Advancing Intercultural Communication Skills in Diverse Teams: An Intervention Program for Project-Based Engineering Courses

Abstract

Studies show engineering graduates lack critical skills, including the ability to communicate effectively and appropriately in diverse teams. As institutions seek effective and affordable solutions to meet ABET accreditation standards for non-technical skills, we report on an intervention program designed to advance learners’ intercultural communication (IComm) skills. We adapted the UNESCO Story Circles methodology (2020) to undergraduate engineering contexts: discipline-specific prompts guide oral exchanges among students, tasking learners to practice IComm principles in teams. The 2021 mixed-method study tracked 31 students’ attitudes toward teamwork and performance in project-based learning. Data sources included three survey instruments, individual project grades, and end-of-semester course evaluations. Results show strong student support for the intervention program across demographics and instructional modalities; improved learner attitudes toward teamwork in post-intervention surveys; improved 2021 end-of-semester course evaluations compared to 2019; and, higher individual grades on the team project. Findings support the use of our intervention program in project-based engineering courses and highlight the importance of guiding engineering students in the intentional practice of IComm principles.