Research in Engineering Education Symposium 2011 - rees2009

Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) Página 690 de 957
ahead of traffic and utility rerouting? This sort of question depends not only on the
respective design optimals, but also on the degree of interface or inter-dependence
between the respective design elements. In the light rail case, if passenger access is
expected to be optimal (eg ergonomics, anthropometrics) how much room is left for
carriage frame elements? In the urban renewal case, if pedestrian access is optimised, is
there sufficient space for traffic optimisation (or vice-versa)?
Another example from industry is the introduction of new technology such as carbon-fibre
body and frame components for aeroplanes and cars, which must be glued together under
heat; does the assembly factory have the technology for this type of process?
In any complex technical design many such interfaces emerge during the design process
and they determine the subsequent sequence in which the overall design must proceed.
Thus, no individual member can proceed unilaterally towards an optimal design for his or
her specialist part of the project; the whole team or group must be prepared to work
collaboratively and cooperatively towards optimal sequence and optimal outcome of the
whole project. Any “independence” from the collective objectives contradicts the
team/group design approach, and is disruptive to optimal progress and outcome.
Perhaps more significantly, the studies showed that multiple means of communication are
essential to mutual understanding, collaboration and cooperation across the whole team
or group [8]. That is, conventional use of traditional paper plans or transmission of on-line
computer diagrams is invariably ineffective to team-wide understanding unless it is
accompanied by multiple additional communication methods such as verbal and
nonverbal description, and presentation of models and examples. These multiple methods
of communication must usually be engaged simultaneously, and then successively
augmented by additional methods in order to achieve the full understanding across the
whole team that is essential to optimal team performance. Also, conventions of graphic
representation and technical language differ significantly between specialisations and
between disciplines, and individual members come from differing cultural, language and
experience backgrounds, all of which must be accommodated in order to achieve adequate
understanding, cooperation and collaboration.
Finally, the studies showed that leadership of the team changed frequently regardless of
who was the official chair of team meetings. Effective progress of the team was shown to
depend on group acceptance of a form of “moving” leadership according to the particular
element being considered and the respective specialist input involved. Which brings us to
the question of leadership.
Leadership
Leadership abilities and teamwork abilities are often confused, and some engineering
programmes have introduced leadership courses to prepare students for the collaborative
aspect of the professional working environment; however leadership and teamwork are
separate constructs: leadership ability per se is not equivalent of teamwork ability
[9],[10]. To put it bluntly, a person cannot be an effective leader until that person is an
effective team member; that is, development of leadership ability should be on a
Proceedings of Research in Engineering Education Symposium 2011
Madrid, 4 th - 7 th October 2011