defense of a designed solution, and professional ethics. In the fabric of a first year course, where students do not have existing engineering principles to build upon, case studies help introduce the engineering profession, teamwork, critical thinking, and presentation of supporting materials. A common case study used in engineering training is the examination of the failure of the skywalk at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Kansas City. This failure is beneficial for incoming students because the technical reason for the failure is easily understandable and straightforward. However, the most challenging part of this particular case study is understanding how the deficient walkway supports were allowed to be constructed and installed. Most incoming students have little knowledge of the complex relationship of the design, fabrication, and construction steps in large projects such as the Hyatt Regency Hotel, some instruction in the roles and responsibilities of each entity is presented and discussed with the students before they begin digesting the information of the case. In prior use of this case study in the Introduction to Engineering course, students were asked to read published papers reporting on this event, formulate an opinion on the party most responsible for the failure, and write a paper explaining and defending their opinion. These early efforts were somewhat successful, but lacked fully engaging the students in the necessary work of delving into the details, developing a full understanding of the problem, and logically reaching a defensible conclusion. To increase the engagement of the students, a group paper and a mock hearing before the Professional Engineering Board of Licensure was added to the case study activities. The mock hearing allowed the students to assume the roles of the involved entities (owner, fabricator, project engineer, etc.) and represent each of these entities at the hearing. The students are surveyed after all case study activities are completed. The surveys collect information regarding how each of the elements of the case study impacted the students' interest in the engineering profession and their understanding in the engineering profession. This paper presents a discussion of the modified case study as well as student survey results. © American Society for Engineering Education, 2014.