**ENGR 17: Introduction to Engineering Design** **Fall 2023** **[Maggie Delano](https://www.maggiedelano.com/)** **[Matt Zucker](https://mzucker.github.io/swarthmore)** **Quick link to [course schedule](schedule.html)** # Instructor Information |Prof. Maggie Delano| Prof. Matt Zucker | |-------------------|-------------------| |Office: Singer 233 | Office: Singer 235 | |Student hours: [by appointment](https://calendly.com/maggiedelano/meet)| Student hours: M 10:30-11:30 and by appointment | Rather than email, we encourage you to contact us via the course [Edstem discussion forum](https://edstem.org/us/courses/45713/). You may use it to ask questions privately to the instructors, or visibly to all students. # Support Staff * Aubree Daugherty '26 * Dzineon Gyaltsen '24 * Isabela Ibrahim '25 * Lys Kang '24 * Chisom Obiora-Egbuziem '25 * Bonji Onuma '26 * Bryan Rosario '25 # Schedule See our full course schedule [here](schedule.html). # Logistics ## Prerequisites None ## Meeting times | Lecture | Lab | |---------|-----| | 11:20am – 12:35pm Tue/Thu | 1:15pm-2:30pm OR 2:45-4:00 Tue OR Wed | | Science Center 199 | Singer 221 | You will receive an email before lab on Tuesday September 5 to assign lab groups. ## Moodle All course handouts, homework, solutions, and projects will be posted on the [course Moodle page](https://moodle.swarthmore.edu/course/view.php?id=24968). ## Discussion Forum We will use [this edstem.org forum](https://edstem.org/us/courses/45713) throughout the semester to communicate course announcements and answer questions. Please use the online forum (instead of just emailing us) for all course-related communications — this allows students to see common problems and to engage in discussions about course material. If you’re not sure whether a question would reveal too much about the solution for an assignment, feel free to post privately. ## Textbook No textbook is required for this course. If interested, you may look at *Exploring Arduino* by Jeremy Blum, available free through the libraries online. You must be on campus or logged in over VPN to access. There may also be additional materials assigned that are of no cost to you and will be posted in the syllabus and/or on Moodle accordingly. ## Laptops We will be using laptops for every lab meeting and, less frequently, in class. It is not necessary for all members of a lab group to bring laptops; one should be sufficient. We will announce in advance when laptops will be used in class. If you do not have a laptop readily available for in-class use, please contact Prof. Zucker and we will work something out. ## Wizard Sessions Wizards will host weekly help sessions on **Wednesdays from 7 to 9 pm in Singer 222**. Wizard sessions are not a substitute for attending class. You should look at your assignments and attempt to complete them before going to the wizard sessions. The sessions are most effective when you arrive having attempted the work and with specific questions. Do not contact wizards by email with questions. # Learning Outcomes Students will be able to: * Apply an engineering design process in which they can: * Identify alternatives and select among them * Prototype and iterate to improve designs * Manage complexity by decomposing designs into functional units * Assess the effectiveness of designs by collecting data and analyzing its statistics * Properly consider physical quantities and units * Appropriately use common SI prefixes * Approximate quantities to within an order of magnitude * Check results of calculations by ensuring units are correct * Understand general physical quantities (distance, time, frequency, power, work, energy) * Understand basic electrical quantities (voltage, current, resistance, Ohm’s law) * Understand basic mechanical quantities (force, torque, Hooke’s law) * Design and fabricate simple parts using CAD tools and 3D printers * Perform basic integration of microcontrollers and embedded systems * Be comfortable compiling and modifying code * Solder components and wires as needed to connect sensors, actuators, LEDs, etc. * Debug and troubleshoot engineered systems * Use mechanical measurement tools – ruler, caliper, etc. * Use multimeters * Isolate variables and analyze subsystems independently * Analyze the impacts of engineered systems in terms of social, environmental, ethical, and economic considerations * Communicate technical information orally and present it visually including appropriate graphics * Work effectively on teams and actively reflect on how to improve as a team member * Enumerate the major subfields of Engineering available for study at Swarthmore and the faculty and courses where they are studied # Assignments ## Quizzes We will use quizzes on Moodle to assess your understanding of concepts from class. If you get above 50% on the quiz, you will retroactively get full marks for that quiz. You have 2 attempts each quiz, but you will only see the answers after the second attempt. Quizzes may not be completed after the deadline. If you anticipate not being able to complete a quiz on time, please request an extension beforehand (see below). ## Homeworks There will be occasional homework assignments related to material from lecture. Homework will be graded on a ✓−, ✓, ✓+ basis. Homework must be submitted to Moodle in PDF format, and must be typed (rather than handwritten). Any necessary diagrams may be hand-drawn but should be neatly scanned and included in the homework PDF. There will be a 3 hour grace period for homeworks; after that, late work will be deducted by 20% per twenty-four hour period that elapses after the grace period. If circumstances prevent you from completing an assignment on time, please request an extension before the assignment deadline (see “Extensions”, below). ## Quiz and Homework Extensions We will be liberal in awarding extensions for quizzes and homeworks ***when they are requested in advance***. You do not need a reason for an extension, but you need to give us a date when you expect the work to be completed, and this date should be no more than 3 days after the assignment is due. If you need more time than that, please give us some information justifying the request and we can discuss it. ## Projects Students will complete two major projects in the course, each subdivided into three milestones. Projects will be completed in groups of two or three students, assigned by the instructors. At the conclusion of each milestone, groups will submit a lab notebook containing descriptions of the work process, photos, diagrams, and other visual documentation of completed results, and answers to any questions provided in the project assignments. Because we have a strict schedule of milestones to adhere to, we will not accept late project submissions except under extraordinary circumstances and when discussed in advance. ## Video Assignment Around the middle of the semester, each student will be tasked with producing a brief (45-60 second) video clip on the topic of ethics in Engineering. All videos will be screened in class. ## Final Presentation Students will work together in groups to complete a final presentation about an engineering subdiscipline of their choosing. Presentations will be scheduled during finals week; ***please ensure you confirm the date of your final presentation before scheduling your winter break travel***. In line with the Swarthmore final exam policy, you are expected to be available for your final presentation slot and winter travel is not an acceptable reason for an absence. # Course Policies ## Collaboration You are encouraged to discuss homework and projects with your classmates; however, the designs and solutions you submit must be your own work. ***Explicit copying or sharing is not allowed.*** This includes but is not limited to: looking at another group’s answers, or having a person outside your group send you complete or partial solutions. Acceptable collaboration includes: asking another group to look at your work and give you suggestions, or asking a Wizard or professor for help. When offering input to other students about conceptual topics (and not, say, when the assignment is due), try to keep your comments high level and support learning of other students; don’t just give them the answers. Please list any collaborators and any references (including online resources) other than the assigned course material that you accessed at the top of your homeworks and lab notebooks. ***No collaboration of any kind is permitted on quizzes.*** Students are not allowed to discuss quiz answers with each other until after the solutions are posted on Moodle. Note that a violation of the collaboration policy may be considered an example of academic misconduct and could result in penalties including failed assignments and failing the course. ***Please familiarize yourself with the discussion of plagiarism in our [campus policies](https://www.swarthmore.edu/student-handbook/academic-policies#academic_misconduct).*** We are happy to answer any clarifying questions about collaboration on assignments or other concerns. ## Attendance and Excused Absences Attendance in lecture and lab is expected and will count as part of your participation grade. If you have an illness or extenuating circumstance, please be in touch as soon as possible with Prof. Zucker and/or Prof. Delano and we will evaluate it on a case by case basis. In general, “I had too much work to do” is not an acceptable excuse for missing class, but athletics events, family emergencies, illnesses, etc. will be considered. Please give us as much notice as possible, especially for situations where you know you will be missing lecture/lab or an assignment in advance. ## Grading Grading will follow approximately the divisions shown below: * Project 1: 30% * Project 2: 30% * Video Assignment: 10% * Final Presentation: 10% * Other quizzes/homeworks: 15% * Participation: 5% ## Academic Misconduct In this course, there will be no tolerance for plagiarism or cheating on assignments. If more than one incident of academic misconduct occurs on an assignment, the student will automatically fail the course. Please refer to [Swarthmore's policies on academic misconduct](https://www.swarthmore.edu/student-handbook/academic-policies#academic_misconduct) for the full process of reviewing these cases and [student conduct policies and procedures](https://www.swarthmore.edu/student-handbook/student-conduct-policies-and-procedures) for more details and potential consequences. # Accommodations If you believe you need accommodations for a disability or a chronic medical condition, please contact Student Disability Services via email at [studentdisabilityservices@swarthmore.edu](mailto:studentdisabilityservices@swarthmore.edu) to arrange an appointment to discuss your needs. As appropriate, the office will issue students with documented disabilities or medical conditions a formal Accommodations Letter. Since accommodations require early planning and are not retroactive, please contact Student Disability Services as soon as possible. For details about the accommodations process, visit the Student Disability Services website. You are also welcome to contact Prof. Zucker or Prof. Delano, privately to discuss your academic needs. However, all disability-related accommodations must be arranged, in advance, through Student Disability Services. ***Even outside the context of accommodations for disabilities, if there is something we can do to facilitate your learning, please do not hesitate to contact us.***