Teaching collaborative skills through an interdisciplinary design competition

Abstract

As educators we recognize the importance of preparing students for the interdisciplinary collaboration they will face in their professional careers. Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) is the emerging project delivery method of the time and is often accompanied by the use of Building Information Modeling (BIM). Construction management programs across the nation have adapted to the changing industry needs and trends by incorporating IPD and BIM into existing courses or creating new courses. Although educating students about the differences between IPD and other more traditional project delivery methods is seemingly straightforward, teaching the collaborative skills needed for IPD is difficult, especially when students lack the discipline-specific expertise upon which IPD relies. These educational challenges make the relationship between industry and academia of utmost importance. This paper will explain the process and outcome of the fourth year of an annual, industry-sponsored design competition. The competition is intended to foster interdisciplinary collaboration among students in their fourth year of study, students who will soon be entering the job market. During the two-week competition, students from architecture, construction, graphic design and interior design work in groups to prepare a proposal addressing the needs of a client. The competition concludes with student presentations and the selection and ranking of the top three teams by the industry sponsor. Qualitative and quantitative data was collected from the students in the form of an online survey completed at the outset and conclusion of the competition. The surveys are used to measure the students' knowledge and perception of IPD, and how that knowledge and perception changed as a result of the collaborative competition. The paper will also include an overview of the three prior years of the competition as a reflection of lessons learned and improvements made to the competition format to improve student outcomes.