Can a story deepen comprehension, engagement and analysis skills in engineering strategy of undergraduate engineering students with diverse backgrounds?

Christopher J.M. Smith*, Owen Richards, Nerea Etura Luque, Elizabeth Miles

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to conferencePaperpeer-review

Abstract

Innovative and successful engineers nowadays need to be able to function particularly effectively within complex commercial environments without the need for extensive training. The teaching of the wider business context and, in particular, how a company seeks to remain successful - namely business strategy - is now essential knowledge. How can you endow sufficient comprehension of this important area to undergraduates taking an engineering course? At Coventry University, engineering strategy is taught to approximately 250 full-time direct-entry undergraduate students each year with a diverse knowledge (engineering, economics, and business) and cultural background (several European countries). This year a fictional case-study has been introduced, presented as a story, and released to students on a week-by-week basis over 13 weeks with the aim of engendering sufficient analytical skills in the students as well as the underpinning knowledge to be able to apply a variety of business and operational strategies. The story is supported by in-class group discussion and facilitation by lecturing staff. This paper presents the results from this teaching and learning approach with particular focus on the students' perception of the story and their views on whether it helped their understanding and comprehension. The views from the module teaching team on the efficacy of this method will be discussed. Recommendations for the use of this approach and improvements in next year's delivery will be presented.

Original languageEnglish
Publication statusPublished - 2010
Externally publishedYes
EventEngineering Education 2010: Inspiring the Next Generation of Engineers, EE 2010 - Birmingham, United Kingdom
Duration: 6 Jul 20108 Jul 2010

Conference

ConferenceEngineering Education 2010: Inspiring the Next Generation of Engineers, EE 2010
Country/TerritoryUnited Kingdom
CityBirmingham
Period6/07/108/07/10

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Engineering (miscellaneous)

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