Group Size
?
1.) Small group (teams of 4-6)
2.) Individual Task
3.) Large Group
4.) Any
Small group (teams of 4-6)
Learning Environment
?
1.) Lecture Theatre
2.) Presentation Space
3.) Carousel Tables (small working group)
4.) Any
5.) Outside
6.) Special
Carousel Tables (small working group), Outside, Special
QAA Enterprise Theme(s)
?
1.) Creativity and Innovation
2.) Opportunity recognition, creation and evaluation
3.) Decision making supported by critical analysis and judgement
4.) Implementation of ideas through leadership and management
5.) Reflection and Action
6.) Interpersonal Skills
7.) Communication and Strategy
1Creativity and Innovation
2Opportunity recognition‚ creation and evaluation
3Decision making supported by critical analysis and judgement
4Implementation of ideas through leadership and management
5Reflection and Action
6Interpersonal Skills
7Communication and Strategy
Objective:
Introduction
The teaching of transferrable skills in the Doctoral Training Centre for Advanced Metallics is done in the form of a Diploma in Personal & Professional Skills and such skills are embedded in the students’ consciousness by practice. The development of Problem Based Learning experience through a two week long exercise where groups of students tackle ‘real-life’ problems at an SME has been organized and successfully taken place over the past three years and students, staff and industrial partners have all felt the benefits. The use of 'real-life' problem solving can be used to focus and sharpen the students’ use of transferrable skills that have been taught in other parts of a structured course. The reality of the situation faced, the tight time limits afforded, the responsibility to function and deliver as part of a group of 'professional' consultants act as multipliers of the skills employed towards generating and proposing solutions. Students see in practice what transferrable skills mean to them and of course employers are suitably impressed when they see skills they seek from graduates being used to the full.
Activity
At the CDT Diploma we have sought to embed the professional engineering skills we feel are appropriate for our engineering graduates through involving engineering SMEs that contribute their time by accepting small groups of our students and providing them with problems they would like to be solved. Groups of 3-5 students are given minimal information and are sent to their respective SMEs to be told what problem they would have to tackle in the time of two working weeks. The students have access to facilities and resources from both organizations but they had to figure out for themselves what needed to be done, by when, what resources they needed and what resources were available. At the end of the two weeks the groups present their solution(s) to groups of their peers, the SMEs and the CDT academics.
Impact:
The impact was significant as can be testified by this typical response from a collaborating SME:
“We found the process to be both interesting and beneficial.
I liked how the students were able to dedicate a short amount of time to such a thorough investigation of the problems we presented them with. I think they accomplished quite a lot in a short time and we found their analysis and conclusions to be very useful.
My only comment would be that although the students were helpful in their analysis of the root cause of the issues and had some recommendations as to what was needed to rectify them. They didn't really suggest what the next steps should be or how they would go about this. For instance, with the group that looked at the CVD die failure; they clearly showed why the die had failed for didn't come up with alternatives we could potentially use which would have been appreciated.
I do understand that given the limited time they had and the fact that the process under investigation was new to them this may have been too much to expect but it's just an observation.
In conclusion, we found the process rewarding and interesting and we were pleased to be able to support the groups”.
And also responses from students:
“I feel I used most of my skillset during the SME group work”.
“I took the lead on a lot of the project and fully utilised my project management and negotiation skills”.
“During the investigation, I pushed myself to provide the best investigation for the customer”.
“We put our business skills to the test by providing a cost analysis for the customer”.
“I feel I presented the findings and advice well to the customer”.
“I was very satisfied with the response, both from Andrew and the other assessors”.
Learner outcome:
During the process we have found that the students are very engaged as they soon get immersed in the problems they have to tackle. They quickly find out what needs to be done, who to get in touch with for information, which facilities they need, where these are and how to access them. Teamwork quickly falls into place with members allocating roles and taking on appropriate responsibilities. Deadlines and managing time are no longer concepts or statements on Power Point slides but real targets to be met. Networking is put into practice, Motivation, Problem Solving, Project Management, Creativity, Conflict & Negotiation, Team Building, Communication, Presentation Skills, and each of the other skills that form the core of the Diploma are used and are assimilated into the students conscience by this experience.
Resources:
Wiling SMEs to become partners in this learning exercise.
Support for students for travel; access to laboratory facilities
References:
[1] Dym, C.L. (2008). Educating Engineers for a Flat World. Int. J. of Engineering Education, Vol. 24, No. 2, pp 214-220.
[2] Felder, R. (n.d.). Richard Felder’s Education-Related Publications.
Retrieved 08 29, 2014, from: http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/Papers/Education_Papers.htmlo
[3] Wang, J., Fong, Y.C. and Alwis, W.A.M. (2005). Developing Professionalsim in Engineering Students using Problem Based Learning, Proc. Of the 2005 Regional Conference on Engineering Education, December 12-13, 2005, Johor, Malaysia.
[4] Steinemann, A. (2003). Implementing Sustainable Development through Problem-Based learning: Pedagogy and Practice, this paper is part of the Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice, Vol. 129, No. 4, October 1, 2003. http://ascelibrary.org/doi/abs/10.1061/(ASCE)1052-3928(2003)129:4(216)
[5] Barak, M. and Goffer N. (2002). Fostering Systematic Innovative Thinking and Problem Solving: Lessons Education can Learn from Industry, Int. J. of Technology and Design Education, 12, 227-247.
[6] Zijlstra-Shaw, S., Robinson, P.G. and Roberts, T. (2011). Assessing professionalism within dental education; the need for a definition, European J. of Dental Education, 15, pp 1-9, 2011.
[7] Cajander A., Daniels, M., McDermott, R. and Von Konsky, B.R. (2011). Assessing professional skills in engineering education. Paper presented at the 13th Australasian Computer Education Conference (ACE 2011), Conferences in Research and Practice in Information Technology (CRPIT), Vol 114. http://crpit.com/confpapers/CRPITV114Daniels.pdf
[8] P. Kapranos, (2015) PBL for doctoral students in collaboration with SMEs: ‘Thinking like a professional engineer’, Open Journal of Social Sciences, 2015, 3, 57-63. Published Online June 2015 in Sci. Res. http://www.scirp.org/journal/jss http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/jss.2015.36012
[9] P. Kapranos, (2014) 'Teaching doctoral level engineers to be enterprising', Proceedings 5th International Symposium of Engineering Education, ISEE 2014, Manchester Museum, The University of Manchester, 11-12th September 2014, pp 117-123.
[10] P. Kapranos, (2015) Industrially based PBL, a tool for promoting professional and enterprising skills, Proceedings of Educating Enterprising Engineers and Scientists Seminar, 17th June 2015, London South Bank University, Eds. R. Bhamidimarri & A. Liu, pp 44-49.
[11] Ray, D. (2013). The contribution of momentary perspectives to entrepreneurial learning and creativity, Industry & Higher Education, Vol 27, No. 6, Dec. 2013, pp 407-420.
