An exploration of the cognitive processes of design teams to inform design education and practice

While design is associated with novelty and creativity, few studies have explored the cognitive processes employed during team interactions. Design practice is collaborative where designers work in multidisciplinary teams. Along with the cognitive skills involved in designing, designers also need skills to work in teams, share information, and negotiate decisions. The aim of this study is to understand the cognitive processes used by design teams during the early phases of product design.  This study uses case studies and applies content analysis to examine the conversations of design teams during the problem definition, ideation, and concept development phases of the design process. Creativity has been described in terms of sudden bursts of ideas described as creative leaps and is associated with creative thinking. The findings in this study shows that while creative thinking is essential to creative teams, other cognitive modes such as knowledge processing, critical thinking, and metacognition are engaged in more frequently.  The emphasis of each cognitive process also varies depending on the phase of the design process. These findings have implications for how design students are educated, the skills required and how we promote creativity in design teams

Researching Recognition of Prior Learning; the significance of assessor’s values and beliefs within the Totally Pedagogised Society

[EN] This research is exploring the values and beliefs of academic assessors around Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) in order to better understand their mindset and provide a foundation for best practice informed by all actors. An interpretative research design and random stratified sampling allowed for 31 interviews with assessors in an institute of technology setting in Ireland. Bernstein’s theories of classification and framing of knowledge and the related ideas of power and control provided the conceptual framework for analysis of the data. The notion of assessors as actors within the totally pedagogised society also supported analysis. Two themes emerge from the data. The first relates to the primary values and beliefs of assessors around RPL that are related to defending the standards of the formal learning system. The second theme balancing, diverges from this and provides further understanding of positions taken with the assessment of RPL. The research concludes that practitioner networks are necessary to cultivate pedagogic agency for RPL through both the official and pedagogic recontextualisation fieldsO'leary, P.; Ledwith, A. (2016). Researching Recognition of Prior Learning; the significance of assessor’s values and beliefs within the Totally Pedagogised Society. En 2nd. International conference on higher education advances (HEAD'16). Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 35-42. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAD16.2015.2492OCS354

Management of new product development in small Irish electronics firms

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Is design education preparing product for the real world? A study of product design graduates in Ireland

This study aims to identify professional product design roles. It presents the results of a survey of 251 graduates from undergraduate product design courses. Data was gathered about graduate s job descriptions; the companies that employ product designers and the postgraduate education taken. The objective was to show how design practice has evolved and the effect that this has had on product design as a discipline. The results highlight the cross over between design disciplines, the integration of product designers across different industries and the variety of roles that product designers undertake. Implications for product design education are discussed and recommendations are presented

Using anti-plagiarism software to promote academic honesty in the context of peer reviewed assignments

A variety of free and commercial software applications designed to detect plagiarism from Internet sources has appeared in recent years. However, their effectiveness and impact on student behaviour has been assumed rather than confirmed. The study presented here explores the responses and perceptions of a group of first year students at an Irish university after their first contact with anti-plagiarism software in the context of peer-reviewed assignments. The results indicate that the use of anti-plagiarism software led to a decrease in Internet plagiarism and to lower grades being awarded in peer reviews. Additionally, students were found to have a positive attitude towards the anti-plagiarism software in the context of peer reviewed assignments. Implications for educators on the use of this software are discussed

Project control system (PCS) implementation in engineering and construction projects: an empirical study in Saudi’s petroleum and chemical industry

Purpose – There is growing recognition that effective project control systems (PCS) are critical to the success of projects. The relationship between the individual elements of PCS and successfully achieving project objectives has yet to be explored. This research investigates the enablers and barriers that influence the elements of PCS success and drive project objectives. Design/methodology/approach – This study adopts a mixed approach of descriptive analysis and regression models to explore the impact of six PCS elements on project outcomes. Petroleum and chemical projects in Saudi Arabia were selected as a case study to validate the research model. Findings –Data from a survey of 400 project managers in Saudi’s petroleum and chemical industry reveal that successful PCS are the key to achieving all project outcomes, but they are particularly critical for meeting project cost objectives. Project Governance was identified as the most important of the six PCS elements for meeting project objectives. A lack of standard processes emerged as the most significant barrier to achieving effective project governance, while having skilled and experienced project team members was the most significant enabler for implementing earned value. Practical implications – The study offers a direction for implementing and developing PCS as a strategic tool and focuses on the PCS elements that can improve project outcomes. Originality/value – This research contributes to project management knowledge and differs from previous attempts in two ways. Firstly, it investigates the elements of PCS that are critical to achieving project scope, schedule and cost objectives; secondly, enablers and barriers of PCS success are examined to see how they influence each element independently.</p