CooL:SLiCE, a distributed cyberlearning environment to facilitate consideration of engineering design impacts on the natural environment across product life cycles has been developed at XXX University, XXX University, and XXX University. CooL:SLiCE supports a constructionist line of inquiry within design practice by providing learners with technologies and other learning resources for experimentation and collaboration. By scaffolding these resources, CooL:SLiCE enables students to attain a deeper conceptual understanding of sustainable lifecycle product design.

This poster will feature the elements of the CooL:SLiCE platform, pilot projects, and learning studies. The platform modules include 1) the Online Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Product Design Visualization Modules, 2) the Manufacturing Analysis Module, and 3) the Sustainable Product Architecture and Supplier Selection Module. CooL:SLiCE learning modules are developed for design customization activities with drones and multi-copters. The learning modules include drone design activities, handbooks and manuals, and tools for collaborative and individual reporting and assessment. Learners are also supplied with a library of 3D shapes, design data, and variant information (e.g., materials, dimensions, manufacturing processes, logistic costs, and potential suppliers) for drone design customization.

Results of a preliminary study of potential learning contexts for CooL:SLiCE led to our focus on intercollegiate collaborative design projects for conveying the complexity of sustainable product design and lifecycle impacts to learners. Sustainable life cycle engineering designs developed through interacting with CooL:SLiCE will be compared with designs developed in traditional engineering learning contexts.