The CDIO initiative is an innovative approach to engineering education that focuses on teaching in the context of Conceiving, Designing, Implementing and Operating (CDIO) real-world products, processes or systems. As an approach to organising engineering education it emphasises (among other things) the importance of:

Preparation for professional practice
Student design-build-test projects
Integrating the learning of professional skills (such as teamwork and communication) with fundamental technical knowledge
Active and experiential learning
Providing authentic learning experiences

The CDIO initiative is an open and collaborative approach that was started 15 years ago by MIT in conjunction with three Swedish universities; Chalmers University of Technology, Linköping University and the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH). It now involves over 100 universities world-wide including the UK & Ireland which has a dozen active partners including Queen’s University Belfast, Trinity College Dublin, the University of Limerick and the University of Ulster.

In this seminar, Mr. Paul Hermon (Programme Director for Product Design Engineering) will share that experience. The seminar will introduce the Conceive-Design-Implement-Operate framework (Syllabus and Standards) and explore particular aspects of this initiative. Some key differences between traditional curricula and the CDIO approach will be highlighted. The benefits gained and the lessons learned from more than a decade of curriculum development will be shared and discussed.

"Assessing Design-Focused Learning" presented by Mr. Paul Hermon