2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

The School of Mechanical Engineering at a large public university has undertaken a significant curricular transformation to modernize its undergraduate design and manufacturing sequence. A traditional sophomore-level design course, which emphasized conceptual design but offered limited opportunities for hands-on maker experiences, has been replaced with a new course that integrates foundational manufacturing processes and design-for-manufacturing principles. This initiative represents the first stage of a broader effort to align the curriculum with evolving industry needs and to provide students with meaningful, scalable, hands-on experiences early in their academic journey.

The new sophomore-level course introduces students to manufacturing environments through a structured progression of hands-on and CAD/CAM fabrication experiences. It begins with the fabrication of functional products using conventional machining tools such as lathes, mills, sheet metal, and woodworking operations, allowing students to develop a fundamental understanding of tolerances, sequencing, and shop practices. This is followed by modules on CNC machining, CAD/CAM integration, metrology, and hybrid manufacturing methods. A culminating design-and-build project integrates multiple manufacturing processes, encouraging students to combine creativity with technical rigor.

A key aspect of this transformation is its implementation at scale. As one of the largest mechanical engineering programs in the country, the school must accommodate several hundred students each semester through machine shop environments, CNC training, and hands-on lab sections. This has required coordinated efforts among faculty, instructional staff, teaching assistants, and technical personnel to redesign spaces, standardize training, and manage logistics for large lab sections while maintaining individualized learning experiences. The course also incorporates structured safety training, equipment scheduling systems, and assessment methods that balance efficiency with rigor and pedagogical depth.

Feedback from industry and alumni has been an important aspect in shaping the course objectives and content. Employers and graduates have consistently emphasized the value of early exposure to real manufacturing environments, noting that graduates who are comfortable with scalable maker skills are better prepared for internships, co-ops, and full-time positions. Student feedback has also been instrumental, including collaboration with ME-affiliated student organizations. Early pilot offerings of the course have shown strong engagement, with students highlighting the value of hands-on work and the clear connection between design decisions and outcomes and quality of prototyping and fabrication results. This feedback has informed refinements in instructional pacing, lab capacity planning, and support structures for students with little prior shop experience.

The integration of industry-informed case studies contextualizes design and manufacturing decisions. Industry guests present real product development scenarios, offering students insight into professional practice in a manageable and scalable format.

The presentation will focus on implementing this curriculum change at scale, including instructional design strategies, infrastructure modifications, training protocols, and feedback mechanisms. It will highlight the perspectives of students, alumni, and industry partners, and address key challenges such as maintaining instructional quality, ensuring equitable access to equipment, coordinating large instructional teams, and balancing technical depth with logistical constraints. Lessons learned offer insights for other large programs seeking to integrate meaningful, hands-on manufacturing experiences early in the curriculum while navigating challenges of scale.