An experiment was conducted within a first-year engineering laboratory to provide empirical evidence to support the pedagogical viability of Disassemble/Analyze/Assemble (DAA) activities, such as Reverse Engineering and Product Dissection, in engineering education. The outcome of the laboratory indicated that the knowledge learned as a result of engaging in DAA activities can be transferred to design tasks. Following an activity that required students to take apart a one-time use camera and analyze its components to discover how it works, 43% of the students were able to describe an approach for modifying the camera that involved the adaptation of a current mechanism. In addition, the results of the post-laboratory survey indicate that the DAA activity elicited high levels of motivation. In this seminar, the details of the described experiment will be presented, and the impact of the results on the current literature and the direction of future work on the use of DAA activities in engineering education will be discussed.

Odesma Dalrymple, a native of the twin island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is a doctoral candidate in the School of Engineering Education at Purdue University. One of Odesma’s main research interests relates to identifying and improving instructional practices that motivate students and prepare them to adapt their skills to accommodate the ever-changing field of engineering. Her dissertation research on Disassemble/Analyze/ Assemble (DAA) activities is part of her initial work in this area. Although DAA activities are utilized in the engineering curriculum at institutions around the nation, there have been few formal studies conducted which have produced empirical evidence to validate their pedagogical value. Thus far, Odesma’s research employs quasi-experimental designs to measure the motivation and transfer elicited by DAA activities and compares these measures to other engineering activities that do not involve object disassembly. Odesma is also interested in understanding the experiences of engineering students and has explored the role of extracurricular activities in the professional preparation of engineering students, factors influencing first-year engineering students’ choice of engineering discipline, and the trajectory of minorities and women in the engineering pipeline.