Problem Solving

The goal of the ME department is to be recognized as the best undergraduate mechanical engineering program in the world and the alma mater for the world’s most influential engineers. The influence of an engineer depends in part on his/her ability to solve real-world problems effectively.

Thus, becoming an influential engineer involves becoming an effective problem solver.

Problem-solving Thread

To help ME students reach their potential to have a positive impact on people, problems, and their professions, the ME program encourages a systematic approach to solving problems. Specifically, the ME program includes a problem-solving thread that teaches and reinforces the following four-step process to solving real-world problems.

Problem-solving Approach

Overview

We encourage students to use the Develop-Solve-Explore-Communicate (DSEC) approach, which includes the following four steps.

Individual Steps

Example

This document demonstrates how to combine the individual steps to solve a real-world example problem.

Problem-solving Paper

To make it easier for you to follow the problem-solving approach, the ME department has created problem-solving paper with fields for each of the steps of the approach. We encourage you to use this paper consistently throughout your undergraduate classes. You can purchase pads at the BYU Store (text section) or download and print the front and back side (Problem Solving Template Page 1 and Problem Solving Template Page 2) on your own.

Elements assigned to courses

This table indicates the elements of the problem-solving approach that are taught or practiced in various courses throughout the ME program.