Empowering First-Year Students through Real-World Problem Solving in Exploring Engineering

This semester, Dr. Supavadee Aramvith co-taught the course 2100111 Exploring Engineering with Dr. Thanarat Chalidabhonse, guiding student teams in the Smart City SC01–04 groups. The course is designed to introduce first-year engineering students to creative problem-solving using the design thinking process—empathy, define, ideate, prototype, and test.

In the recent progress presentation session, each student team showcased solutions addressing real urban challenges in Bangkok. Their project focuses included:

• Reducing illegal parking at Chaloem Phao intersection

• Managing fat and waste buildup in Banthat Thong Canal

• Improving street lighting near Khlong Hok area

• Minimizing plastic waste in condominium environments

Dr. Supavadee provided detailed feedback and encouraged the students as they move into the next phase—developing a storyboard and video prototype to present their solutions in a clear and engaging way.

Through this course, students not only explore the field of engineering but also gain hands-on experience solving real problems that affect their communities. Dr. Supavadee hopes their continued effort and creativity will lead to meaningful and practical innovations.