AN INTRODUCTORY REVERSE ENGINEERING PROJECT TO ENHANCE TEACHING STAFF AND STUDENT COMPETENCE

This paper details the development and evolution of a reverse engineering project undertaken by all first-year engineering students at Nottingham Trent University (NTU). The paper elaborates on how the teaching and assessment methods used in the project can be utilised to enhance student as well as teaching staff competence. It is argued that technical staff play a vital role in supporting and delivering project-based learning and are likely to receive more student feedback outside of formal student surveys. Consequently, increased technician involvement in the development of the project is utilised in the hopes of better capturing student learning needs and ensuring students are given a good first introduction to using hand and measurement tools. Simultaneously, delivering such a project requires the staff to learn new tools and acquire relevant skills, thereby enhancing faculty competence. Instead of using multiple, smaller and discipline specific devices reported previously, a single and larger device is reverse engineered across all disciplines for the project at hand. Reverse engineering the same device across disciplines is proposed as a means to move away from engineering silos by unifying the tools used and the skills gained during the project. Furthermore, student feedback and technician perspectives are presented to paint a holistic picture of the delivery of the project from the standpoint of students, technicians and the academic. Finally, recommendations are put forth on how to further improve the delivery of such a project and increase technical staff involvement in an engineering curriculum.