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Constructive Controversy: Optimizing Decision Making in Engineering Design Teams

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Conference

2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Minneapolis, MN

Publication Date

August 23, 2022

Start Date

June 26, 2022

End Date

June 29, 2022

Conference Session

DEED Technical Session 2: Postcard Session

Page Count

9

DOI

10.18260/1-2--40665

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/40665

Download Count

196

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Paper Authors

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Shaghayegh Abbasi University of Portland

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Jordyn Wolfand University of Portland

biography

Shazib Vijlee University of Portland

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Dr. Shazib ”Shaz” Vijlee earned B.S. and M.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. He then spent three years at Boeing Phantom Works in Seattle, WA. He completed his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Washington in 2014 and joined the faculty at the University of Portland in 2014. He spent several summers as a visiting engineer/researcher with the Sandia National Labs and the Air Force Research Labs. His technical research deals with combustion, alternative fuels, biomass, and bioenergy.

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Abstract

Constructive controversy is a method for deliberately creating healthy discussions within a team to expose different ideas and perspectives. This method has been used extensively in fields such as business and economics, but its use in engineering is limited. In this study, the effects of utilizing constructive controversy during the team design process in an engineering course were investigated. A constructive controversy module was developed, and student surveys were conducted to quantify the perceived efficiency of teamwork. Results show that students who are trained in and apply constructive controversy develop better conflict resolution skills compared to the control group. Survey results also indicate multiple areas in which teamwork skills could be improved in future iterations of the course, including team dynamics and equal contribution from all members in making major decisions.

Abbasi, S., & Wolfand, J., & Vijlee, S. (2022, August), Constructive Controversy: Optimizing Decision Making in Engineering Design Teams Paper presented at 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Minneapolis, MN. 10.18260/1-2--40665

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