Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A Study of Critical Thinking and Cross-Disciplinary Teamwork in Engineering Education

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Women in Industrial and Systems Engineering

Part of the book series: Women in Engineering and Science ((WES))

Abstract

Preparing engineer students for a career in engineering reaches beyond typical coursework, memorizing equations and solving end of the chapter problems. Students must learn to work and solve problems in a cross-disciplinary environment. As engineering curriculum needs to be reassessed to focus more on skills, capabilities, and techniques as well as cultivating ethical values and attitudes, more research is needed to understand what contributes to critical thinking skills, and overall higher academic achievement. The study of critical thinking skill in engineering education and cross-disciplinary collaboration of engineers are to be further explored. An underlying theme is that critical thinking is not taught, rather it is developed through experiential learning and systematic approaches to problem solving. This chapter describes the critical thinking performance of engineering students in association with their thinking styles and in relation to cross-disciplinary team setting.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) (2015) Criteria for accrediting engineering programs [online]. http://www.abet.org/wp…/2015/05/E001-15-16-EAC-Criteria-03-10-15.pdf. Accessed 18 Dec 2015

  • Agdas S (2013) Effects of problem-based learning on development of critical thinking skills and dispositions in engineering. In: Abstract of Ph.D. dissertation presented to the Graduate School of the University of Florida, August 2013

    Google Scholar 

  • Association of American Colleges and Universities (AACU) (2009) Critical thinking VALUE rubric. AACU Critical Thinking Value Matrix. https://www.aacu.org/value/rubrics/critical-thinking

  • Association to Advance Collegiate Schools in Business (AACSB) (2013) AACSB assurance of learning standards: an interpretation, AACSB White Paper No. 3. http://www.sdabocconi.it/sites/default/.../2_aolwhitepaper_final_11_20_07.pdf. Accessed 3 May 2013

  • Banning M (2006) Measures that can be used to instil critical thinking in nurse prescribers. Nurse Educ Pract 6:98–105

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Behar-Horenstein L, Niu L (2011) Teaching critical thinking skills in higher education: a review of the literature. J Coll Teach Learn 8(2):25–41

    Google Scholar 

  • Bloom BS (1956) Taxonomy of educational objectives, handbook 1: cognitive domain. Longmans Green, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Boden D, Borrego M, Newswander LK (2011) Student socialization in interdisciplinary doctoral education. Higher Education 62:741–755. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-011-9415-1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bonney CR, Sternberg RJ (2016) Learning to think critically. In: Mayer RE, Alexander PA (eds), Handbook of research on learning and instruction, Taylor and Francis

    Google Scholar 

  • Borrego M, Newswander LK (2008) Characteristics of successful cross-discipline engineering education collaborations. J Eng Educ 97:123–134

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Borrego M, Foster MJ, Froyd JE (2014) Systematic literature reviews in engineering education and other developing interdisciplinary fields. J Eng Educ 103(1):45–76

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST)/Critical Thinking Skills Tests/Products/Home-Insight Assessment (n.d.). http://www.insightassessment.com. Accessed 4 July 2012

  • Chen H, Chiang R, Storey V (2012) Business intelligence and analytics: from big data to big impact. MIS Quarterly 36(4):1165–1188

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chiang R, Goes P, Stohr EA (2012) Business intelligence and analytics education, and program development: a unique opportunity for the information systems discipline. ACM Trans Manage Inf Syst 3(3):1–13

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coso AE, Bailey RR, Minzenmayer E (2010) How to approach an interdisciplinary engineering problem: characterizing undergraduate engineering students’ perceptions. IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference, Washington, DC. https://doi.org/10.1109/FIE.2010.5673313

  • Facione PA (2000) The disposition toward critical thinking: Its character, measurement, and relation to critical thinking skill. Informal Logic 20(1):61–84

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ghanizadeh A (2017) The interplay between reflective thinking, critical thinking, self-monitoring, and academic achievement in higher education. Higher Education 74:101–114

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Greeno JG, Collins AM, Resnick LB (1996) Cognition and learning. In: Berliner DC, Calfee RC (eds) Handbook of educational psychology. Macmillan, New York, pp 15–46

    Google Scholar 

  • Heizer J, Render B (2014) Principles of operation management, 9th edn. Pearson Publishing, USA

    Google Scholar 

  • Johri A, Olds BM, O’Connor K (2014) Situative frameworks for engineering learning research. In: Johri A, Olds BM (eds) Cambridge handbook of engineering education research. Cambridge University Press, New York, pp 47–66

    Google Scholar 

  • Lattuca LR, Knight DB, Ro HK, Novoselich BJ (2017) Supporting the development of engineers’ interdisciplinary competence. J Eng Educ 106(1):71–97

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Manyika J (2011) Big data: the next frontier for innovation, competition, and productivity, executive summary. McKinsey Global Institute. http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/business_technology/big_data_the_next_frontier_for_innovation. http://www.mckinsey.com/mgi/publications/big_data/pdfs/MGI_big_data_exec_summary.pdf

  • National Academy of Engineering (2004) The engineer of 2020: visions of engineering in the new century. National Academies Press, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Newswander LK, Borrego M (2009) Engagement in two interdisciplinary graduate programs. Higher Education 58(4):551–662. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-009-9215-z

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sheppard SD, Macatangay K, Colby A, Sullivan WM (2008) Educating engineers: designing for the future of the field. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco

    Google Scholar 

  • Paul R, Elder L (2010) The miniature guide to critical thinking concepts and tools. Foundation for Critical Thinking Press, Dillon Beach

    Google Scholar 

  • Siemens G, Long PD (2011) Penetrating the fog: analytics in learning and education. http://www.educause.edu/ero/article/penetrating-fog-analytics-learning-and-education

  • Simpson E, Courtney MD (2002) Critical thinking in nursing education: literature review. Int J Nurs Pract 8(2):89–98

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sternberg RJ (1997) The concept of intelligence and its role in lifelong learning and success. Am Psychol 52:1030–1037

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • St. Hill H, Yazici HJ, Zidek L (2015) Innovations in interprofessional education (IPE)—health professions, engineering and business: learning styles, critical thinking, and the impact on education and practice. In: IPE research paper presented at ASAHP 2015 Annual Meeting, Scottsdale, AZ, 28–30 October

    Google Scholar 

  • St. Hill H, Yazici HJ, Papkov T, Zidek L (2018–2019) Unpublished manuscript in review

    Google Scholar 

  • Terenzini PT, Reason RD (2010) Toward a more comprehensive understanding of college effects on student learning. In: Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the Consortium of Higher Education Researchers (CHER), Oslo, Norway

    Google Scholar 

  • Watson G, Glaser EM (1980) Watson-Glaser critical thinking appraisal: forms A and B; manual. Psychological Corporation

    Google Scholar 

  • Watson G, Glaser E (2002) Watson-Glaser critical thinking appraisal, UK edition: practice test. Psychological Corporation, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Yazici HJ (2004) Student perceptions of collaborative learning in operations management classes. J Educ Business 80(2):110–118

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yazici HJ (2005) A study of collaborative learning style and team learning performance. Education + Training 47(3):216–229

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Yazici HJ (2016) Role of learning style and interactive response systems on student learning outcomes in undergraduate business education. Int J Oper Manag Educ 6(2):109–134

    Google Scholar 

  • Yazici HJ (2017) Innovative assignment approach in operations course for enhancing critical thinking, engineering education track, interactive presentation. In: IISE Annual Meeting, Pittsburg, PA, 20–23 May 2017

    Google Scholar 

  • Yazici HJ, St. Hill H (2016a) Assessment of critical thinking learning outcomes in interdisciplinary education. In: IISE Annual Meeting, IS Evaluation and Teaching Tools Track, Anaheim, CA, 21–24 May

    Google Scholar 

  • Yazici HJ, St. Hill H (2016b) Critical thinking learning outcomes in operations with an interdisciplinary approach. In: POMS 27th Annual Conference, Teaching/Pedagogy in P/OM Track, Orlando, FL, 6–9 May 2016

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This research was funded by the Multidisciplinary Grant Research Initiative (MDRI, Number 2014–32), Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers, FL.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Lutgert College of Business, Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers, FL, USA

    Hulya Julie Yazici

  2. U.A. Whitaker College of Engineering, Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers, FL, USA

    Lisa A. Zidek

  3. Marieb College of Health and Human Services, Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers, FL, USA

    Halcyon St. Hill

Authors
  1. Hulya Julie Yazici
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Lisa A. Zidek
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Halcyon St. Hill
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hulya Julie Yazici .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA

    Alice E. Smith

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2020 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Yazici, H.J., Zidek, L.A., St. Hill, H. (2020). A Study of Critical Thinking and Cross-Disciplinary Teamwork in Engineering Education. In: Smith, A. (eds) Women in Industrial and Systems Engineering. Women in Engineering and Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-11866-2_8

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-11866-2_8

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-11865-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-11866-2

  • eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation