Big Idea #3: Reverse Engineering
June 19th, 2007 by Frank LaBanca, Ed.D.
Reverse engineering (RE) is the process of discovering the technological principles of a device or object or system through analysis of its structure, function and operation. It often involves taking something (e.g. a mechanical device , an electronic component , a software program) apart and analyzing its workings in detail, usually to try to make a new device or program that does the same thing without copying anything from the original.
I’ve heard this too many times now, not to take notice. Students are doing it freqently, based on what they want to do, the limited resources they have, and the limits of their expertise.
Is it possible that student innovation is the result of much reverse engineering because they are novices and gain their expertise via this process?
