Session 4c3 Combining Groupware a:nd Total Quality Management Principles to Improve Engineering Students’ Teamwork Skills

Studies have revealed industry’s concem that engineering graduates lack the ability to communicate efectively and work in team settings. In response to these concems, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Techno1og:y have developed a successful f o m t to address these proiilems. The f o m t integrates engineering students, Total Qu,ality Management (TQM) philosophy and groupware technology. A Georgia Tech TQM class utilized a groupware ,system for brainstonning and ranking priorities. SpeciJically, the students responded to the question: “Given your understanding of the TQM principles of continuous improvement, if you could make one recommendation to the Pimident of Georgia Tech about how he could improve the Pch experience, what would you recommend?” The study was conducted in 14 one-hour lab settings with an average group size of eight students. The groupware system was conjgured for anonymity. Within each session, the students could see and respond to eG!ch other’s comments in real time. The groupware enabled them to observe their communication process, to “listen” to one another; and realize the benefit of team dialogue. Each group developed a prioritized list, along with suppoiting comments, of recommendations for improvement. The results were forwarded to the administration of Georgia Tech for consideration in its strategic planning process.