What are the perceptions of lecturers towards using cooperative learning in civil engineering?

Abstract

The objective of the current paper is to examine how group learning and cooperative learning are used in civil engineering courses. The paper defines group learning and cooperative learning in the first section. It is hypothesized that group learning is used in civil engineering courses to build teamwork skills and communication skills among civil engineers but that its effectiveness is not maximized owing to a lack of awareness of how it can be structured. The paper suggests that using cooperative learning is more effective. The paper describes a study of the attitudes and perceptions of lecturers in civil engineering departments in several universities. The paper finds that many lecturers use group learning in order to teach civil engineers ‘soft skills’ but are uncomfortable with the assessment of such work. There is a lack of awareness regarding how group work can be structured and regarding research into the use of cooperative learning.