Toward an Improvement of Engineering Teaming Skills Through an In-House Professionalism Course

Abstract

Contribution: A modular three-credit undergraduate course that enables students to sharpen their teaming skills is introduced. The course addresses the professional skill gap between recent undergraduate students and what the work environment expects. Background: The trend of teaming in the industrial world continues to grow as the demand for team-based projects and problem-solving skills is becoming the norm in any workflow with recruiters now listing teaming as a fundamental requirement for most positions. This drives the educational system to adapt and integrate a new skillset into its various curricula with a view to equipping students with these sought-after skills. Intended Outcomes: Adoption of a new three-credit nontraditional undergraduate course targeting team-building education and teaming skills acquisition. Application Design: The design of the course includes project-based learning as well as student-centered learning where team members work on a variety of nontechnical controversial projects, and frequently undergo team/self-assessment on multidisciplinary criteria. Findings: Based on F1-scores of multiple conceptual and situational examination questions, the assessment survey demonstrates a stark change in students' understanding of professional skills before and after taking the course, confirming this course's ability in developing and enhancing the students teaming skills.