Abstract
As part of a longitudinal project to integrate career development supports into a biosystems engineering classroom, students engaged in a LEGO© Serious Play workshop and wrote reflections on their experiences. This workshop provided opportunities for teambuilding and deliberations on what constitutes a strong team. A constructivist grounded theory analysis of students’ reflections was conducted. Through this analysis, a preliminary theme of Perceptions of Engineering Skill emerged, with three subthemes of the necessity of teamwork and communication to engineering; the vulnerability in making interpersonal connection; and the explicit connection of engineering to creativity. These skills can be conceptualized within the CEAB graduate attributes and theorized within the systems theory framework (STF) of career development, which positions the students’ skill development within the larger context of their career. Ultimately, the preliminary findings of this study provide a starting point for further analysis, and for the development of an interview protocol for the longitudinal study this project sits within, with the overarching goal to investigate the impact of career supports and process of career development in a professional degree program.
Highlights
In a rapidly changing modern world, career development opportunities integrated into engineering classrooms is one way to provide students with the tools needed to succeed in the workforce [1]
This paper will give a brief background on the longitudinal study, describe this specific career planning support, and discuss the preliminary findings from the initial analysis of students’ reflections on their LEGO© Serious Play workshop experience
Constructivist grounded theory was chosen because there is little research conducted on the integration of career supports into area disciplines, and the process of students’ career development [5]
Summary
We are implementing career planning supports into a biosystems engineering program at the University of Manitoba through a three-year four-course design spine. This is a CEEA-ACEG20; Paper 123 Concordia and McGill Universities; June 18 – 21, 2020– 1 of 7 –. LEGO© Serious Play is an experiential learning method in which participants use a carefully chosen selection of LEGO© bricks and elements and a unique process that encourages participants to “think through their fingers” [3]. This experiential method [4] was chosen explicitly due to its building and design elements, and perceived affinity with the profession. This paper will give a brief background on the longitudinal study, describe this specific career planning support, and discuss the preliminary findings from the initial analysis of students’ reflections on their LEGO© Serious Play workshop experience
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