A first course in engineering design combining just-in-time CAD instruction within a horizontally integrated design project

First year design courses in the Mechanical Engineering Curriculum typically intend to familiarize students with the use of a CAD software package in preparation for future design or CAE coursework. Learning outcomes of these introductory courses often focus on the mechanics of generating the models using the software of choice. While most students find CAD modeling interesting, the focus on learning the software, as imparted in these traditional first or second semester CAD courses, often does not allow experiencing the role of the software tools within the design process, becoming an exercise in modeling rather than design. At the University of Maine's Brunswick Engineering Program (BEP), an engineering studio course has been developed that shifts the focus from learning the software mechanics to learning and experiencing the engineering design process; CAD software skills are conveyed "in passing", with just-in-time instruction to support students in completing the design portion of a common integrated project. Survey results after two iterations of the course indicate high levels of perceived learning and student satisfaction. This is supported by the formative and summative course assessment, and initial results of a post-test Purdue Spatial Visualization Test — Rotations.