École Polytechnique de Montréal is currently redesigning all its programs to prepare its future engineers to the realities facing the industry of the 21st century. Based on the CDIO initiative, the Mechanical Engineering curriculum is now articulated around four major design projects, which constitute a cohesive chain of learning experiences.
For the first year project, a general design methodology is taught but the students apply only specific parts of this approach. In the second year project, the complete design methodology is used; prototypes are built and tested in a team competition. The third year project is an individual assignment where students have to demonstrate autonomy and initiative when solving an engineering project. The fourth year project is team based over two semesters and focuses on the design and implementation of a complex design exercise. During this final year project, the students are supervised by engineers working in industry and are evaluated on skills such as team communication, project management and technical know-how.
This paper describes some of the most important issues of the implementation of the CDIO based program. The overall objective to foster multidisciplinary team-based experiences through integrated learning projects is also discussed in this paper.