Inventive Problem Solving for Engineers

Catalog description

This introductory course aims to equip you with important fundamental, life-long, problem-solving skills in preparation for your journey into the field of Engineering. You will learn techniques to develop your innate creative talents, refine your ability to recognize unmet needs in healthcare, and how to tackle those problems systematically. The semi-flipped format of the class will be comprised of pre-class reading assignments and pre-recorded lectures; in-class lectures and exercises. Topics include: Reverse Engineering, Concept/Mind Mapping, Engineering Estimation (aka Fermi problems), Engineering Drawing, a Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (Triz), Brainstorming, Ideation, Patent Principles, Bio-Inspired Design, How Things are Made, “Designing for Humans,” and “Designing the Future.” By the end of the course, you should confidently identify yourself as an engineering problem-solver, lateral thinker, and inventor.