The aim of this presentation is to explain a 'twist' in the Problem Based Learning (PBL) approach in teaching Engineering Design (Aerospace). A common issue in modern engineering education is the compartmentalized self-sufficient modular delivery of subjects quite the opposite of the multidisciplinary aspect of technical design. Scattered subject information leads to low knowledge retention and issues with development of 'real-life' problem solving skills. Applying the conventional PBL 'open-ended' problem method in a single semester lower level undergraduate studies design module causes a lot of struggle among students. A significant portion of time is wasted on curriculum repetition and students always fall short of the design expectations. To cut short the 'fuzzy' start of the project instead of 'open-ended' problem (i.e. instead of finding the 'original' solution) 'reverse-engineering' is introduced. This paper presents the practical implications of the method to undergraduate and postgraduate students some research metrics and responds to the question of how reverse engineering encourages 'originality' among learners.
