Student Perspectives on Communication: A Case Study on Different Methods of Communication used by Engineering Students

The purpose of this paper is to provide insight into the different communication methods used by engineering students in order to improve engineering teaching and learning. As part of a second year Project Management module, engineering students participated in collaborative group work. This involved 320 engineering students, organised into 54 groups, competing in a simulated business environment. As part of their final group reports, students were asked to describe and assess the methods of communication used within their group and with members of staff. The student responses identify how online forms of communication were used alongside more traditional forms. The responses also highlighted the perceived advantages and disadvantages of different communication methods and offered valuable insights into student practice within a collaborative learning environment. This paper investigates how these findings can be used to improve teaching techniques within engineering and particularly in supporting large numbers of students in collaborative group projects. There are two sections of analysis within this paper. The first investigates communication between students engaged in collaborative work; the second considers communication between student groups and teaching staff. Each section will present the methods used and the perceived advantages and disadvantages of each. The case study results indicate that students utilise multiple means of communication and develop the skill of being able to assess the advantages and disadvantages of specific methods. They can adapt their communication to suit the different methods and will make use of one method to supplement the perceived deficiencies of another. The paper also describes how student perception of communication can be used to inform learning techniques and practices.