Teaching experimental design techniques to engineers

It is widely recognized that the use of statistical experimental design techniques, including those advanced by Taguchi, can, when applied correctly, lead to a deep understanding of processes and often to their improvement. The benefit arises out of the methodologies providing a vehicle to allow the application of the scientific method. Teaching this to students and those at work is difficult and there is a tendency to get embroiled in the analysis of results, which can lead to missing many of the practical issues and alienation of non‐mathematical students. Reports ways of giving a practical insight in a classroom situation, focuses on the actual running of an experiment in class and gives some results and observations, and describes methods which have been found to achieve the educational aims of giving understanding, confidence and motivation.