level of compliance by allstakeholders to consistent practices. As a consequence, the IPPD financial and travel procedureswere removed from the training manual and replaced with a series of how-to presentationsdelivered during IPPD class time.Since its inception in 1995, the IPPD Program has always included a lecture component. Thelectures traditionally only focused on technical topics relevant to product development. Feedbackgathered from sponsoring companies and faculty mentors indicated there were weaknesses instudent team project management, effective meetings, and presentation skills. Industry-ledseminars were incorporated to address shortcomings in these so-called “soft”skill/professionalism areas.While the liaison engineer and faculty
paper describes the embodiment of these goals byhighlighting several key features of the seminar. We conduct quantitative and qualitative analysisof several data sources (surveys, instructor reflections, field notes, and coursework) to assess theextent to which the embodiment of our values helped us meet our goals. Finally, we describechallenges and identify areas where we were not meeting our goals and describe some of theaspects of the seminar that we plan to revise in the next iteration.IntroductionEngineering education research has increasingly focused on the learning and teaching ofdesign,1-7 including design thinking and associated “soft” skills such as communication andteamwork. Another trend is the growing number of schools of
Skills The Enhancement of Soft Skills 6 4 2 The Strengthening of Problem- 8 4 4 Solving Skills Perceptions of Gain in Student Group and Peer Affinity 9 5 4 Engagement Professional and Disciplinary 10 6 4 Affiliation Community Involvement and 5 3 2 Spirit Perceptions in Gain in Self- Social Confidence 8 4 4 Efficacy Technical Confidence