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Session 2260

An International Case for Sharpening the Focus on Facilitation Skills in Undergraduate Engineering Curricula

Rebecca Cors, Dr. Sandy Courter, Dr. Patrick Eagan University of Wisconsin - Madison Engineering Professional Development

Many institutions worldwide are exploring organizational change approaches that promote organizational effectiveness and innovation. At the University of Wisconsin, the Engineering Professional Development (EPD) Department conducted a two-year study to develop an organizational change strategy for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR). Insights from this investigation, and from a review of literature, signal an emerging recognition of facilitation skills as critical for organizational success. This effort presented an opportunity to consider how university curricula prepare engineers to facilitate and lead in the workplace. A review of undergraduate curricula suggest that activities that are designed to build teamwork and leadership skills may underemphasize facilitation skills. This suggests that universities could better prepare engineering students for the workplace by sharpening the focus on facilitation skills in undergraduate curricula. Programs like the new Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, are building a learning community of faculty, staff, and students who can respond to this kind of need. Because links with similar projects in the Netherlands and New Zealand were germane to the investigation, project results can inform similar efforts in other countries to augment engineering curricula.

Introduction In an effort to cultivate an organizational culture that supports performance improvement and innovative stakeholder collaboration, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) and other natural resources agencies worldwide are exploring organizational change approaches. The University of Wisconsin, Engineering Professional Development (EPD) Department conducted an investigation to develop an organizational change strategy. The goal is to empower WDNR staff to support internal performance improvement and innovation, and stakeholder collaboration. This investigation and a literature review of workplace trends highlight how facilitation skills are key to this kind of organizational change and to stakeholder community building. The authors then review how the University of Wisconsin-Madison, College of Engineering helps students develop leadership, teamwork, and facilitation skills. Based on this case example, authors suggest areas for further research.

Proceedings of the 2003 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference and Exposition Copyright © 2003, American Society for Engineering Education

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Courter, S., & Cors, R., & Eagan, P. (2003, June), An Emerging International Trend Of Using Collaborative Learning Based Approaches To Promote Environmental Protection Paper presented at 2003 Annual Conference, Nashville, Tennessee. 10.18260/1-2--12461