The Development Of A Module To Equip Students With Real World Problem Solving Skills

Kelly, Aileen; Wilson, Jacquie; Hiley, Anna

Abstract

Today's global society generates 'wicked' problems - problems that are messy, intricate, untidy and difficult. Engineers are constantly faced with such problems. A creative approach to problem-identification and problem-solving is required for effective engineering design to tackle these 'wicked' design scenarios. An innovative active-learning strategy aimed at promoting the evolution of engineering students' design skills was first implemented at The University of Manchester in 2002. The approach was process-oriented rather than task-oriented and was based on seven interactive sessions, each of which dealt with an aspect of the design process. To date students from disciplines including Civil Engineering, Construction Management and Materials Science have successfully undertaken this unit. There has been a positive student response from all groups with students recognising the need for a different approach. Recognising that engineers work in multidisciplinary environments a second generation of sessions has been developed with the intention of offering a wider range of students' access to this module. The updated module has an improved framework which includes revised coursework and more detailed feedback. This is delivered as a ten credit module entitled "Real-world problem-solving" over a twelve week period which includes both individual and group coursework, a reflective report and oral and poster presentations. This paper describes the rationale behind the development of the original and revised module. The primary aim of the module is to provide students with the problem-solving skills they will need as future practitioners working in cross-disciplinary teams.

Citation

Kelly, A., Wilson, J., & Hiley, A. (2008, July). The Development Of A Module To Equip Students With Real World Problem Solving Skills. Paper presented at International Conference on Innovation, Good Practice and Research in Engineering Education, Loughborough

• Presentation Conference Type: Conference Paper (unpublished)
• Conference Name: International Conference on Innovation, Good Practice and Research in Engineering Education
• Conference Location: Loughborough
• Start Date: Jul 1, 2008
• End Date: Jul 1, 2008
• Deposit Date: Jun 27, 2023
• Keywords: creative, problem solving, design, learning