Fleischmann, Katja (2015) A successive approach to multidisciplinary teamwork in undergraduate design education: from dysfunctional to functional teams. Arts and Design Studies, 37. pp. 25-35.

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Abstract

The broadening scope of design is changing ways of engaging with stakeholder groups outside the design disciplines. The multidiscipline collaborative space is acknowledged as being essential for design students to experience whether in practical terms in a design project or when engaging in research-based inquiry. While more research is now available introducing various aspects of successful collaborations in design education there is still a lack of studies that explore how multidisciplinary teamwork can be introduced in undergraduate design education in practical terms. This paper reports on the introduction of a successive approach to multidisciplinary teamwork in an undergraduate media design degree. It provides unique insights on practical implications when preparing design students for a multidisciplinary and collaborative work environment in the workplace. The study explores multidisciplinary team functionalities, the effectiveness of the successive approach and hence explores whether changes in students learning occur though introducing students multiple times to multidisciplinary teamwork. A pragmatic research paradigm was applied to this study which reports on a three year trial. Perspectives from 235 second and third year media design students who participated in three multidisciplinary subjects are explored. Media design students were surveyed anonymously, using online questionnaires that collected quantitative and qualitative data. Findings suggest that through building on each learning experience students develop greater confidence to participate in multidisciplinary collaborations and learn to work with challenging people. Although some media design students felt they had been part of a dysfunctional team, it was the minority of students across the three subjects.

Item ID:	41481
Item Type:	Article (Research - C1)
ISSN:	2225-0603
Keywords:	multidisciplinary collaboration, teamwork, undergraduate design education
Date Deposited:	01 Dec 2015 02:55
FoR Codes:	12 BUILT ENVIRONMENT AND DESIGN > 1203 Design Practice and Management > 120302 Design Innovation @ 20% 12 BUILT ENVIRONMENT AND DESIGN > 1203 Design Practice and Management > 120304 Digital and Interaction Design @ 40% 13 EDUCATION > 1302 Curriculum and Pedagogy > 130201 Creative Arts, Media and Communication Curriculum and Pedagogy @ 40%
SEO Codes:	93 EDUCATION AND TRAINING > 9303 Curriculum > 930302 Syllabus and Curriculum Development @ 50% 97 EXPANDING KNOWLEDGE > 970112 Expanding Knowledge in Built Environment and Design @ 50%
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