DEN 161 - Engineering Problem Solving

Imagine. Design. Build. Test.

Spring 2027 | Sections A and B | Instructor: Dr. Brown | General Engineering

DEN 161 is where engineering becomes real. This hands-on, team-based course challenges students to turn ideas into working solutions by designing, building, testing and improving their creations.

In spring 2027, both sections will follow a student-directed innovation studio format. Instead of having a project assigned before the semester begins, students will help determine the engineering challenge their class will tackle.

How does the student-directed innovation studio work?

Week 1: Explore, pitch and vote

During the first week, students will explore different engineering challenges and potential project ideas. The class will then vote on which project to pursue.

The project receiving the most votes becomes the semesterlong challenge for that section.

The rest of the semester: Design, build and test

Once the class project is selected, students will work in small teams to develop their own solutions to the shared engineering challenge.

Although everyone in the section works toward the same overall project goal, teams can explore different designs, approaches and technologies.

Throughout the semester, teams will develop concepts, build prototypes, conduct tests, analyze results and improve their designs.

What to expect

Both sections follow the same course structure and expectations:

• Semester-long engineering project: Work on the challenge selected by the class.
• Team-based experience: Work in teams of three to five students.
• Hands-on learning: Design, build, test and improve a team solution.
• Time commitment: Expect approximately two to four hours per week outside of class, depending on the project phase.
• Engineering communication: Complete a final design report and presentation or working demonstration.
• Collegewide recognition: Projects are eligible for "Best DEN 161 Project" recognition.
• Consistent expectations: Both sections use the same assignments and grading structure.

What types of projects might students work on?

Need some inspiration? Here are examples of engineering challenges students explored during fall 2026.

Bridge design and prototyping
Designing and building bridge prototypes while investigating structural strength, stability, material selection and engineering constraints.

Wind energy innovation
Developing and testing small-scale wind turbines to investigate how blade design, configuration and other variables affect energy generation.

Game-controlled smart temperature systems
Combining sensors, electronics, programming and interactive controls to develop systems that monitor and regulate temperature.

Siege engineering
Applying mechanical and structural engineering principles to design defensive structures and launching devices, then evaluating their performance through testing and competition.

Interactive gaming and controller engineering
Integrating programming, circuits, sensors and creative design to develop interactive games and custom gaming controllers.

These examples highlight the variety of engineering disciplines and challenges that can be explored in DEN 161. Students will determine the spring 2027 projects during the first week of class.

Spring 2027 sections

Both sections follow the same course structure, but each section will vote independently to select its own semesterlong project.

Students can enroll in either section based on their schedules. The specific project for each section will not be known until after the first week of class.

Ready to build something?

DEN 161 is an opportunity to go beyond learning about engineering and start practicing it. Students will help select their class's engineering challenge, collaborate with teammates, develop and test solutions and discover what it takes to turn an idea into something that works.