Change Learning Culture with Collaboration Keith Willey University of Technology, Sydney PO Box 123 Broadway, NSW. 2007 +61 2 9514 7605 Keith.Willey@uts.edu.au Anne Gardner University of Technology, Sydney PO Box 123 Broadway, NSW. 2007 +61 2 9514 2622 Anne.Gardner@uts.edu.au ABSTRACT Engineers are often required to make critical judgments involving decisions that extend beyond traditional discipline boundaries, requiring professional engineers to undertake ongoing learning. Much of this learning is informal, learnt on the job from peers from different disciplines. To develop the skills required for professional practice students need opportunities to work in a collaborative learning environment. Many students resist having to take responsibility for their own learning rather expecting this to be the responsibility of their teaching academics. This resistance is often associated with Asian cultures where there is a perception of reliance on rote learning and an expectation of being passively taught. Furthermore, undertaking collaborative activities may be more difficult when students are not being taught in their primary language. While teaching an undergraduate engineering science program in Hong Kong the authors had initially found it difficult to motivate students to participate in learning activities that involved them using their judgement or critical analysis. In response, learning activities were redesigned to integrate collaborative peer learning and promote a culture of learning rather than a focus on passing a series of assessments. We found that students whose previous learning experiences were mainly passive despite some initial apprehension not only adjusted, but enthusiastically engaged in collaborative learning when given the opportunity. Furthermore, the formative nature of the activities freed students from the burden of strategically collecting marks, allowing them to focus on learning, take responsibility for their own progress and encouraged active participation in the learning process. 1. INTRODUCTION Engineers are often required to make critical judgements involving decisions that extend beyond traditional discipline boundaries. This requires professional engineers to undertake ongoing learning. Much of this learning is informal, learnt on the job from peers from different disciplines [1]. To enable students to develop the skills required for professional practice they require opportunities to experience, practise, reflect and improve their ability to work in a collaborative learning environment. Many students resist having to take responsibility for their own learning rather expecting this to be the responsibility of their teaching academics. This resistance has often been associated with Asian cultures where there is a perception of reliance on rote learning and an expectation of being passively taught. This perception is probably strengthened by students’ previous educational experience that often combined didactic teaching and passive learning. Furthermore, this perception may be self- perpetuating whereby academics, believing that students have a preference for passive rote learning, structure their teaching and assessment accordingly [2]. Kember [2] uses evidence from over 90 action research projects to disprove the common assertion that Asian students prefer passive learning and resist teaching innovation. While undertaking collaborative activities may be more difficult when students are not being taught in their primary language, Kember reports that students will adjust and engage in collaborative learning activities if given the opportunity. The University of Technology, Sydney teaches an undergraduate engineering science program in Hong Kong, where subjects are mostly delivered in a block mode. Students have typically undertaken previous engineering studies at a local polytechnic. The authors had found it initially difficult to motivate students to participate in collaborative learning activities and in particular those that involved them using their own judgement or critical analysis. In this paper we discuss the results from an evolutionary research investigation examining the effectiveness of integrated collaborative peer learning activities to address this issue. 2. BACKGROUND A number of researchers and government-sponsored reports [3 - 6] discuss a gap between skills typically developed in engineering education and a range of skills required for professional practice such as communication, critical thinking, leadership, teamwork and life long learning capabilities. This requires not only considering what is taught but how it is taught [3]. Workplace learning and certainly practice is often collaborative [7]. It follows that students’ preparation for entering this environment should include opportunities to practise collaborative learning with their peers. The skills to critically evaluate and clearly articulate your point of view are necessary to successfully participate in collaborative professional practice. Despite this students often receive only cursory training combined with infrequent opportunities to develop such skills. Collaborative learning is also attractive from the perspective of the constructivist model of learning [8]. The constructivist view is that learning takes place when students construct their knowledge through individual engagement and social interactions WEE2011, September 27-30, 2011, Lisbon, Portugal. Editors: Jorge Bernardino and José Carlos Quadrado.