Engineering Students' Experiences with Interdisciplinary Multiteam Collaboration

Interdisciplinary collaboration is necessary to overcome sustainability and climate challenges and to create sustainable innovations. Therefore, interdisciplinary collaboration is an important learning outcome in engineering education. However, learning to cross the boundaries is not an easy task due to different knowledge, scientific languages, and generic competencies, neither within single teams nor in multiteam systems. In this paper, we will present data on the collaboration within multiteam systems and how engineering students experience these learning processes. The research question is: What collaborative learning experiences have engineering students working on interdisciplinary multiteam system projects encountered, and how can these experiences be used to guide the design of learning activities supporting interdisciplinary collaboration? Earlier studies identify coordination in the meaning of leadership and management as key variables in successful multiteam systems; however, in this study we will draw on the same data with lenses on the interactive collaborative aspects. This empirical study draws on insights from a case study including data from 8 engineering groups from the faculty of engineering and science working in interdisciplinary multiteam systems on system projects. Based on the students' experiences with interdisciplinary collaboration in multiteam systems projects, four themes were identified: 1) Communication and knowledge sharing, 2) Cognitive trust and confidence, 3) Compromising and followship and 4) Collective ownership of goals. Understanding the variables and the diversity with different types of interdisciplinary projects can support the educators in the design process for the interdisciplinary learning activities.