Integrating Developmental Psychology and Engineering Design in a Toy Design Course

Abstract

This paper details a mechanical engineering course in toy design developed at the Milwaukee School of Engineering (Milwaukee, WI, USA). The course was motivated by the need to develop design experiences that integrate societal constraints, as well as the desire to integrate concepts from general education coursework into the engineering curriculum. In this team-taught course, students learn concepts from the area of child developmental psychology, and then use these concepts to inform their design efforts in the design and development of a toy or game to meet specific developmental needs of a specific age group. Student teams take the project from concept to prototype, then play-test their toys and games with children. This paper covers the background and motivation for the course, the topical coverage in both the psychology and engineering areas required for successful implementation, and project descriptions from a recent implementation of the course. Advice for those who wish to develop a similar offering, based on both instructor and student feedback, will be summarized.