Experiential Learning, Interdisciplinarity, Projects, and Teamwork

Project work and teamwork are considered to be effective ways of developing the personal transferable skills that industry requires. In addition, carefully selected projects can help students work across the disciplines. It has been found that high levels of interdisciplinarity and integration may contribute to positive learning experiences. The common theme of this chapter is the project and the uses to which it is put with a particular focus on teamwork. The first section of the chapter focuses on the use of projects in interdisciplinary studies. Since the solution of many engineering problems requires the contributions and collaboration of persons from a number of disciplines, the second section describes some interdisciplinary investigations and concludes with a study that shows that cross-disciplinary practice is experienced in different ways by the participants. The chapter also discusses teamwork and Kolb's theory of learning of experiential learning.