Difference between revisions of "Engineering Notebook"

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= Engineering Notebook =
= Documentation Requirements =


As you are working on your semester-long design project, it is critical that you maintain a record of your work and progress. In order to help create your Milestones and Final Presentation, as well as maintain your project schedule, the notebook should be updated regularly.  
Maintaining a documentation of your progress is an important part of the engineering design process. It can help you see how your project evolves over its duration, provide a space for you and your teammates track work done asynchronously or separately, and even be evidence of intellectual property.


In order to pass a project Benchmark assessment, or to complete your final Submission, your notebook must be fully updated and deemed satisfactory by a TA. <!--The notebook must additionally be submitted in a Word Document (DOC or DOCX) format prior to each Benchmark deadline on the [[eg.poly.edu EG1003 website]] under the Submission tab.--> For Milestone 2, Milestone 3, and Final Submission you must have it approved by an Open Lab TA <!--submit your notebook--> in a Word Document (DOC or DOCX) format. One engineering notebook needs to be maintained for a group.
In this class, you will practice these organizational and reflective skills by maintaining a Google Drive folder that contains all of your project files, a group engineering notebook, and a project schedule. Our section instructors will check your documentation for completion throughout the semester, particularly at Benchmarks.


== Google Drive Folder Setup ==
== Google Drive Folder Setup ==
At the beginning of each semester, each semester long design project (SLDP) team will create a Google Drive folder for documenting all of the work on their project. The folder will be shared with the recitation professor, recitation TA, RAD mentor (if applicable), and the lab TAs. The link to this folder must be uploaded to the EG Website submission page for SLDP Folders by the due date of the Milestone 1 presentation. This folder will contain a Google Doc for your engineering notebook and all other files used for your SLDP including but not limited to presentations, CAD files, code, circuit diagrams, pictures, budget spreadsheets, Microsoft Project schedule files, Preliminary Design Investigation, and Final Design Report. '''The engineering notebook should be used as documentation and an outline for the Milestone presentations, final presentation, and Final Design Report.'''
At the beginning of the semester, we will create a Google Drive folder for your team to document all of the work on their project. This folder will be shared with your section instructors. Once the link is shared with you, please add the link to this folder the EG Website Submission section in the '''Professional Development''' tab by the due date of the Milestone 1 presentation. This folder will contain a Google Doc for your engineering notebook, your project schedule, and all other files used for your SLDP. It is your space for collaboration.


== Notebook Guide ==
== Engineering Notebook Guide ==
As engineers, a record of your work must be shown clearly to your employers and supervisors. As a student working on a long-term engineering project, you are expected to do the same. A notebook will be a valuable source of reference when developing our portfolio, the final presentation, the final report, tracking changes throughout the semester, or attributing credit to who was responsible for contributions to the project. If you wish to continue development of your ideas your engineering notebook can be used to claim ownership of the intellectual property developed during the project.


Engineering notebooks allow engineers to track and document their efforts. In turn, engineering notebooks can be used to assess each team member's contributions to the project and who owns the intellectual property. Engineering notebook should be updated weekly, and kept organized and legible for sharing with the team.
Please refer to our [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EjWGjL15smyJlBE5KPcy8gZBSfFj288iQ1hBljNB5aw/edit?usp=sharing template] and a [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CbGggtBuyi1DG7kbm3XYVYMZycQFCoh7ErpqiPVkyIE/edit?usp=sharing checklist] for what you should include. Our instructors will refer to this checklist at Benchmarks and can refer to this document at any point during the semester.


The engineering notebook include:
At Milestones, you will also complete in-class assignments that should be completed in your engineering notebooks designed for you to reflect on your design thinking processes:


*Preliminary Design Investigation
* [[Media:EG_1004_Design_Thinking_Workbook.pdf|Exercise 1: Defining a Design Challenge (IDEO, 2012).]]
*Meeting Notes
*Tracking of items for which you are responsible
*Deadlines and tasks for you and the team
*Technical Notes
*Designs, sketches, software code, and any other artifacts created for the VIP team
*Screenshots or pictures of your design
*Include the artifact itself, or where to find it (e.g., URL to repository)
*Record and briefly describe important resources (websites, books, people)
*Your ideas, brainstorming, questions, and general thoughts (even if not developed)
*Updates to cost or project schedule
*Plans for the future and to-do lists


The format of the EG 1004 Project Notebook is a Google Doc with chronological entries
* [[Media:EG_1004_Engineering_Design_Canvas.pdf|Exercise 2: Creating a Engineering Design Canvas (Kline et al., 2017)]].


== Milestone assignments ==
* [[Media:EG_1004_Design_Pitch.pdf|Exercise 3: Pitching a Design (Heilmeier, 2022).]]
The following assignments will be completed during recitation on the days of the milestone presentations. A picture or scan of the documents below should be included in your engineering notebook.
=== Design Thinking ===
IDEO is an organization that aims to supports designers with methods and strategies for critically thinking about the design process.
https://designthinking.ideo.com/resources
=== Design Canvas ===
https://peer.asee.org/development-of-a-design-canvas-with-application-to-first-year-and-capstone-design-courses
=== Design Pitch ===
https://www.darpa.mil/work-with-us/heilmeier-catechism


== Why Is Keeping a Notebook Important? ==
= References =
IDEO. (2012). Toolkit – Design Thinking for Educators. https://page.ideo.com/design-thinking-edu-toolkit
As engineers, a record of your work must be shown clearly to your employers and supervisors. As a student working on a long-term engineering project, you are expected to do the same. A notebook will be a valuable source of reference when developing a presentation for Recitation, understanding any changes a teammate may have made while working by themselves, or to return to a previous point should a new development fail to come to fruition.
 
Kline, W., Schindel, W., Tranquillo, J., Bernal, A., & Hixson, C. (2017). Development of a design canvas with application to first-year and capstone design courses. https://peer.asee.org/development-of-a-design-canvas-with-application-to-first-year-and-capstone-design-courses
 
G.H.Heilmeier, “The Heilmeier Catechism” [Online], Available: https://www.darpa.mil/work-with-us/heilmeier-catechism

Latest revision as of 04:49, 1 July 2025

Documentation Requirements

Maintaining a documentation of your progress is an important part of the engineering design process. It can help you see how your project evolves over its duration, provide a space for you and your teammates track work done asynchronously or separately, and even be evidence of intellectual property.

In this class, you will practice these organizational and reflective skills by maintaining a Google Drive folder that contains all of your project files, a group engineering notebook, and a project schedule. Our section instructors will check your documentation for completion throughout the semester, particularly at Benchmarks.

Google Drive Folder Setup

At the beginning of the semester, we will create a Google Drive folder for your team to document all of the work on their project. This folder will be shared with your section instructors. Once the link is shared with you, please add the link to this folder the EG Website Submission section in the Professional Development tab by the due date of the Milestone 1 presentation. This folder will contain a Google Doc for your engineering notebook, your project schedule, and all other files used for your SLDP. It is your space for collaboration.

Engineering Notebook Guide

As engineers, a record of your work must be shown clearly to your employers and supervisors. As a student working on a long-term engineering project, you are expected to do the same. A notebook will be a valuable source of reference when developing our portfolio, the final presentation, the final report, tracking changes throughout the semester, or attributing credit to who was responsible for contributions to the project. If you wish to continue development of your ideas your engineering notebook can be used to claim ownership of the intellectual property developed during the project.

Please refer to our template and a checklist for what you should include. Our instructors will refer to this checklist at Benchmarks and can refer to this document at any point during the semester.

At Milestones, you will also complete in-class assignments that should be completed in your engineering notebooks designed for you to reflect on your design thinking processes:

References

IDEO. (2012). Toolkit – Design Thinking for Educators. https://page.ideo.com/design-thinking-edu-toolkit

Kline, W., Schindel, W., Tranquillo, J., Bernal, A., & Hixson, C. (2017). Development of a design canvas with application to first-year and capstone design courses. https://peer.asee.org/development-of-a-design-canvas-with-application-to-first-year-and-capstone-design-courses

G.H.Heilmeier, “The Heilmeier Catechism” [Online], Available: https://www.darpa.mil/work-with-us/heilmeier-catechism