Enhancing Engineering Education through Effective Teamwork Strategies

1. PAEE 2009Project Approaches in Engineering Education”The AddedValue of Teamwork”University of Minho, Portugal21-22 July, 2009Project Management and Teamwork Arvid AndersenCopenhagen University College of EngineeringDenmarkjar@ihk.dk; Arvid.Andersen@email.dk PAEE´2009

2. Project Management Arvid Andersen All projects are carried out by people – success is achieved through people working in teams People management is the most important element of project management – it is people who get things done, not objectives, not plans, not machines and not schedules (althouhg all these are important) PAEE´2009

3. Creativity and Innovation • A benign atmosphere showing openness and trust will motivate, stimulate and promote development of creative ideas and innovation. • Ideally, teams promise to promote synergy where results outweigh the sum of individual contribution. PAEE´2009 Arvid Andersen

4. Working in Teams • A Team is: - a task-tuned group of people - a group of people working together to chieve ocjectives which are shared - a social unit deliberately designed PAEE´2009 Arvid Andersen

5. Teamwork • Is more than just teambuilding. • Is the ability to work together towards a common vision. • Is the ability to direct individual acomplishment. • Is the fuel that allows ordinary people to attain extraordinary results. • Is less I and more We. PAEE´2009 Arvid Andersen

6. Working on Projects • A goodproject : - Emphasizesapplication of theory - Involvesengineering design work - Is innovative and necessitates a team approach - Is important to the provider - Is not routine - Has not to manyconstraints over confidenti allity Arvid Andersen PAEE´2009

7. Team Development • Stage 1 – Forming - The team gets to know each other - The team begins to understand each others views, ideas, expectations and objectives - The team members test each other out - Individuals begin to create a personal identity - The team is guarded about issues raised and opinions given PAEE´2009 Arvid Andersen

8. Team Development • Stage 2 – Storming - Opinions more openly and forcefully presented - Group leadershipmaybechallenged - Someinfighting as allegiancesareques- tioned - Nature of the task and programmeChallen ged - Somemembersfeeldemotivated and leave Arvid Andersen PAEE´2009

9. Team Development • Stage 3 – Norming - More organisedwith procedures and sys stems to achieveparticulargoals - The skillslevel, competences and behavi oural norms for eachmemberbecomeapp arent - Interpersonalbarriersfallinto the backgr ound - Increasedco-operation and exchange of views, ideas and opinions ”The sooner the groupattempts to fulfillcertaintaskgoals, the sooner it will break of the infighting stage” PAEE´2009 Arvid Andersen

10. Team Development • Stage 4 – Performing • Team matured and workingwelltogether • Increasedcohesionwithmemberssupportingoneanother and sharing information and ideas • Toleratingeachothers differences • Able to marshalitsfullresources to persue the commongoal Howquickly the team progressesdependon the leader´sskill in reconciling differences, developingcohesion and assisting the group in identifyingwitheachother Arvid Andersen PAEE´2009

11. Teamwork is • Group performance with regard to: - The product produced - The process excuted - The people involved Arvid Andersen PAEE´2009

12. Barriers to Communication • Language • Cultural behaviour • Speaking skills • Listening skills Arvid Andersen PAEE´2009

13. Peer and Self-AssessmentTechniques • Weekly meetings with supervisors • Regular meetings with company representatives • Project and people review meetings • Collaborative agreements • Improvement reports • Personal improvement plans Arvid Andersen PAEE´2009

14. Integrated Engineering • Integrated engineering involves the interrelated work of several disciplines • The disciplines involved in a given project are chosen according to the need of the project provider and the academic world • Working in an integrated engineering context emphasizes development of personal competences Arvid Andersen PAEE´2009

15. Steps in environmentally sound design • Evaluatematerials and processes. • Make sure that the product is easy to takeapart in order to reuse. • Make the design simple and eliminatepainting and dangeroussolubles . • If packing is necessary, make sure that it is reuseableorbiologicallydegradeable. • Design a long lifeinto the product. • Design a long lifeinto the product. • Make sure that the end usercanrepair and reusecomponents. • Sustainableengineeringdevelopment and environmentalconcern. Arvid Andersen PAEE´2009

16. Statements • Why do fewer students takeengineeringeducation? (SN36-1990) • Engineering students sufferfacturaloverloads (SN36-1990) • Lookingahead to 2020, whatwillbe the most importantskills, knowledge and behaviors for students to acquire to provide Ohio withcompetitiveadvantages in the global economy? (ASEE 2. Jan. 2009) PAEE´2009

17. Learning in Teams • It´s not enough to tell and show students, they must beinvolved to learn • Don´tspoon-feed students • Don´toverfillsyllabusses • Allow time to wonder • Provide time to developknowledge, insight and skills • Help students to developcriticalthinkingskills,whichwillimprovetheirconfidence and theirability to dare PAEE´2009

18. First team-meeting agenda • Attitude test, group work • What is your level of ambition? • What is required of you by your home university? • What is your opinion of working long hours? • Problem/project formulation exercise NB: A minute of the meeting should be placed in the team log book. PAEE´2009

19. Education should be changed • Engineers commonly describe themselves in terms of a single discipline, a convention increasingly misleading. Therefore reasons to adjust or change education should be considered. PAEE´2009

20. Reasons to change education 1 • Very few engineers work totally within the confines of a single discipline or industry. • Fundamental changes in working attitudes, and greater emphasis on multidisciplinary and multinational environments, highlights the need for a radically different approach to education and training. • Traditional specialism no longer apply in the world dictated by a bigger overlap of engineering and science. • The accelerating evolution of technology accompanied by a growing amount of knowledge, much of which continuously become redundant, require a new approach to education and training and changes of the curriculum. PAEE´2009

21. Reasons to change education 2 • We have to provide a “deep” learning environment in which acquiring insight will take precedence over conventional specialist courses. • Continuing education has become a more determinant factor in career development and is part of a through-career education and training. • Easier access to knowledge through the ongoing advances in information technology should be coupled with improvements in teaching and assessment techniques. • Accreditation boards should be aware of the changing conditions and adjust accordingly. They should appreciate the new professional equipped with a broad range of entrepreneurial skills. PAEE´2009