2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Upholding the current and projected growth in the aerospace industry starts in the classroom. Preparing students to engineer the future through quality courses is the fundamental mission of many universities. This study highlights efforts made to equip students for future aircraft design by creating a senior class project that incorporated computer programming and computer-aided design tools, while also addressing knowledge gaps through course-supporting modules. The research was prompted by observations of aerospace engineering students at the University of California-Irvine (UC Irvine) struggling to integrate design tools into their final projects. It was noted that approximately half of the aerospace engineering students in the study had not been introduced to fundamental computer-aided design, as it was not included in their program requirements. The study assessed the impact on student confidence in using these tools before and after the course, aiming to better understand their experiences and create course materials that more accurately reflect the challenges of aerospace engineering design. A backwards design approach was employed in the development of the modules, and a thematic analysis was conducted on student reflections. The analysis underscored the importance of challenging projects supplemented with supporting modules in gaining insights into engineering design tools for aircraft design.