Optimization, an Important Stage of Engineering Design

摘要

Teaching middle and high school students how to weigh constraints and criteria against various design solutions in order to select the best possible solution is an important skill necessary for engineering, as well as for life.rnA number of leaders in technology education have indicated that a major difference between the technological design process and the engineering design process is analysis and optimization (Hailey, et al., 2005; Hill, 2006; Gattie & Wicklein, 2007). The analysis stage of the engineering design process is when mathematical models and scientific principles are employed to help the designer predict design results.