Development of Metacognitive Engineering Teams through Selected Cognitive Writing Exercises and Understanding Learning Preferences

Rowan University, Glassboro NJ

Investigators

Abstract

This project will enhance to student learning in team environments by providing students with an awareness of how their individual approaches to learning impacts their abilities to work together in teams and by regularly reflecting on barriers to successful teaming through targeted writing exercises, including the development of team charters and biweekly memos addressing team dynamics issues. The specific goals of the project are to: 1. Increase student awareness of how individual approaches to learning affect team dynamics through discussion of Learning Combination Inventory (LCI) results. 2. Help teams identify potential barriers to effective teaming 3. Provide students with tools to develop effective teamwork and project management skills through reflective writing assignments. 4. Develop faculty skills in facilitating teamwork and student metacognition in the learning process. Results of this study will be disseminated at the university level through summer second year of the proposal. Teamwork is an integral part of most engineering programs and the methods developed in this project can be readily adapted by other universities.