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Collaboration by Design: Harnessing Groups and Teams in Engineering Education
As educators, we are often told that we should utilize collaborative learning and have students work in groups. Industry tells us that they desire engineers who work well in teams. To be successful in promoting collaborative learning, we need to design appropriate activities, to be intentional in group formation, and to provide students guidance in team dynamics. In this workshop, we'll discuss examples of different types of collaborative learning activities, talk about strategies for team formation, and provide ways to promote effective team dynamics. We'll be sure to save plenty of time for participants to share techniques that they use in their own classroom.
Brian Self, Ph.D., is a mechanical engineering professor at Cal Poly with a distinguished career that includes teaching at the U.S. Air Force Academy and working as a biomedical research engineer at the Air Force Research Laboratory. An active member of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), Dr. Self served on its board from 2008–2010 and 2020–2022 and is a Fellow of both ASEE and the Aerospace Medical Association. He has been recognized with the Academy Outstanding Faculty Award and, alongside a team of five, developed the Dynamics Concept Inventory to assess student conceptual understanding. Since joining Cal Poly in 2006, he has taught courses in dynamics, biomechanics, and senior design, while also chairing the Academic Senate Curriculum Committee. A proponent of active learning, Dr. Self fosters an inclusive and engaging classroom environment that reflects Cal Poly’s “learn by doing” philosophy. He holds degrees from Virginia Tech and the University of Utah.