Research in Engineering Education Symposium 2011 - rees2009

Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) Página 687 de 957
learn how to solve various types of problems. In some cases (but by no means all), the
problems faced by the groups are design problems or projects; in othersthey are problems
of acquiring knowledge in order to be able to contribute to individual or group design
projects. We therefore use the term “group” as a generic term when referring to student
work, and “team” when referring to professional activity.
Industry and professional contexts
Team design is a crucial environment for the resolution of complex technical challenges,
and for development and resolution of complex and innovative designs in industry, and is
the dominant working environment into which engineering graduates will enter [1].
Design teams in industry can consist of members from the same general discipline (eg,
civil engineers) but with differing specialisations; for example, the design team for a road
bridge is likely to include geo-tech specialist engineers (foundation conditions), structural
specialists (steel or concrete bridge frame), and highway design specialist (for the
roadway carried by the bridge). Design teams may also be cross-disciplinary, consisting of
members from many different engineering disciplines, for example in the design of a new
light rail (tram) system, involving mechanical, electrical and hydraulic engineers (the
train), civil engineers specialising in track and bridge design (the track), and electrical
engineers specialising in power distribution and pick-up systems, all working
collaboratively and cooperatively in a design team to achieve a single coordinated complex
design. Then there are multi-disciplinary design teams, for instance in the design of highrise
buildings, involving architects, structural engineers specialising in earthquakeresistant
structures, mechanical engineers specialising in high-speed elevator systems, fire
control specialists, interior designers (and many more) all having to work collaboratively
and cooperatively in a design team to achieve a single coordinated complex design [2].
Application of rapidly advancing technology adds to the need for collaborative and
cooperative design teams and for increasing diversity of team members. For instance, use
of carbon-fibre to replace metals in motor vehicles and aircraft increases the need for
team-design approaches involving various specialist engineers, and for the design team to
include specialists from the fabrication and assembly trades.
Notwithstanding that there are various types of design teams comprised of differing mixes
of specialists, achievement of a successful outcome depends on the same sets of qualities
in the team’s members. Apart from the specialist knowledge expected of a member,
collaboration, cooperation and coordination have been identified above as essential
achievements of the team, and these achievements require these abilities (among others)
in all team members.
Educational context
Until recently, learning to work in teams was considered to be part of experience to be
gained after graduation, but before registration. More recently, however, there has been
increasing recognition of the importance of this aspect of professional practice and of the
need for team-work abilities to be developed before graduation. This recognition is
derived in part from the “relevance-to-practice” agenda for accreditation, and partly
Proceedings of Research in Engineering Education Symposium 2011
Madrid, 4 th - 7 th October 2011