Communication Activity Implementation over 3 Engineering Universities: Values and Challenges

Conference paper (2019)

Authors

M. Leandro Cruz Novel Aerospace Materials - Aerospace Engineering
D Carthy Technological University Dublin
S. Craps Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
Research Group
Novel Aerospace Materials (Aerospace Engineering) (TU Delft)
Copyright: © 2019 M. Leandro Cruz, D Carthy, S. Craps
Engineering education Values Challenges Curriculum elements Communication skills
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Published Date

2019

Language

English

Reuse Rights

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Faculty

Aerospace Engineering

Department

Aerospace Structures & Materials

Research Group

Novel Aerospace Materials

Abstract

The urgency to stimulate transversal competencies is evident and acknowledged by accreditation commissions and institutions. For this reason, higher engineering education has developed practices and implemented in the engineering curricula elements that stimulate these competencies. However, educators find difficulties in developing and implementing them due to lack of time or experience, space in the degrees, or lack of institution support. This study describes a communication activity created and implemented over three engineering education institutions as part of a European knowledge alliance project and presents the values and challenges experienced by the universities after its implementation. Students carried out a short questionnaire at the end of the activity and the data from the three institutions were compared. The findings of this study showed that students perceived that this communication activity helped them to understand the importance of communication skills, and because of its nature of plug and play it was easily transferable to the three universities. This study provides educators with a new educational practice easy to implement and effective to stimulate student reflection on their communication skills.