Operating like an engineering company, the Creative Design Workshop (CDW) embodies four mini-courses offered in the Mechanical Engineering Department. It provides students with a collaborative, inquiry-based learning environment of exploratory hands-on reverse engineering projects coupled with formal instruction in communication, teamwork, teaching methods, and learning styles. Participation in the CDW gives students a good 'feel' for how mechanical devices work and the rationale behind their design. In addition, the formal instruction in teaching and their teaching experience within the CDW may increase students' level of interest in seeking a faculty career after graduation. Integration of technology is addressed through student use of computers and multimedia software as part of their reverse engineering projects. Formative evaluations are performed several times during the life of the project through focus groups and self-administered surveys. Groups of students not involved in the CDW, but with similar academic backgrounds, are used as control groups. Comparisons of evaluations between them and those students in the CDW provide a measure of the effectiveness of the CDW in meeting its stated objectives. A full description of the project and the materials used in each project component are available on the CDW website. Results from the summative evaluation at the end of the project will be made available through conference and journal publication.
