Improving Students' Critical Thinking and Communication Skills

Abstract

University engineering faculties, professional engineering institutions and industry increasingly recognize that higher education should support students to develop key professional skills such as critical thinking and communication skills. This paper examines three activities aimed at teaching these skills, i.e. practical open-ended group activities; discussion with experts or as experts; and peer assessment. These methods were assessed in terms of student and staff opinions, but also practicality. Our research indicates that it is beneficial to integrate and balance these three types of activities within engineering degrees as they complement each other. Our findings and conclusions can be applicable to any engineering degree, whether the aim is to incorporate the teaching of these skills in a small activity within a module or a full programme of studies.