WIP: Initial Development of a Faculty Survey Tool to Measure Instructor Attitudes About Learning and Teaming in Engineering Coursework

This work in progress research category paper describes the development of a faculty survey tool for instructor mindsets on teamwork and learning. Teamwork is an important aspect of engineering education in many contexts such as laboratory courses and capstone projects. However, this ill-defined umbrella term often conflates distinct teaming related environments and objectives, such as teamwork skill development and collaborative learning. For example, collaborative learning encourages students to work together to co-construct knowledge while teamwork skill development focuses on specific skills to be successful in achieving a shared goal. While similar, these two teaming related terms have different pedagogical implications and desired outcomes. As there has been this increased interest in incorporating teaming into undergraduate engineering curricula, it is crucial to be able to have a better contextual understanding of these settings and the pedological decisions that inform them. While studies show the importance of imparting teamwork-based skills and collaborative processes in engineering classrooms, there is an additional lack of specific teamwork-based motivations, objectives, and goals apart from the ABET criteria in STEM collaborative learning literature. Creating an environment that fosters collaboration and a socially shared regulation of learning has also shown positive impacts on both student experience and performance in STEM courses. However, there is not a shared agreement on what specific attributes may promote successful teaming related professional development in engineering. This presents a significant challenge to prepare engineering students to successfully work and navigate in team-based environments post-graduation. In this work we discuss the initial development of a nationwide faculty survey tool to aid in 1) understanding what teaming related contexts, skills, challenges, and mindsets faculty have in engineering and related learning attitudes and beliefs instructors have that may inform pedological decisions, and 2) the distinction and correlation of these teaming environments to both faculty learning attitudes and course type. This survey tool will be in the form of Likert and openended responses from instructors as well as syllabi of courses that incorporate teamwork. Instructor beliefs, motivations, and mindsets about learning and incorporating teaming in undergraduate courses will be explored. Specific teaming skills and objectives, challenges, and assessment practices will also be assessed.