Development and Assessment of a Series of Teamwork Training Workshops for Undergraduate Engineering Students

Grant recipients: 

Sanjeev Bedi, Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering
Rania Al-Hammoud, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Jason Grove, Department of Chemical Engineering
Carol Hulls, Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering
Ada Hurst, Department of Management Sciences
Ken McKay, Department of Management Sciences
Chris Rennick, Engineering Undergrad Office
Derek Wright, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Eugene Li, Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering
Samar Mohamed, Centre for Teaching Excellence
Erin Jobidon, Student Success Office
Andrea Prier, Student Success Office
Maria Barichello, Student Success Office
Kirsty Budd, Student Success Office

(Project timeline: January 2016 - September 2018)

Description

This project developed and assessed a series of six experiential teamwork modules targeted at undergraduate engineering students. By integrating the modules into courses with existing team projects, students were provided with opportunities to both learn the foundational knowledge required for effective teamwork, and to practice and develop the associated skills in an authentic team environment. The design of these modules was based on the teamwork literature and a process of pilot-testing and revision.

Questions Investigated

The goal of this project was to develop and assess a series of six teamwork training workshops targeted at undergraduate engineering students in their 1A through 3B terms. The project lifecycle included two main tasks: (1) development and implementation of workshops 1 through 6, and, (2) assessment of both individual workshops and effectiveness of series as a whole. The high-level research question investigated was whether students that complete the six workshops exhibit better teamwork knowledge, skills and abilities compared to students that do not.

Findings/Insights

One of the major successes of this program has been the process of developing the modules, itself. The Engineering Ideas Clinic and the Student Success Office have developed a sustainable model for workshop development, assessment, and adjustment. This process will no doubt be useful for future SSO partnerships.

Measurement has been a critical part of our training program. Our measurement methods were designed to play a role as an educational means through both making students aware of the skills they can utilize to perform better in teams (e.g. through including self assessment scales), and as a way to give them a chance to review and reflect on what they have learned (e.g. through scenario based questions or asking for reflection pieces). Furthermore, our measurement methods helped monitor our program and evaluate if the modules meet the programs’ objectives. The results of the evaluations were usually incorporated in the next rounds of the design cycle.

We employed the Kirkpatrick’s model of training evaluation to evaluate our program. The Kirkpatrick model includes 4 components through which it evaluates the effectiveness of a program (Kirkpatrick, D. (1996). Great ideas revisited. Training and Development, 50(1), 54-59.).

Dissemination and Impact

• At the individual level: 

Spring 2016

Fall 2016

Winter 2017

Spring 2017

Fall 2017

Winter 2018

Spring 2018

• At the Department/School and/or Faculty/Unit levels: Discussions with fourth year engineering capstone course instructors has begun to make all modules available for fourth year students to participate at the time when they need it the most.The modules will be tailored to each instructor’s needs, and care will be taken to reinforce past experience as opposed to re-teaching content they may have received earlier in their program.A graduate student will be hired on an annual basis to handle the bulk of the facilitation, however course instructors will need to stay involved.
• At the institutional (uWaterloo) level: We presented twice at the University of Waterloo Teaching and Learning Conference.

1. Hurst, R. Al-Hammoud, E. Jobidon, M. Barichello, M. Mostafapour, C. Rennick, J. Grove, A. Milne, D. Wright, S. Bedi, “Presentation – Ideas Clinic Teamwork Module Series: Targeted Experiential Modules to Develop Student Teamwork Skills,” at Teaching and Learning Conference, Waterloo, 2018.
2. S. Mohamed, A. Hurst, E. Jobidon, A. Prier, C. Rennick, J. Grove, C. Hulls, R. Al-Hammoud, "Presentation - Ideas Clinic Series of Teamwork Workshops - Implementation and Evaluation of Two First-Year Workshops," at OND, Waterloo, 2016.

• At the national and/or international levels: 

1. C. Rennick, A. Hurst, J. Grove, S. Mohamed, “Developing and Assessing Teamwork Skills in Undergraduate Students”, Educating for the Future: Learning Outcomes and Experiential Learning Symposium, Toronto, 2018.
2. A. Hurst, M. Mostafapour, M. Barichello, E. Jobidon, R. Al-Hammoud, C. Rennick, J. Grove, “Building Engineering Professional and Teamwork Skills: A Workshop on Giving and Receiving Feedback”, ASEE Annual Conference, Salt Lake City, June 2018.
3. A. Hurst, M. Mostafapour, “Conflict in Capstone Design Teams: Sources, Management, and the Role of the Instructor”, Capstone Design Conference, Rochester, June 2018.
4. A. Hurst, M. Barichello, E. Jobidon, R. Al-Hammoud, “A Team Health Self-Assessment Tool and Workshop for Engineering Capstone Design Teams”, CEEA Annual Conference, Vancouver, June 2018.
5. R. Al-Hammoud, C. Hulls, S. Bedi, A. Prier, J. Grove, D. Wright, C. Rennick, “Practicing What we Preach: A Multi-Disciplinary Team Teaching Multi-Disciplinary Teamwork”, ASEE Annual Conference, Columbus, June 2017.
6. A. Hurst, E. Jobidon, A. Prier, T. Khaniyev, C. Rennick, R. Al-Hammoud, C. Hulls, J. Grove, S. Mohamed, S. Bedi, "Towards a Multi-Disciplinary Teamwork Training Series for Undergraduate Engineering Students: Development and Assessment of Two First-Year Workshops," in ASEE Annual Conference, New Orleans, June 2016.
7. E. Jobidon, R. Al-Hammoud, J. Grove, C. Hulls, A. Hurst, S. Mohamed, A. Prier, C. Rennick, D. Wright, "The Development of Integrated and Experiential Teamwork Activities," poster presented at the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education Annual Conference (STLHE 2016), London, 2016.

Impact of the Project

• Teaching: As a result of the project, including the creation of the modules and the insights achieved from a large survey of students on their experiences in the capstone teams, teaching and assessment of teamwork has become an integral part of many courses. For example, in the Management Engineering capstone design courses (MSCI 401/402), students are provided with a number of teamwork workshops throughout their project. Mechanical Engineering are trying a similar implementation in their capstone course in Fall 2018 (ME 481).
• Involvement in other activities or projects: The project outcomes (both created modules and survey results) are being used by Graduate Attribute Lecturers in the Faculty of Engineering to develop plans for teaching and assessing the graduate attribute of teamwork, which is a requirement of the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board.
• Connections with people from different departments, faculties, and/or disciplines about teaching and learning : We have been in talks with the Department of Knowledge Integration, as they have already developed one or more courses that tackle multidisciplinary teamwork. Beyond that, the modules that are developed will eventually be used/adapted by the Student Success Office for other interested Faculties.

References

Project Reference List (PDF)