Approaches to joint problem-solving in multi-disciplinary distributed teams

This paper focuses on the different approaches that multidisciplinary teams adopt when solving a design problem. After a literature review on terms regarding work across more than one discipline, the Disciplinarity Matrix merges the terminology present across literature into a single classification, displaying which kind of multidisciplinary work can be expected depending on the project setup, followed an application on an educational Global Design Project across four universities in which students designed an artefact in a distributed, multidisciplinary team. Their approaches are discussed and the design output is taken into account in order to classify and evaluate the teams’ success. The key findings include that both multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches can be successful, but need sufficient resources, especially time, to unfold their potential. Recommendations for multidisciplinary team work are not limited to the setup, but include requirements such as openness, a common language and moderation skills, which provide avenues to successful work in both educational and industrial multidisciplinary projects

Workshop session : How can social network sites support collaboration within product design education?

In line with the conference theme of collaboration and cross-disciplinary, this workshop will discuss the role of social network sites in design education. Social network sites are an everyday tool to communicate with friends and family. Students have adopted the technology not only in their social lives but also to facilitate their academic work. Studies have indicated that social network sites make it easier for students to share formal and informal information within group project work, and achieve more timely communication. From a pedagogical perspective, this raises interesting questions regarding how a team’s social dynamics could change when it comes to participating in group projects, how we can support and encourage students to use social network sites, as well as how appropriate our involvement is. Since these sites reflect a record of the communication, interaction and collaboration within the group, is it possible to use a student’s involvement in a social network environment as an evaluation of their performance? If you interested in learning more about using social network sites to support collaboration, this workshop will act as an introduction to current and future use of the communication methods and can help you to understand how students today are utilising platforms such as Facebook and Twitter for effective design communication