Work in Progress: Engineering, Design and Business Interdisciplinary Knowledge and Technical Scientific Skills Applied in Engineering Fundamentals Discipline

Aiming to integrate the knowledge from Design, Business and Engineering, and achieve innovation in teaching and learning process of new product or service development, this paper presents the “OpenFab” experience, applied in the Engineering Fundamentals discipline, to the students entering the Engineering courses. The study observes the process of development of a preliminary engineering project using a Design methodology and applying the principles of Management, analyzing its effects and impacts as teaching strategies in the students’ learning. It was also observed the dimensions related to the technical-scientific competences and the possible and existing interdisciplinary knowledge, and other soft skills like teamwork, creativity and problem solving. The activity also aims to bring together the disciplines of Physics, Chemistry, Drawing, Calculus and Programming, addressing not only the technical resolution of a problem, but solutions in a wide range of social and environmental contexts through entrepreneurial actions. The Fab Lab was widely used by students to make models and prototypes, developing autonomy and integration through the provision of appropriate space, technical support and all the necessary resources for project development. Students were able to experience a practical application of theoretical subjects in real time, developing a new product or service.