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Writing a Case Study Report in Engineering

Welcome to this online resource on writing a case study. While it was developed for risk management students, it may also be useful for other students writing a case study in engineering at UNSW. There are activities included and I encourage you to spend some time reflecting on the tasks before looking at comments. Time to read and complete activities is estimated at 1-2 hours.

What is a case study?

A case study is an account of an activity, event or problem that contains a real or hypothetical situation and includes the complexities you would encounter in the workplace. Case studies are used to help you see how the complexities of real life influence decisions.

Analysing a case study requires you to practice applying your knowledge and your thinking skills to a real situation. To learn from a case study analysis you will be "analysing, applying knowledge, reasoning and drawing conclusions" (Kardos & Smith 1979).

According to Kardos and Smith (1979) a good case has the following features:

  • It is taken from real life (true identities may be concealed).
  • It consists of many parts and each part usually ends with problems and points for discussion. There may not be a clear cut off point to the situation.
  • It includes sufficient information for the reader to treat problems and issues.
  • It is believable for the reader (the case contains the setting, personalities, sequence of events, problems and conflicts)

Types of case study

Your course may include all the information you require for the case study and in this case all students would be analysing the same case study. This may take the form of an historical case study where you analyse the causes and consequences of a situation and discuss the lessons learned. You are essentially outside the situation.

Other types of case studies require you to imagine or role play that you are in the situation and to make plausible recommendations to senior management or ministers. Some case studies require you to solve a problem by developing a new design. These types of case studies are problem orientated.

Alternatively you may be able to choose a real situation, such as an event in your workplace, to analyse as a case study, either as a problem orientated situation or an historical case /situation. In this instance, you would need to locate the information necessary to write a clear description of the case before you can analyse the situation and make recommendations.

Some examples of case study assignments are:

Historical case study

Take a recent company collapse (eg HIH, FROGGY, ENRON) and analyse what went wrong.

Problem orientated case study

Using cost benefit risk analysis, determine the current and future market opportunity of company X in country Y.

See next: Writing the case study

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Writing A Case Study

Case Study Examples

Barbara P

Brilliant Case Study Examples and Templates For Your Help

15 min read

Case Study Examples

People also read

A Complete Case Study Writing Guide With Examples

Simple Case Study Format for Students to Follow

Understand the Types of Case Study Here

It’s no surprise that writing a case study is one of the most challenging academic tasks for students. You’re definitely not alone here!

Most people don't realize that there are specific guidelines to follow when writing a case study. If you don't know where to start, it's easy to get overwhelmed and give up before you even begin.

Don't worry! Let us help you out!

We've collected over 25 free case study examples with solutions just for you. These samples with solutions will help you win over your panel and score high marks on your case studies.

So, what are you waiting for? Let's dive in and learn the secrets to writing a successful case study.

Arrow Down

  • 1. An Overview of Case Studies
  • 2. Case Study Examples for Students
  • 3. Business Case Study Examples
  • 4. Medical Case Study Examples
  • 5. Psychology Case Study Examples 
  • 6. Sales Case Study Examples
  • 7. Interview Case Study Examples
  • 8. Marketing Case Study Examples
  • 9. Tips to Write a Good Case Study

An Overview of Case Studies

A case study is a research method used to study a particular individual, group, or situation in depth. It involves analyzing and interpreting data from a variety of sources to gain insight into the subject being studied. 

Case studies are often used in psychology, business, and education to explore complicated problems and find solutions. They usually have detailed descriptions of the subject, background info, and an analysis of the main issues.

The goal of a case study is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the subject. Typically, case studies can be divided into three parts, challenges, solutions, and results. 

Here is a case study sample PDF so you can have a clearer understanding of what a case study actually is:

Case Study Sample PDF

How to Write a Case Study Examples

Learn how to write a case study with the help of our comprehensive case study guide.

Case Study Examples for Students

Quite often, students are asked to present case studies in their academic journeys. The reason instructors assign case studies is for students to sharpen their critical analysis skills, understand how companies make profits, etc.

Below are some case study examples in research, suitable for students:







Case Study Example in Software Engineering

Qualitative Research Case Study Sample

Software Quality Assurance Case Study

Social Work Case Study Example

Ethical Case Study

Case Study Example PDF

These examples can guide you on how to structure and format your own case studies.

Struggling with formatting your case study? Check this case study format guide and perfect your document’s structure today.

Business Case Study Examples

A business case study examines a business’s specific challenge or goal and how it should be solved. Business case studies usually focus on several details related to the initial challenge and proposed solution. 

To help you out, here are some samples so you can create case studies that are related to businesses: 





Here are some more business case study examples:

Business Case Studies PDF

Business Case Studies Example

Typically, a business case study discovers one of your customer's stories and how you solved a problem for them. It allows your prospects to see how your solutions address their needs. 

Medical Case Study Examples

Medical case studies are an essential part of medical education. They help students to understand how to diagnose and treat patients. 

Here are some medical case study examples to help you.

Medical Case Study Example

Nursing Case Study Example

Want to understand the various types of case studies? Check out our types of case study blog to select the perfect type.

Psychology Case Study Examples 

Case studies are a great way of investigating individuals with psychological abnormalities. This is why it is a very common assignment in psychology courses. 

By examining all the aspects of your subject’s life, you discover the possible causes of exhibiting such behavior. 

For your help, here are some interesting psychology case study examples:

Psychology Case Study Example

Mental Health Case Study Example

Sales Case Study Examples

Case studies are important tools for sales teams’ performance improvement. By examining sales successes, teams can gain insights into effective strategies and create action plans to employ similar tactics.

By researching case studies of successful sales campaigns, sales teams can more accurately identify challenges and develop solutions.

Sales Case Study Example

Interview Case Study Examples

Interview case studies provide businesses with invaluable information. This data allows them to make informed decisions related to certain markets or subjects.

Interview Case Study Example

Marketing Case Study Examples

Marketing case studies are real-life stories that showcase how a business solves a problem. They typically discuss how a business achieves a goal using a specific marketing strategy or tactic.

They typically describe a challenge faced by a business, the solution implemented, and the results achieved.

This is a short sample marketing case study for you to get an idea of what an actual marketing case study looks like.

: ABC Solutions, a leading provider of tech products and services.


Engaging and informative content highlighting products and services.
Incorporating real-world examples to showcase the impact of ABC Solutions.

Utilizing analytics to refine content strategies.
Aligning content with customer needs and pain points.

Content marketing efforts led to a significant boost in brand visibility.
Compelling narratives highlighting how products and services transformed businesses.

 Here are some more popular marketing studies that show how companies use case studies as a means of marketing and promotion:

“Chevrolet Discover the Unexpected” by Carol H. Williams

This case study explores Chevrolet's “ DTU Journalism Fellows ” program. The case study uses the initials “DTU” to generate interest and encourage readers to learn more. 

Multiple types of media, such as images and videos, are used to explain the challenges faced. The case study concludes with an overview of the achievements that were met.

Key points from the case study include:

  • Using a well-known brand name in the title can create interest.
  • Combining different media types, such as headings, images, and videos, can help engage readers and make the content more memorable.
  • Providing a summary of the key achievements at the end of the case study can help readers better understand the project's impact.

“The Met” by Fantasy

“ The Met ” by Fantasy is a fictional redesign of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, created by the design studio Fantasy. The case study clearly and simply showcases the museum's website redesign.

The Met emphasizes the website’s features and interface by showcasing each section of the interface individually, allowing the readers to concentrate on the significant elements.

For those who prefer text, each feature includes an objective description. The case study also includes a “Contact Us” call-to-action at the bottom of the page, inviting visitors to contact the company.

Key points from this “The Met” include:

  • Keeping the case study simple and clean can help readers focus on the most important aspects.
  • Presenting the features and solutions with a visual showcase can be more effective than writing a lot of text.
  • Including a clear call-to-action at the end of the case study can encourage visitors to contact the company for more information.

“Better Experiences for All” by Herman Miller

Herman Miller's minimalist approach to furniture design translates to their case study, “ Better Experiences for All ”, for a Dubai hospital. The page features a captivating video with closed-captioning and expandable text for accessibility.

The case study presents a wealth of information in a concise format, enabling users to grasp the complexities of the strategy with ease. It concludes with a client testimonial and a list of furniture items purchased from the brand.

Key points from the “Better Experiences” include:

  • Make sure your case study is user-friendly by including accessibility features like closed captioning and expandable text.
  • Include a list of products that were used in the project to guide potential customers.

“NetApp” by Evisort 

Evisort's case study on “ NetApp ” stands out for its informative and compelling approach. The study begins with a client-centric overview of NetApp, strategically directing attention to the client rather than the company or team involved.

The case study incorporates client quotes and explores NetApp’s challenges during COVID-19. Evisort showcases its value as a client partner by showing how its services supported NetApp through difficult times. 

  • Provide an overview of the company in the client’s words, and put focus on the customer. 
  • Highlight how your services can help clients during challenging times.
  • Make your case study accessible by providing it in various formats.

“Red Sox Season Campaign,” by CTP Boston

The “ Red Sox Season Campaign ” showcases a perfect blend of different media, such as video, text, and images. Upon visiting the page, the video plays automatically, there are videos of Red Sox players, their images, and print ads that can be enlarged with a click.

The page features an intuitive design and invites viewers to appreciate CTP's well-rounded campaign for Boston's beloved baseball team. There’s also a CTA that prompts viewers to learn how CTP can create a similar campaign for their brand.

Some key points to take away from the “Red Sox Season Campaign”: 

  • Including a variety of media such as video, images, and text can make your case study more engaging and compelling.
  • Include a call-to-action at the end of your study that encourages viewers to take the next step towards becoming a customer or prospect.

“Airbnb + Zendesk” by Zendesk

The case study by Zendesk, titled “ Airbnb + Zendesk : Building a powerful solution together,” showcases a true partnership between Airbnb and Zendesk. 

The article begins with an intriguing opening statement, “Halfway around the globe is a place to stay with your name on it. At least for a weekend,” and uses stunning images of beautiful Airbnb locations to captivate readers.

Instead of solely highlighting Zendesk's product, the case study is crafted to tell a good story and highlight Airbnb's service in detail. This strategy makes the case study more authentic and relatable.

Some key points to take away from this case study are:

  • Use client's offerings' images rather than just screenshots of your own product or service.
  • To begin the case study, it is recommended to include a distinct CTA. For instance, Zendesk presents two alternatives, namely to initiate a trial or seek a solution.

“Influencer Marketing” by Trend and WarbyParker

The case study "Influencer Marketing" by Trend and Warby Parker highlights the potential of influencer content marketing, even when working with a limited budget. 

The “Wearing Warby” campaign involved influencers wearing Warby Parker glasses during their daily activities, providing a glimpse of the brand's products in use. 

This strategy enhanced the brand's relatability with influencers' followers. While not detailing specific tactics, the case study effectively illustrates the impact of third-person case studies in showcasing campaign results.

Key points to take away from this case study are:

  • Influencer marketing can be effective even with a limited budget.
  • Showcasing products being used in everyday life can make a brand more approachable and relatable.
  • Third-person case studies can be useful in highlighting the success of a campaign.

Marketing Case Study Template

Marketing Case Study Example

Now that you have read multiple case study examples, hop on to our tips.

Tips to Write a Good Case Study

Here are some note-worthy tips to craft a winning case study 

  • Define the purpose of the case study This will help you to focus on the most important aspects of the case. The case study objective helps to ensure that your finished product is concise and to the point.
  • Choose a real-life example. One of the best ways to write a successful case study is to choose a real-life example. This will give your readers a chance to see how the concepts apply in a real-world setting.
  • Keep it brief. This means that you should only include information that is directly relevant to your topic and avoid adding unnecessary details.
  • Use strong evidence. To make your case study convincing, you will need to use strong evidence. This can include statistics, data from research studies, or quotes from experts in the field.
  • Edit and proofread your work. Before you submit your case study, be sure to edit and proofread your work carefully. This will help to ensure that there are no errors and that your paper is clear and concise.

There you go!

We’re sure that now you have secrets to writing a great case study at your fingertips! This blog teaches the key guidelines of various case studies with samples. So grab your pen and start crafting a winning case study right away!

Having said that, we do understand that some of you might be having a hard time writing compelling case studies.

But worry not! Our expert case study writing service is here to take all your case-writing blues away! 

With 100% thorough research guaranteed, our online essay service can craft an amazing case study within 24 hours! 

So why delay? Let us help you shine in the eyes of your instructor!

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Dr. Barbara is a highly experienced writer and author who holds a Ph.D. degree in public health from an Ivy League school. She has worked in the medical field for many years, conducting extensive research on various health topics. Her writing has been featured in several top-tier publications.

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Case Study

Thermal and Mechanical Sciences

Case Studies

  • Analysis of a Diesel Engine
  • Experimental Determination of the Mechanical Equivalent of Heat
  • Refining the Mechanical Equivalent of Heat
  • Analysis of a Residential Heat Pump

Ethics Case Studies

  • Mount Dioxin
  • Calculating and Comparing the Output Power and the Indicated Power of a Simple IC Engine
  • Comparison of the Anemometer Mass Flow and the Thermal Mass Flow
  • Calculating Q (Heat)
  • Drag Measurements for Ten Geometric Bodies
  • Drag Measurements on Round and Wing Tubes
  • Hydraulic Jump through a Sluice Gate
  • Optimal Drafting Position for Marathon Runner
  • Experiments on a Series of Symmetrical Joukowski Sections
  • Nusselt Number Correlation
  • Heat Transfer in a Triangular Duct
  • Nuclear Plant Heat Exchanger Problems
  • Torsional Pendulum: Determining Mass Moments of Inertia
  • Space Crank Application
  • The Story of Eighty-Four Minutes
  • Bolt Torque, Preload, and Strength
  • The Problem of the Perverse Pinion
  • Hunting Problems on a Dam Controlled Gate

Welcome to the Mechanical Engineering Case Studies website. Select your course from the list at the Left to begin.

This web site is being developed to give undergraduate Mechanical Engineering students real engineering examples and experimental data in their lecture courses. This is done by using design calculations or experimental data completed by ME seniors in their design courses, lab courses, honors thesis, and Co-op (with permission from the company). Results from graduate student research or published experimental data are also used. This allows students to become familiar with data analysis and the inherent uncertainties in experimental measurements before entering the laboratory courses.

The case studies are formatted as a homework assignment. In some cases, the entire case study would be assigned for homework. In other cases, there are several similar sets of data and only one set of data would be assigned for homework. Each case study includes a description of the objectives, the experimental facility, and the experimental procedure used to obtain the data. When possible, photos and video clips are used to show the facility and experimental procedure. From the web site, students can download engineering drawings of the models used in the experiment and spreadsheets containing the experimental data. The web site describes the data analysis required in the assignment. Included in the data analysis may be nondimensionalization, statistical analysis, plotting the experimental data, and comparison of the experimental results with correlations found in the text.

In this case study web site you will also find several ethics case studies and several links that have been found for particular classes. A statistics tutorial gives a review of the statistical analysis that is used in several case studies.

If you are interested in contributing additional case studies, or have any comments or suggestions regarding this site, please contact Professor Laura Pauley ( [email protected] ).

Welcome to the Statistics Tutorial. To learn more about a statistical function, click on one of the links below.

  • Variance and Standard Deviation
  • Binomial Distribution
  • Poisson Distribution
  • Normal Distribution
  • Student's T Distribution
  • Chi-Square Test

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Engineering LibreTexts

13: Student led case study in engineering

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This is more of a student guided learning chapter. Since this is not a typical textbook section that consists of an instructor lecturing the student, this chapter might at times seem incomplete. It is intended to be incomplete as it is up to the student to complete it with guidance from a live teacher (whether in-person or over the internet). The basic idea is simple: a real engineering project is discussed in detail by the teacher in a manner that is consistent with real world activities as opposed to a more typical lecture (which has its place, just not here).

The case study herein is to design and construct a detector characterization laboratory which will include examination of said design using professional papers (examples of pre-peer reviewed papers can be found at: https://arxiv.org ). The student is expected to do all the research to prepare for discussion each day as if they were in a meeting to determine the direction of the engineering project. This is a participatory activity. In general there are really no wrong or right answers as long as they are within the scope of the research (if we ask what a chair is and you say it is a coffee cup...then yes that is wrong - but to say a chair is a couch is open to debate which should then occur among your classmates). It is expected that the instructor will be sufficiently skilled 1 in the subject matter to be able to take over the conversation and help the student navigate the subjects that they are not ready to handle as freshman. Lectures might occur when these type of road blocks emerge, but they should be infrequent.

The intend of this excursion is to build something to highlight different engineering disciplines. This particular case study centering on detectors will highlight electrical engineering, civil engineering, mechanical engineering, optical engineering, system engineering, chemical engineering, and materials engineering. There is no reason a different case study (say bridges) could be done, but it should follow the methodology highlighted here.

1 Note if the instructor is not sufficiently skilled in detector characterization then we would suggest the instructor modifies this to something he is skilled in, like a, the design of a bridge or water treatment plant, etc.

  • 13.1: Example case study involving detectors characterization This is an example problem with criteria that is modifiable for the student led case study in engineering. It is expected that each student would write a large report (say 25 pages or so) to show their understanding of the discussion. Figures should be included including CADs.
  • 13.2: Information for example case study involving detector characterization This is a hodgepodge of links etc. to help the student with the assignment posed in the last section. This section is meant to be edited constantly.

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Teaching Resources Library

Case studies.

The teaching business case studies available here are narratives that facilitate class discussion about a particular business or management issue. Teaching cases are meant to spur debate among students rather than promote a particular point of view or steer students in a specific direction.  Some of the case studies in this collection highlight the decision-making process in a business or management setting. Other cases are descriptive or demonstrative in nature, showcasing something that has happened or is happening in a particular business or management environment. Whether decision-based or demonstrative, case studies give students the chance to be in the shoes of a protagonist. With the help of context and detailed data, students can analyze what they would and would not do in a particular situation, why, and how.

Case Studies By Category

case study examples for engineering students

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Engineering Communication Program

Case Studies

Case studies occur frequently in engineering because, by nature, engineering analyzes (studies) situations that already exist (cases). This document explains how to use a basic engineering problem-solving method to structure case studies, but the structure may also apply to other engineering reports (including undergraduate theses). This document focuses on a particular logical structure that is important to engineering. (For format, see Type of Documents / Short Reports ) Michael Jordan (not the basketball player) describes the basics of the problem-solving method this way:

  • Understanding the situation being faced;
  • Analyzing the specific problem to be tackled;
  • Creating, analyzing, and refining a solution;
  • And further evaluating, improving, and implementing. [1]

The method is known as: Situation — Problem — Solution(s) — Evaluation

Each of the logical components here consists more of questions than “how-to” because the goal of this web page is to help you think through the logic structure of this pattern.

1. Situation: Even when a client (or professor) defines a situation, engineers need to understand it in their own terms:

  • What are the needs of the client?
  • What are the constraints of the situation (time, resources, laws, technology)?
  • What are the background facts?
  • What are the key questions that need asking?

Example: What happens when the Client doesn’t tell you everything?

If an engineer responding to the Request for Proposal (RFP) below did not think through the whole situation, she might end up in big trouble. An RFP asks contractors to bid on a particular project. Getting the job without understanding the situation can be disastrous. This RFP describes the government’s responsibilities in a research project to test ABS brakes using an “instrumented car” (a car outfitted with sophisticated measuring equipment):

An instrumented vehicle, Pontiac 6000 STE, has been developed and will be provided to the contractor without charge by Transport Canada . A separate contractor has been engaged to perform hardware modifications to the various systems in the vehicle if they are required and approved by the scientific authority. Costs associated with any approved modifications, and the maintenance of the data collection system will be the responsibility of Transport Canada , unless the contractor has been negligent in the use of the system. [2]

All of this sounds good at first–someone else is worrying about maintaining the systems inside a rather expensive vehicle–BUT what about systems outside the vehicle? Such things as pop-up stop signs and means of altering the slipperiness of the track will be needed. Since these are outside the car, who pays? If those bidding on this contract do not state their understanding of the situation clearly, they could win a bid but lose a bundle. Showing a clear understanding of the situation is the first step to a clear report.

Where it fits: Typically this will fit into the introduction or background sections of a report.

2. Problem: Before you can solve a problem you need to know what it is. Defining a Problem clearly is crucial to finding a solution. In defining the problem, you need to explain the factors that affect the problem. Consider not only what the client says the problem is, but what the client might not recognize. Here is a statement of a problem, taken from an assignment in MIE 561S, Health Care Systems:

Sunnybrook’s Chronic Pain Clinic experiences two problems:

  • In its present mode of operation, it loses money on initial consultations.
  • Patients’ waiting times for initial consultations are perceived as being too long and should be shortened without significant expenditure.

Unless the number of consultations can be increased by 15% using the same resources, the pain clinic is in danger of being shut down.

This problem statement is not complete. In fact, it is the problem as defined by the client, which is really just the situation. The writer needs to analyze the problem: the problem here might in part be defined as inefficiency in initial consultations.

Sunnybrook’s Chronic Pain Clinic loses money on initial consultations and suffers from long patient waiting times for initial consultations. Unless the number of consultations can be increased by 15% using the same resources, the pain clinic is in danger of being shut down. The loss of money and the waiting times are related because two of the four doctors do not manage to see their patients within the allotted one hour consultation. This means not only that these doctors are unable to see as many patients as the other two doctors, but that those they do see have to wait well past their scheduled appointment. The problem, then, is to eliminate inefficiency in initial consultations without compromising the level offer.

Part of defining the problem is seeing it in terms of what has been done before. These questions might help you explain the full background to the problem:

  • What are the parameters that have been set for your analysis?
  • What is happening in the situation now?
  • What are the shortcomings of the current or previous ways of handling the situation?
  • What changes have been made in the situation? or are expected?

These questions might lead to an additional paragraph in our example to clarify and refine the definition of the problem. Here the writer goes on to consider how one parameter physicians’ financial benefit might affect the current situation.

(cont’d from above example)

If inefficiency is a factor, understanding the physicians’ relationship to the clinic becomes important. First, financially, the four doctors who provide service in the pain clinic do so out of interest in the field. They derive little financial benefit from their involvement; in fact, they incur a significant opportunity cost for not performing other, more lucrative procedures. Their pay is not proportionally dependent on the number of patients they examine; instead, it is a percentage of the total revenue generated by a pool of twenty-six physicians performing a variety of roles at the hospital. For this reason, personal income cannot influence physician behavior.

This example is only part of what goes into a problem definition, but it shows how the writer can refine his problem definition by limiting the possible parameters for solutions.

Where it fits: Typically, the Problem definition is also the purpose of the report; therefore, it will follow the situation, or sometimes, precede it. Notice that the problem and the situation overlap. This is predictable because the problem arises out of the situation.

3. Solution: University assignments often expect you to come up with alternatives; hence, you may need to examine more than one solution. Ultimately, to be effective, any solution must:

  • Solve the problem. Obvious, but explain: How does the solution work?
  • Explain how the solution can be derived from the available data. How does it fit with what we know?
  • Fit clearly into the available research on a topic. What research supports it?

As you might guess, this section could be a huge part of the body of a report.

4. Evaluation: Before engineers can implement a solution, it needs to be refined. The first step in refining any solution is an evaluation. You need to think your way around the solution just as if it were an object you were walking around. Ask as many questions as possible. Here are a few:

  • Is the solution you suggest likely to be successful?
  • What limitations might prevent total success? (eg. does it depend on people being trained?)
  • What must a company do to make your solution work? (funding? training? design? safety measures?)
  • If you are proposing more than one solution, which one(s) do you recommend be implemented? In which order? (short term vs. long term; most important vs. less important; necessary vs. optional)

Where it fits: Typically, the evaluation comes just before the recommendations. Once you have evaluated several options, then you can make a recommendation. It may also be incorporated into the recommendations.

References:

[1] Jordan, Michael P. 1988. “How can problem-solution structures help writers plan and write technical documents?” Solving Problems in Technical Writing. Ed. Lynne Beene and Peter White. Toronto: Oxford. [2] Supply and Services Canada . 1989. RFP 045SZ.T8080-9-4780/B.

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case study examples for engineering students

  • Engineering Ethics Cases
  • Markkula Center for Applied Ethics
  • Focus Areas
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  • Engineering Ethics

The following series of engineering ethics cases were created by interviewing numerous engineers from Silicon Valley and beyond.

The cases have been written, anonymized, and honed to highlight the ethical content from each interview. While these cases are meant for engineering students and professionals for their professional development, nearly all of the cases occur in the context of business, and therefore are also relevant for those seeking business ethics cases.

These cases are suitable as homework and/or for classroom discussion. The goal of this project is to acquaint engineering students and professionals with the variety of ethical experiences of engineering as practiced “in the field.” By becoming familiar with problems faced by other engineers we hope to thereby prepare those reading these cases if they too encounter difficult ethical dilemmas in their work.

Cases range from the mundane to the deadly. While we do not reveal how each particular case turned out, in general they turned out well – the people involved made the right decisions. But this is not to say that all of these right decisions came without personal cost. A few of the engineers did face negative repercussions and a very few even needed to find new employment. However, overall the interviewees were satisfied with how events turned out, even if they faced negative repercussions for their good decisions. They understood that doing the right thing is good in itself, regardless of the personal consequences they may have faced.

The engineering ethics cases can be sorted into the following categories:

  • Academic Ethics
  • Bioengineering
  • Business Ethics
  • Civil Engineering
  • Computer/Software Engineering
  • Electrical Engineering
  • International
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Science/Research Ethics

A quality assurance engineer must decide whether or not to ship products that might be defective.

An intern at a power electronics startup faces unkind comments from a fellow engineer. She suspects that her colleague is prejudice toward female engineers.

A chemical engineering professor discovers that a colleague has taken credit for his research.

A bioengineering researcher discovers an error in protocol and feels pressured not to report it to her supervisor.

A graduate student suspects her research adviser has earned tenure under false pretenses.

A computer startup company risks violating copyright laws if it reuses a code that is the intellectual property of another company.

A recently promoted manager at an industrial engineering company discovers that factory workers are asked to work more than eight hours a day without getting paid overtime.

Full transparency might prevent a project leader from closing a deal with a valuable client. Should he still clarify the situation to his client?

A manager at a consumer electronics company struggles over whether or not he should disclose confidential information to a valued customer.

A medical researcher is asked to trim data before presenting it to the scientific advisory board.

A technical sales engineer feels pressure to falsify a sales report in order to prevent the delay of her company's IPO.

When a computer filled with personal data gets stolen, a data company must decide how to manage the breach in security.

Employees of a computer hardware company are angered by a manager that demonstrates favoritism.

A project engineer believes his company is providing the wrong form of technology to an in-need community in East Africa.

A computer engineer is asked to divulge private medical data for marketing purposes.

Environmental engineers face pressure to come up with data that favors their employers.

In this ethics case, a woman is displeased with her work role at a computer hardware company.

A systems engineering company employee quits after getting pressured to falsify product testing paperwork.

A manager at a nonprofit mechanical engineering firm questions how responsible her company should be for ongoing maintenance on past projects.

An engineer for an environmental consulting firm must decide whether or not he should encourage his client to go with a more environmentally sustainable construction plan.

A genetic engineer feels a responsibility to educate colleagues on the truth behind stem cell research.

An engineering manager gets pressured to bribe a foreign official in order to secure a business venture in East Africa.

An African-American electronics design lead wonders whether his colleague's contentious behavior is motivated by racism.

A medical company asks blood sample suppliers to sign an ethically questionable consent form.

A quality assurance tester gets pressured to falsify data about a new product from a major cell phone company.

Should a production engineer prioritize a customer's desires over safety?

A female intern at a construction company faces disrespectful treatment because of her gender.

A new hire at an electronics startup struggles to decide between telling the truth and maximizing the company's profit.

A fellow for a global services program faces an ethical dilemma when a colleague asks him to falsify receipts.

A researcher of regenerative medicine meets a man who is eager sign up for potentially dangerous human testing.

A bioengineer's research leads to the discovery that a patient might have prostate cancer.

Two support engineers at a South Bay audio visual electronics startup question the fairness of a supervisor's decision.

An employee overseeing data analysis on a clinical drug trial has concerns about the safety of a client's drug.

The engineering ethics cases in this series were written by Santa Clara University School of Engineering students Clare Bartlett, Nabilah Deen, and Jocelyn Tan, who worked as Hackworth Engineering Ethics Fellows at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics over the course of the 2014-2015 academic year. In order to write these cases, the fellows interviewed numerous engineers and collected nearly 40 engineering ethics cases from Silicon Valley and beyond.  The Hackworth Fellowships are made possible by a generous gift from Joan and the late Michael Hackworth.

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Hertz CEO Kathryn Marinello with CFO Jamere Jackson and other members of the executive team in 2017

Top 40 Most Popular Case Studies of 2021

Two cases about Hertz claimed top spots in 2021's Top 40 Most Popular Case Studies

Two cases on the uses of debt and equity at Hertz claimed top spots in the CRDT’s (Case Research and Development Team) 2021 top 40 review of cases.

Hertz (A) took the top spot. The case details the financial structure of the rental car company through the end of 2019. Hertz (B), which ranked third in CRDT’s list, describes the company’s struggles during the early part of the COVID pandemic and its eventual need to enter Chapter 11 bankruptcy. 

The success of the Hertz cases was unprecedented for the top 40 list. Usually, cases take a number of years to gain popularity, but the Hertz cases claimed top spots in their first year of release. Hertz (A) also became the first ‘cooked’ case to top the annual review, as all of the other winners had been web-based ‘raw’ cases.

Besides introducing students to the complicated financing required to maintain an enormous fleet of cars, the Hertz cases also expanded the diversity of case protagonists. Kathyrn Marinello was the CEO of Hertz during this period and the CFO, Jamere Jackson is black.

Sandwiched between the two Hertz cases, Coffee 2016, a perennial best seller, finished second. “Glory, Glory, Man United!” a case about an English football team’s IPO made a surprise move to number four.  Cases on search fund boards, the future of malls,  Norway’s Sovereign Wealth fund, Prodigy Finance, the Mayo Clinic, and Cadbury rounded out the top ten.

Other year-end data for 2021 showed:

  • Online “raw” case usage remained steady as compared to 2020 with over 35K users from 170 countries and all 50 U.S. states interacting with 196 cases.
  • Fifty four percent of raw case users came from outside the U.S..
  • The Yale School of Management (SOM) case study directory pages received over 160K page views from 177 countries with approximately a third originating in India followed by the U.S. and the Philippines.
  • Twenty-six of the cases in the list are raw cases.
  • A third of the cases feature a woman protagonist.
  • Orders for Yale SOM case studies increased by almost 50% compared to 2020.
  • The top 40 cases were supervised by 19 different Yale SOM faculty members, several supervising multiple cases.

CRDT compiled the Top 40 list by combining data from its case store, Google Analytics, and other measures of interest and adoption.

All of this year’s Top 40 cases are available for purchase from the Yale Management Media store .

And the Top 40 cases studies of 2021 are:

1.   Hertz Global Holdings (A): Uses of Debt and Equity

2.   Coffee 2016

3.   Hertz Global Holdings (B): Uses of Debt and Equity 2020

4.   Glory, Glory Man United!

5.   Search Fund Company Boards: How CEOs Can Build Boards to Help Them Thrive

6.   The Future of Malls: Was Decline Inevitable?

7.   Strategy for Norway's Pension Fund Global

8.   Prodigy Finance

9.   Design at Mayo

10. Cadbury

11. City Hospital Emergency Room

13. Volkswagen

14. Marina Bay Sands

15. Shake Shack IPO

16. Mastercard

17. Netflix

18. Ant Financial

19. AXA: Creating the New CR Metrics

20. IBM Corporate Service Corps

21. Business Leadership in South Africa's 1994 Reforms

22. Alternative Meat Industry

23. Children's Premier

24. Khalil Tawil and Umi (A)

25. Palm Oil 2016

26. Teach For All: Designing a Global Network

27. What's Next? Search Fund Entrepreneurs Reflect on Life After Exit

28. Searching for a Search Fund Structure: A Student Takes a Tour of Various Options

30. Project Sammaan

31. Commonfund ESG

32. Polaroid

33. Connecticut Green Bank 2018: After the Raid

34. FieldFresh Foods

35. The Alibaba Group

36. 360 State Street: Real Options

37. Herman Miller

38. AgBiome

39. Nathan Cummings Foundation

40. Toyota 2010

Discover Engineering

Case Studies That Define Mechanical Engineering Challenges

  • Mechanical Engineering

Case Studies That Define Mechanical Engineering Challenges

Mechanical engineering is key in creating and perfecting the machines and systems we rely on every day. To truly grasp its complex challenges, it’s useful to look at detailed case studies.

These studies not only show how engineering works but also highlight why keeping people safe, coming up with new ideas, and making ethical choices matter so much.

Let’s explore some major events that tested mechanical engineering. We’ll look at the fix of the Hubble Space Telescope, how Mars Rovers were made to move on another planet, why the Tacoma Narrows Bridge fell apart, the nuclear crisis at Fukushima Daiichi, and the massive oil spill from Deepwater Horizon.

Each story breaks down how mechanical engineering played a role and what we can take away from these incidents to prevent future mistakes and guide new breakthroughs in the field.

The Hubble Space Telescope Repair

Mechanical engineers faced tough problems when fixing the Hubble Space Telescope. To tackle these, they combined deep knowledge with creative thinking. They carefully checked the telescope’s parts to find what was broken.

Then, they came up with special tools and steps for the astronauts to fix the telescope in space, where conditions are very difficult. They used a method called finite element analysis to make sure the telescope would be strong enough after the repairs, and they made sure that new parts could be swapped in easily.

Their detailed planning and work didn’t just get Hubble working again; it also made sure the telescope could keep working for a longer time. This shows how important mechanical engineering is in solving tough problems with machinery in space.

Mars Rover Mobility Dilemmas

Building Mars rovers is a tough job for mechanical engineers. They have to make sure these rovers can move smoothly over Mars, which has a very rough surface with lots of rocks, sand, and big hills. Engineers work with advanced robot technology, new types of materials, and knowledge about other planets to solve these problems.

They test their designs over and over to see how the rover parts will handle the ground on Mars. The parts have to be really strong and not wear out quickly, even when they hit unexpected bumps.

Also, the rovers need smart computer systems that can figure out the lay of the land by themselves and change their path to avoid getting stuck or broken. This is super important because if something goes wrong with the rover, it could mess up the whole mission to Mars.

Tacoma Narrows Bridge Collapse

The Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapse is a key example for mechanical engineers of why it’s essential to consider how wind affects bridges. When the bridge fell apart in 1940, it showed that suspension bridges can swing and twist dangerously in the wind.

The bridge’s narrow shape, the solid pieces it was made of, and not enough side support were big reasons why it moved so much and then broke. This disaster made it clear that testing bridges in wind tunnels was necessary.

As a result, bridge design changed a lot. Engineers started using special devices to stop bridges from swinging too much and created stronger design rules. These changes help make sure that big bridges can stand up to wind without getting damaged.

Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster

The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster is a crucial lesson in the need for strong and reliable engineering. On March 11, 2011, a huge earthquake, with a strength of 9.0, shook Japan and caused a major failure at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. This event showed how important it is for machines and structures to be able to survive natural disasters like earthquakes and tsunamis.

After the earthquake, a tsunami followed, which made things even worse. The power plant lost power, which meant the cooling systems for three of its reactors stopped working. Without cooling, these reactors overheated and their cores melted down. This was a tragic example of what can go wrong when we don’t carefully think about the risks of building in areas where natural disasters can happen.

Later on, experts looked at what went wrong and found that the power plant wasn’t built to handle a tsunami of that size, and the emergency plans weren’t good enough for such a disaster. Now, the Fukushima disaster is a key example that engineers study. It shows the link between planning ahead, considering the environment, and the serious problems that can happen if we don’t.

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Engineering

In April 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig failed disastrously, causing a huge oil spill in the ocean. This event was significant because it showed how much we needed to improve our deep-sea drilling technology and how we respond to such disasters. Engineers had to look closely at how they build and check the safety of underwater equipment, such as blowout preventers, which are supposed to stop leaks. They also needed to make sure oil wells were designed to be very strong and could handle emergencies.

The spill made it clear that we must do better at predicting risks, watching over drilling as it happens, and creating tools that can handle the tough conditions at the bottom of the sea. After the spill, experts worked on making better plans for how to deal with such problems, which included using more advanced robots that can work underwater and creating better ways to quickly block leaking oil wells.

Engineers learned a lot from what happened with the Deepwater Horizon. They are using those lessons to try to make drilling in deep water safer, to reduce the chance of another big oil spill. This means continuing to develop new technology and safety measures that can prevent or quickly stop leaks if they do happen.

In summary, every case study shows different problems that mechanical engineers have to deal with.

For example, fixing the Hubble Space Telescope needed very accurate work, and getting the Mars Rover to move on Mars took a lot of creativity.

The fall of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge and the nuclear accident at Fukushima Daiichi teach us that strong design and having a backup plan are very important.

The oil spill at Deepwater Horizon reminds us that safety features and thinking about the environment are essential.

These examples show that mechanical engineering involves many different areas and that it’s important to keep coming up with new ideas and to watch out for possible risks.

Related Posts

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The Role of Chemistry in Mechanical Engineering

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Key First-Year Subjects for Mechanical Engineering Students

Key First-Year Subjects for Mechanical Engineering Students

Mechanical Engineers Breaking Barriers in Aerospace

Mechanical Engineers Breaking Barriers in Aerospace

Freelancing in the Mechanical Engineering Field

Freelancing in the Mechanical Engineering Field

Solving Problems With Mechanical Engineering Equations

Solving Problems With Mechanical Engineering Equations

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Principles of engineering practice, case studies.

Case Study and Project Reports will be presented by the assigned Teams. The process is as follows:

Prof. Kimerling will lead a short in-class discussion on the approach for each Case Study or Project. Q&A is encouraged to clarify specific details.

The Instructors and TAs will moderate online Discussion Forums: within this Forum students should post their team’s tentative outline, develop concepts, discuss sources and preliminary findings. Instructors and TA will provide feedback within this Discussion Forum.

An optional office meeting with Prof. Kimerling is available if desired by any Group.

On the day of presentations, each Group must present a 20 minute presentation of 5-6 slides. Each member of the Group must present one slide from this presentation. Slides must be posted to the Web site the night before.

Students are expected to bring hard copies of all presentations to class.

Corrected slides and a final 2-page report must be posted to the Web site two days after presentation.

Grade assignment for the Case Studies and Projects will account for the following:

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  • clarity and rationality of the design execution
  • presentation of background, issues, alternatives and conclusions

All student work is presented with permission of the authors.

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An Ethical Engineer? ( ) Pinker, Steven. “ .” New York Times, January 13, 2008.
Big Infrastructure Engineering ( )  
Social Construction of TV History ( )  
Semiconductors and Learning Curves; Steel Technology and Big Infrastructure ( )

“Semiconductors and Learning Curves.” ( )

“Steel Technology and Big Infrastructure.” ( )

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case study examples for engineering students

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Case Studies

Written by people with industrial experience, the case studies listed in this section takes you directly into the Industries to discuss various problems faced by Design and Maintenance Engineers in their daily routine jobs. Through these case studies, engineer’s share their valuable experience on how they managed to find solutions for the problems that they faced in their respective industry.

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Welcome to the Case Studies for Kids Website!

This site is designed especially for teachers who are interested in using these activities in their classrooms.

The goals of this site are:

· To present a history and background of Case Studies for Kids · To provide a library of case study activities that can be downloaded and printed for classroom use · To give suggestions and information to teachers for implementation of these activities · To make available tools and instruments and strategies that may be useful in classrooms. · To supply examples of student work and thinking · To provide links to resources, references and contacts · To generate and motivate conversations between and among teachers who wish to share experiences, strategies, and challenges as they use case studies

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Program Innovations: Promoting Success in Student Research

To enhance the student experience and increase access to experiential learning, colleges and universities have gotten creative with undergraduate research experiences.

By  Ashley Mowreader

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A group of students and a professor meet in a research laboratory. All are wearing lab coats.

Undergraduate research can provide students with hands-on experience in a lab environment, as well as help them determine career opportunities they might not otherwise consider.

sanjeri/E+/Getty Images Plus

Undergraduate research opportunities are one way to provide experiential learning in many disciplines, introducing learners to research methods under the supervision of a faculty member and providing experience for a résumé.

A 2021 study from the University of Central Florida found student researchers are more likely to have higher grade point averages and graduation rates, and higher matriculation into graduate school, as well as life skills such as analyzing literature critically, observing and collecting data and communication.

However, not every student has equal access to undergraduate research opportunities. The study found non-STEM students, transfer students and part-time students are less likely to participate in research compared to their peers.

To increase student participation in undergraduate research and boost skill development among student researchers, institutions have created innovative models of work. Here are seven examples.

Survey Says

Around three in 10 students say they are required to participate in undergraduate research, according to a winter 2023 Student Voice survey from Inside Higher Ed , and a slightly smaller number (27 percent) believe that undergraduate research should be required in their program.

Four-year students are more likely to say undergraduate research is required in their program (32 percent) compared to their two-year peers (15 percent).

First-year research opportunities—University of Missouri

Career exposure in the first year can help students feel confident about their paths throughout college and provide a head start in building their résumés.

Mizzou is known for its Interdisciplinary Plant Group that hosts research scholars exploring innovations in plant biology and a first-year program that provides young researchers a leg up in their work, giving them research time with more experienced researchers and mentorship.

FRIPS, short for Freshman Research in Plants , supports 10 to 15 students annually, who work alongside a faculty member and their research group on plant biology. Students also meet regularly with their FRIPS scholars cohort and gain professional development training.

Each student’s work is funded by grant dollars from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Graduates of FRIPS often go on to become Goldwater Scholars and NSF graduate research fellows. The program also creates a place of belonging and community for new students to the university.

Underrepresented minority students—Davidson College

Some students face systemic disadvantages in participating in co-curricular experiences because they may lack the social capital or be unfamiliar with the norms of higher ed to identify and participate in a faculty-led research experience.

At Davidson College in North Carolina, rising sophomores can participate in a four- to six-week summer intensive research fellowship program called RISE (Research in Science Experience) . This program is designed for students from historically marginalized groups including low-income and first-generation students.

The goal of RISE is to equip students to take on larger, more intensive academic-year and summer experiences for later in their college career. Each student receives $2,500 in scholarships and funds to cover on-campus housing, which the college arranges for all participants.

Jacquelline Nyakunu , a rising junior at Davidson, spent the summer with chemistry professor Cindy Hauser researching hookah, studying the smoking of shisha and the chemical composition of the tobacco. Nyakunu wrote in a blog post that the experience taught her about her passion for chemistry, built her research skills and solidified her career path as a pre-medicine student.

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Transfer students—University of California, Los Angeles

Transferring into a new institution can be a challenge for many students, and finding ways to get plugged in and connected to one’s field of interest can be just as hard.

UCLA offers an initiative exclusively for transfer students to both promote their academic success at the university and expose them to undergraduate research opportunities, the Transfer Research Entry Program (TREP).

To participate, each student must be an incoming transfer student with at least two years remaining at UCLA and be considering a career in research. Participants attend a one-week virtual bootcamp about research, which covers careers in research and how to write a cover letter and curriculum vitae. The program also provides networking opportunities for transfer students and academic survival skills for the transition to UCLA.

There’s no obligation to take a research role after the bootcamp, but students are encouraged to do so and given guidance on how to find their areas of interest, the application and interview process as well.

Financial support—University of Texas at El Paso

Financial need can be a barrier to participation for some students. The University of Texas at El Paso is a Hispanic Serving Institution (84 percent Hispanic), commuter school with a large population of Pell-eligible students (60 percent) and first-generation learners. Many students are working to support themselves and their families, explains Lourdes E. Echegoyen, director of the Campus Office of Undergraduate Research Initiatives.

As a result, UTEP staff realized a need to provide financial assistance through employment to give students high-impact activities.

University staff have identified grant funding from federal agencies, including the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Education, and private foundations.

Students can receive financial support through stipends or tuition scholarships. The university’s student employment program also provides employment positions for undergraduate researchers across disciplines.

“Generally, full time students are supported to conduct research during the academic year from 10 to 19 hours per week—depending on the program—thus allowing students to remain on campus and be mentored as research trainees,” Echegoyen says.

UTEP leaders have seen the benefits of undergraduate research on retention and persistence among students, with one program focused on biomedical research having a 98 percent retention rate among students across four years, compared to a 37 percent retention rate among their peers who did not participate.&

Community partnerships—Roosevelt University

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Roosevelt University in Chicago partnered with The Field Museum to digitize and analyze data collected at the museum. Visitors had measured specimens of liverworts, but the data needed to be sorted and inaccurate measurements eliminated from the set to be most useful to scientists.

Students wrote code to screen and clean the data, helping set the researchers up for success and teaching students firsthand about research processes in a remote setting.

Career development—Elon University

At Elon in North Carolina, returning students can participate in undergraduate research over the summer in between academic terms, funded by the university. While career readiness is a natural component of research experiences, leaders at the university wanted to bolster student skills beyond the laboratory, says Eric Hall, professor of exercise and director of undergraduate research at Elon.

Now, student researchers attend regular professional-development workshops that inform and establish career competencies. The workshops are co-led by other campus partners, including the writing center, career services, the fellowships office and librarians, Hall says.

For the 2024 session, workshops include a session on LinkedIn on how the fellowships office can support student goals, professional writing for graduate school and industry, and navigating academic publishing.

The new initiative is still being evaluated, with formal data collection underway, but anecdotal evidence from post-assessments shows students enjoy and learn from the experiences.

Research in the classroom—California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Cal Poly Pomona leaders wanted to expose more learners to undergraduate research, understanding that first-generation, Pell-eligible or historically underserved students have lower access to research opportunities, says Winny Dong, faculty director for the office of undergraduate research.

Rather than asking students to squeeze an additional responsibility into their schedules, faculty members brought research to the classroom, embedding experiences into required general education courses.

The initiative makes it so all students are exposed to research and required to participate in some capacity, helping build their skills and pique interest for those who may consider a career in research.

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House Republicans Threaten Colleges’ Federal Funding With New Investigations

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  5. How to write a Case Study (Tips & 2 Templates)

    case study examples for engineering students

  6. Electrical Engineering Case Study Essay Example

    case study examples for engineering students

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COMMENTS

  1. Writing a Case Study Report in Engineering

    Some examples of case study assignments are: Historical case study. Take a recent company collapse (eg HIH, FROGGY, ENRON) and analyse what went wrong. Problem orientated case study. Using cost benefit risk analysis, determine the current and future market opportunity of company X in country Y.

  2. Case topic suggestions

    The Engineering Cases group believes that through cases, students will improve their ability to learn and retain concepts in their courses, on work terms and in their professional lives. One of the best means to create case studies is by converting them from student-generated work reports. As a result, it is in our best interest to ensure that work reports submitted to our

  3. 28+ Case Study Examples

    Example of Case Study Suitable for Students. Title: Energy Efficiency Upgrade: A Case Study of GreenTech Office. Introduction: GreenTech Office embarked on an energy efficiency upgrade to reduce its environmental impact. This case study delves into the facts and figures behind the initiative's success.

  4. Mechanical Engineering Case Studies

    Statistics Tutorial. Welcome to the Mechanical Engineering Case Studies website. Select your course from the list at the Left to begin. This web site is being developed to give undergraduate Mechanical Engineering students real engineering examples and experimental data in their lecture courses. This is done by using design calculations or ...

  5. How to Make Engineering Case Study: Tips and Ways

    A student should also arrange writing in a believable manner, indicating the settings, sequence of events, personalities, conflicts, or other problems. The involvement and feedback of a professor who supports this writing may be surely required in the case with case study engineering.

  6. Cases

    Engineering case studies are a representation of an engineering practice, event or challenge. They have a realistic context and appropriate complexity. Cases motivate learning through the realistic application of engineering principles and theories, through analysis and design. Waterloo Cases in Design Engineering uses a modular case structure ...

  7. 13: Student led case study in engineering

    13.1: Example case study involving detectors characterization. This is an example problem with criteria that is modifiable for the student led case study in engineering. It is expected that each student would write a large report (say 25 pages or so) to show their understanding of the discussion. Figures should be included including CADs.

  8. Case Studies

    Teaching cases are meant to spur debate among students rather than promote a particular point of view or steer students in a specific direction. Some of the case studies in this collection highlight the decision-making process in a business or management setting. Other cases are descriptive or demonstrative in nature, showcasing something that ...

  9. Case Studies

    Case Studies. Case studies occur frequently in engineering because, by nature, engineering analyzes (studies) situations that already exist (cases). This document explains how to use a basic engineering problem-solving method to structure case studies, but the structure may also apply to other engineering reports (including undergraduate theses).

  10. Engineering Ethics Cases

    The engineering ethics cases in this series were written by Santa Clara University School of Engineering students Clare Bartlett, Nabilah Deen, and Jocelyn Tan, who worked as Hackworth Engineering Ethics Fellows at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics over the course of the 2014-2015 academic year. In order to write these cases, the fellows ...

  11. Top 40 Most Popular Case Studies of 2021

    Hertz (A) also became the first 'cooked' case to top the annual review, as all of the other winners had been web-based 'raw' cases. Besides introducing students to the complicated financing required to maintain an enormous fleet of cars, the Hertz cases also expanded the diversity of case protagonists.

  12. CASE STUDIES IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

    1.2.2 Example 14 1.3 Case Study Details 15 1.3.1 Performance T rend 15 1.3.2 IP Turbine Enthalpy Drop 16 1.4 Case Study Findings 17 1.5 Decision Making and Actions 18 1.5.1 Value 18 1.5.2 Decision Making and Actions - Alternatives 19 1.5.3 Decision Making and Actions - Making a Plan 20 1.6 Closure 20 1.7 Symbols and Abbreviations 21

  13. Case Studies That Define Mechanical Engineering Challenges

    In summary, every case study shows different problems that mechanical engineers have to deal with. For example, fixing the Hubble Space Telescope needed very accurate work, and getting the Mars Rover to move on Mars took a lot of creativity. The fall of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge and the nuclear accident at Fukushima Daiichi teach us that strong ...

  14. Templates

    All authors should refer to the following guidelines and templates as they write their case. Case Writing Guideline Case writing guide (PDF) Templates Case summary template (docx) Case plan template (docx) Case study template (docx) Case module template (docx) Examples Case summary example (PDF) Case plan example (PDF) Case study example (PDF) Release and copyright forms Case

  15. PDF Case Studies Under Your Nose: Using Campus Projects as Case Studies for

    Support for Case Studies as a Method for Teaching & Learning: Significant research has been done showing the effectiveness of case studies as a teaching method. In 1999, the Journal of Engineering Education published an interesting research paper entitled, Teaching Real-World Issues through Case Studies, by P.K. Raju and Chetan S. Shankar.

  16. Constructing arguments in engineering student case studies

    1. Introduction. Studies of engineering student writing (e.g. Conrad, 2017; Strauss & Grant, 2018) have indicated that effective communication is difficult for engineering students.In Strauss and Grant's (2018) study at a New Zealand university, both engineering lecturers and students expressed concerns about students' writing ability, suggesting that a focus on engineering student writing ...

  17. Case Studies

    Students are expected to bring hard copies of all presentations to class. Corrected slides and a final 2-page report must be posted to the Web site two days after presentation. Grade assignment for the Case Studies and Projects will account for the following: presentation and writing skills; clarity and rationality of the design execution

  18. PDF Case studies Engineering Economics

    technical problems. A main objective of this collection of case studies is to illustrate that in business, the economic dimension is highly relevant in the resolution of the vast majority of technical problems. By presenting the economic problems in a tech-nical context, it is hoped that a greater number of engineering students will become ...

  19. PDF Case Studies in Engineering Economics for Electrical Engineering Students

    engineering students. The paper provides an introduction to each case along with an overview of the necessary economic theory and concepts. Then for each case study the paper outlines the suggested student activities, project assignment alternatives, along with detailed mathematical solutions. Keywords: Engineering economics, Case studies.

  20. PDF Engineering ethics cases for electrical and computer engineering

    In teaching engineering ethics to these students, it can be valuable to employ case studies that involve technical issues that electrical and computer engineers have already studied in other courses. In this paper, four engineering ethics case studies covering topics that have been shown to interest electrical and computer engineering students ...

  21. Electrical and Electronics Engineering Case Studies

    Case Studies. Written by people with industrial experience, the case studies listed in this section takes you directly into the Industries to discuss various problems faced by Design and Maintenance Engineers in their daily routine jobs. Through these case studies, engineer's share their valuable experience on how they managed to find ...

  22. Case Studies for Kids!

    · To provide a library of case study activities that can be downloaded and printed for classroom use · To give suggestions and information to teachers for implementation of these activities · To make available tools and instruments and strategies that may be useful in classrooms. · To supply examples of student work and thinking

  23. A Case Study Comparison of Undergraduate Education and Engineering

    A Case Study Comparison of Undergraduate Education and Engineering Majors' Understanding of Community Engineering. ... For example, Kevin, an engineering student focused on chemical engineering, presented images of a coffee maker and how heat causes liquid movement, a toaster and heat distribution across food, and a refrigerator and the ...

  24. Seven models of undergraduate research for student success

    This program is designed for students from historically marginalized groups including low-income and first-generation students. The goal of RISE is to equip students to take on larger, more intensive academic-year and summer experiences for later in their college career. Each student receives $2,500 in scholarships and funds to cover on-campus ...