Reflective Practices Of Engineering Capstone Design Teams

Abstract

Reflection is widely understood as a critical component of learning, especially learning from experience. Effective professionals learn from experiences and use this knowledge when encountering similar or more complex problems. The engineering capstone design course provides an excellent opportunity for students to gain experience in design, but experience alone does not guarantee learning of skills and knowledge, or the ability to transfer this knowledge to new situations. Researchers and theorists have long trumpeted the value of reflective practice as a differentiating factor in the effectiveness of practitioners. As shown by the growing number of publications on the topic in engineering education literature, teaching students the process and value of reflection is increasingly recognized as an essential component of engineering design education. To support teaching and learning of reflection in engineering capstone design courses, this study seeks to understand how students reflect-individually and as a team-as they are engaged in a design project, specifically in relation to teamwork. This study is part of a larger NSF supported project engaged in the development of capstone design course assessment instruments. Therefore, a second aim is to examine the effectiveness of the instruments in facilitating student and team reflective practice. The research questions for this study include: (1) What are the teamwork-related reflective practices of engineering capstone design teams and individuals? (i.e., what teamwork issues do they reflect on; for what purposes; how; what factors affect reflection; and what are the outcomes?), and (2) What impacts do "prompted" (instructor assigned) reflective assessments have on a team's overall reflective practice? This qualitative study uses an analytic induction approach to analyzing data and for developing a model of student reflective practices, based on initial conceptual reflection models. Participants include members from two multidisciplinary design teams. Data collection methods include: (1) team meeting observations, (2) interviews (individual and team focus groups), and (3) review of student reflective assignments prompted by instructors. Data is being collected throughout the 2009-2010 academic year, spanning the complete project of each participating team. Results will be based on team reflective practices within the context of each of the three major design phases-problem scoping, concept development, and solution development. Additionally, the longitudinal aspects of the study allow for individual and team growth, regarding teamworkreflection, to be analyzed and presented. Currently, data collection has begun for the first design phase, problem scoping, and this paper will present initial findings spanning this phase.

Building Student Capacity for High Performance Teamwork

“…The IDEALS teamwork curriculum has been implemented in part in capstone design courses at a number of institutions over recent years, as reported in other publications [10,30]. As discussed in this paper, it has been implemented more completely in the IRE problem-based learning program during academic year 2012-2013.…”

“…From previous studies of IDEALS teamwork modules, the modules have been found to stimulate reflection and member behavior changes that enhance teamwork [10,30]. Twenty seven alumni from five institutions, a few months after graduation, responded to a questionnaire about the impacts of IDEALS teamwork modules on their preparation for professional practice.…”

“…• Collaboration, communication, conflict management, and self management [20] • Sharing of responsibilities and duties, performing different roles, analyzing ideas objectively, discerning feasible solutions, developing strategies for action, and building consensus [21] • Strategies and skills for productive negotiation [22] • Giving and receiving safe and constructive peer feedback [23][24][25] • Reflection and self-assessment of teamwork [10,[26][27] • Developing shared understanding of expected team interactions (roles/responsibilities, information sources, interaction patterns, communication channels, role interdependencies, and information flow). [28] Davis et al [9] summarized the many skills and attributes of effective teams into four areas of performance.…”

“…Because teamwork is built upon knowledge, attitudes, skills, and processes, the development of teamwork requires instructional practices such as the cognitive apprenticeship method that combines modeling, explanation, practice in a relevant context, feedback, and experimentation applied to teamwork [6]. Teamwork is also a working environment in which reflective practice and metacognition are vital [7][8][9][10][11]. Therefore, students must understand principles and attributes of effective teamwork, practice teamwork, receive feedback on teamwork, and adopt practices of self-monitoring and self-regulation in their teams.…”

Transfer from Capstone Design: A Model to Facilitate Student Reflection

“…As part of this work engineering programs have begun to encourage students to engage in reflective practices that will facilitate the process of identifying transferable skills. 8,9,10 Capstone courses approximate professional practice thus serving as a natural transition between students' undergraduate experience and their work and lives after college. In an ideal world, students Page 22.1543.2…”