Evaluations indicate the course is having a positive effect on the students.
The design component continues to be a major emphasis in any engineering program. Although the exact number is changing, ABET emphasizes this aspect by requiring the engineering student to have about one-half year of design credits to eligible for graduation. In an era of declining engineering enrollments student retention is also an important consideration for engineering departments. What used to be considered a luxury or fantasy is now commonplace. Further, it is important that graduating engineers be able know how to use at least some these tools to solve real-life engineering design problems.