Working in large teams: measuring the impact of a teamwork model to facilitate teamwork development in engineering students working in a real project

Teamwork is an essential competency for engineering graduates. Companies use high performing teams to efficiently adapt and meet complex societal demands. In several engineering programs students are expected to work in teams; however, teamwork is seen by most students as a course requirement to get a grade, rather than as a skill they need to master to become effective engineers. The purpose of this study is to understand the experiences of students and measure the effectiveness of a teamwork training model used to manage large teams and promote teamwork competencies in engineering students when working on a real senior capstone design project. We used a mixed methods approach. For quantitative data, descriptive and inferential statistics are reported to understand how the students' perceptions about different teamwork constructs changed after the semester concluded. In addition, qualitative data were collected by semi-structured interviews. Results suggest that the teamwork model used to train the students was effective in helping them achieve their desired teamwork competencies and overcome the challenges of working in large teams. Students reported that they felt more ready to face the professional engineering working environment as they now recognize teamwork is a key required competency

Radio to microwave dielectric characterisation of constitutive electromagnetic soil properties using vector network analyses

The knowledge of constitutive broadband electromagnetic (EM) properties of porous media such as soils and rocks is essential in the theoretical and numerical modeling of EM wave propagation in the subsurface. This paper presents an experimental and numerical study on the performance EM measuring instruments for broadband EM wave in the radio-microwave frequency range. 3-D numerical calculations of a specific sensor were carried out using the Ansys HFSS (high frequency structural simulator) to further evaluate the probe performance. In addition, six different sensors of varying design, application purpose, and operational frequency range, were tested on different calibration liquids and a sample of fine-grained soil over a frequency range of 1 MHz-40 GHz using four vector network analysers. The resulting dielectric spectrum of the soil was analysed and interpreted using a 3-term Cole-Cole model under consideration of a direct current conductivity contribution. Comparison of sensor performances on calibration materials and fine-grained soils showed consistency in the measured dielectric spectra at a frequency range from 100 MHz-2 GHz. By combining open-ended coaxial line and coaxial transmission line measurements, the observable frequency window could be extended to a truly broad frequency range of 1 MHz-40 GHz