Learning to collaborate: Preparing students for practice in multi-disciplinary teams

Abstract

UWE’s College of Arts, Technology and Environment offers awards related to most construction disciplines, enabling interdisciplinary collaborative working that reflects industry. In Collaborative Practicestudents from disciplines relating to the construction industry work collaboratively, to challenge concerns highlighted in various industry reports. Guided by construction professionals, students develop and apply a range of interdisciplinary skills. The academic aim of the module develops an understanding of the roles and responsibilities of respective members of the construction team and their interactions through different stages of projects, provided through a mixture of lectures and group workshop activities. The assessment comprises a group presentation in mixed-discipline groups and a collection of reflective writing on academic learning and collaborative working. This module makes a concerted effort to include everyone. Student background is diverse in not only discipline, but in ethnicity and experience. The module team is aware of the distrust that might exist with preconceived ideas about ‘others,’ whether other professionals or other backgrounds. A soft module aim is to address those notions directly and to encourage healthy, collaborative working across the team. This paper will explore how the module enables collaboration and reflexive practice, and as a result, builds student confidence, promotes inclusion and provides preparation for working in multi-disciplinary teams.