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Developing technology-assisted multi-disciplinary learning strategies
Citation
Gandhi, S and Sankaran, S and Er, M and Orr, K and Khabbaz, H, Developing technology-assisted multi-disciplinary learning strategies, Proceedings of the 31st International Symposium on Automation and Robotics in Construction and Mining, 09-11 July 2014, Sydney, Australia, pp. 346-353. ISBN 9780646546100 (2014) [Refereed Conference Paper]
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Official URL: http://www.isarc2014.org/pdfs/ISARC2014_Proceeding...
Abstract
The construction industry is multi-disciplinary
and collaborative in nature. Project managers are
expected to understand the relations, roles and
responsibilities in this collaborative working
environment. Construction project managers need to
be equipped with skills to process and understand
the principles of interdisciplinary working. In order
to keep pace with industry requirements, it is
necessary for universities to teach subjects in
tertiary education courses that educate and motivate
construction students towards interdisciplinary
working. This paper is based on a research project
aimed at understanding opportunities and challenges
for introducing subjects that require students from
different disciplines to work together on an
integrated project. In order to teach
interdisciplinary working principles to project
management students, a new post-graduate subject,
Integrated Project Delivery, was introduced in the
Master of Project Management at the University of
Technology Sydney (UTS) as part of a construction
sub-major. The subject was designed and teaching
materials prepared based on inputs from
architecture, engineering and construction
management academics. In the teaching of the
subject, interdisciplinary student teams were formed
based on educational background and professional
experience. An (pedagogical) action research
approach was adopted to study the challenges and
benefits of new ways of learning in line with the UTS
learning strategies being adopted by academics. The
main finding of this research concluded that project based
learning is very valuable to both students and
industry alike as it promotes working on a live
project enthusiastically and gaining industry
experience in new ways of working adopted by
industry. Working in multi-disciplinary teams
requires students to respect the other team
participants from different backgrounds, inculcating
values of team spirit and discouraging adversarial
behaviours. Furthermore this research provides
insights about student expectations from a postgraduate
subject and their experience of a multidisciplinary
working environment. This paper
discusses both the successes and the issues faced
during the teaching of this subject and suggest future
directions for research and effective approaches to
implementing interdisciplinary working in an
educational environment.
Item Details
Item Type: | Refereed Conference Paper |
---|---|
Keywords: | project-based learning, multi-disciplinary teams in education, flipped and blended learning, collaboration, interactive learning spaces, action research |
Research Division: | Built Environment and Design |
Research Group: | Architecture |
Research Field: | Architectural design |
Objective Division: | Education and Training |
Objective Group: | Teaching and curriculum |
Objective Field: | Pedagogy |
UTAS Author: | Orr, K (Professor Kirsten Orr) |
ID Code: | 107617 |
Year Published: | 2014 |
Deposited By: | Architecture |
Deposited On: | 2016-03-21 |
Last Modified: | 2018-03-20 |
Downloads: | 0 |
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