PDM field study in collaborative engineering education - results from 2016/17

Abstract

This work describes the research activities performed regarding engineering education at Austrian Federal Colleges of Engineering (HTL) in collaboration with both Graz and Vienna Universities of Technology. To provide assistance to collaboration in engineering education, several Austrians HTLs were introduced to a Product Data Management system (PDM). A field study was conducted in the academic year 2016/17 that will continue in 2017/18 to determine how to utilize this type of software and methodology in order to encourage and improve collaboration between students. This paper presents the initial results of the survey, obtained in the academic year 2016/17 and the impression of the lecturers regarding the degree of teamwork exhibited by students within their design projects.