Innovative approach to incorporating design into the freshman year

The engineering graphics course at the Pennsylvania State University at Erie, The Behrend College, is the only engineering course taken by freshman engineering students and the only exposure most students have to the engineering profession during their first two years. The course includes all topics previously taught in a graphics course, but topics are introduced on a `need to know basis' as dictated by the study of an actual commercial product and is team-taught by the engineering faculty to give freshmen exposure to engineers from all disciplines. Participating freshmen felt that the course assignments have meaning since the tasks are directly involved with real issues faced in the industry.