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Unpacking Interdisciplinary Groupwork in Engineering Education: Theory and Practice

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Title: Unpacking Interdisciplinary Groupwork in Engineering Education: Theory and Practice
Authors: O'Connell, Michael, 1982
Subject Terms: interdisciplinary engineering education, socially shared regulation of learning, collaborative learning, engineering education, project-based learning, social regulation of learning, co-regulation of learning, interdisciplinarity
Description: As more universities introduce interdisciplinary project-based courses into engineering programmes, it is critical to explore their effects on students. These courses typically require groups of students from different disciplines to work together to solve a complex problem that requires the input of different disciplinary knowledge and methods. There is an expectation that working on these projects will result in quality learning. This thesis, which is based on four papers, sets out to unpack (1) the meaning of interdisciplinary engineering education and (2) the various elements affecting the learning processes of student groups taking part in interdisciplinary project-based courses. As such, the thesis draws on theory and research related to interdisciplinarity, project-based learning, collaborative learning, and social regulation of learning. To achieve the dual aims of the thesis, data was collected from the teachers of, and participants of interdisciplinary project-based courses and was analysed using a qualitative approach. The thesis argues that interdisciplinarity is best understood as a travelling concept and identifies two main conceptions of interdisciplinarity among engineering educators: epistemic interdisciplinarity and social interdisciplinarity. It also draws on the concept of “interdisciplinarity plus” to characterize settings where students and professionals are co-learners within a project-based course, exploring epistemic practices and positionings mobilized by these two groups. Furthermore, the thesis expands upon the theories of social regulation of learning and collaborative learning to better account for collaboration over the course of an interdisciplinary project. This includes the impact unfamiliarity of group members, disciplinary differences, and the project topic, can have on a group’s ability to engage in effective collaboration and regulation of learning. Relatedly, the thesis introduces the notion of “aggressive” co-regulation where a student tries to regulate others using an external person in a position of power (e.g. a teacher). Based on the findings, I suggest the concept of “common ground” be incorporated into theories of social regulation of learning in interdisciplinary groups. In educational practice, the idea of common ground can be implemented through scaffolding by teachers. Moreover, future studies are required to explore more effective ways to document and support regulation of learning in interdisciplinary project-based courses.
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  Data: As more universities introduce interdisciplinary project-based courses into engineering programmes, it is critical to explore their effects on students. These courses typically require groups of students from different disciplines to work together to solve a complex problem that requires the input of different disciplinary knowledge and methods. There is an expectation that working on these projects will result in quality learning. This thesis, which is based on four papers, sets out to unpack (1) the meaning of interdisciplinary engineering education and (2) the various elements affecting the learning processes of student groups taking part in interdisciplinary project-based courses. As such, the thesis draws on theory and research related to interdisciplinarity, project-based learning, collaborative learning, and social regulation of learning. To achieve the dual aims of the thesis, data was collected from the teachers of, and participants of interdisciplinary project-based courses and was analysed using a qualitative approach. The thesis argues that interdisciplinarity is best understood as a travelling concept and identifies two main conceptions of interdisciplinarity among engineering educators: epistemic interdisciplinarity and social interdisciplinarity. It also draws on the concept of “interdisciplinarity plus” to characterize settings where students and professionals are co-learners within a project-based course, exploring epistemic practices and positionings mobilized by these two groups. Furthermore, the thesis expands upon the theories of social regulation of learning and collaborative learning to better account for collaboration over the course of an interdisciplinary project. This includes the impact unfamiliarity of group members, disciplinary differences, and the project topic, can have on a group’s ability to engage in effective collaboration and regulation of learning. Relatedly, the thesis introduces the notion of “aggressive” co-regulation where a student tries to regulate others using an external person in a position of power (e.g. a teacher). Based on the findings, I suggest the concept of “common ground” be incorporated into theories of social regulation of learning in interdisciplinary groups. In educational practice, the idea of common ground can be implemented through scaffolding by teachers. Moreover, future studies are required to explore more effective ways to document and support regulation of learning in interdisciplinary project-based courses.
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        Value: 10.63959/chalmers.dt/5747
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      – Text: English
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      – SubjectFull: interdisciplinary engineering education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: socially shared regulation of learning
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      – SubjectFull: collaborative learning
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      – TitleFull: Unpacking Interdisciplinary Groupwork in Engineering Education: Theory and Practice
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          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 01
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              Y: 2025
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