Browsing by Author "Scott J"

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
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    Fostering project management competencies in undergraduate engineering: An exploration of the use of management- educated tutors as coaches in problem-based learning
    (Engineers Australia, 2018-12-09) Khoo E; Scott J; McKie D; Cowie B
    CONTENT Problem-based learning (PBL) helps engineering graduates develop the competencies needed in order to engage effectively with complex and uncertain workplace demands. PBL’s effectiveness, however, also depends on students having the ability to manage themselves and to work collaboratively. As these professional competencies are not typically the focus of undergraduate engineering programmes, students tend to complete problem-based project work through their own initiatives without the skills relevant to project completion. On the other hand, project management competencies are commonly explicated and core in business and management disciplines. PURPOSE This paper reports on our project which addresses the research question: What is the impact of utilising a management-educated demonstrator to work with engineering students on their learning and development of project management competencies? APPROACH Our project intervention required students in a fourth-year advanced engineering problem-based course to regularly report their planning and project progress to a graduate management tutor (demonstrator manager). A third of the course marks was awarded by the tutor who provided business-informed coaching as feedback during each report planning session. Multiple forms of data were collected – pre-and post-course surveys, student focus group interviews, lecturer and tutor interviews and student formative and summative grades. RESULTS The findings highlighted that: (1) Students did gain a better understanding of key aspects of project management; (2) Students were generally supportive of the technique, but wanted more “introduction”, exposing their naivete where grading on management was concerned; (3) The approach could foster more Engineering-Management collaboration at a university; (4) The approach supports the accreditation goal of developing engineering graduates’ professional competencies related to management skills. CONCLUSIONS Given the multiple and complex challenges facing 21st-century society, engineering employers are increasingly seeking graduates who are both technical experts in their field and able to work with experts from other fields, including business and management. Our project contributes understandings on how interdisciplinary initiatives can develop such professional competencies that are important for engineering graduate work-readiness.
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    The Future of Work: Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the Workplace. (Report 16). BusinessFirstNZ
    (2023-11-21) Scott J; Macpherson W; Kobayashi K
    This report summarises the fourth BusinessFirstNZ workshop for 2024, and 17th in the series, hosted by the Massey Business School to engage local businesses. The initiative seeks to assist business leaders to highlight business problems and seek practical solutions in their pursuit of business excellence and sustainable competitive advantage. In this half-day workshop, Associate Professor David Brougham from the School of Management gave attendees an overview and update of AI before helping them explore how it can be used in their working and daily lives for greater efficiency, effectiveness, and ultimately productivity. David drew on his expertise and research in the future of work to take participants through an afternoon of considering how emerging technologies might impact their workplace. The focus of the workshop was supporting attendees to think about the challenges and opportunities their business is likely to face in the next ten years, the jobs that might be automated in their industry, and to focus on the future of automation in their line of work. Highlights of the workshop included: • An overview of disruptive technologies, their impact on companies, and understanding the adoption of new ideas, products, and activities • Discussion on the different ways businesses already engage with AI tools, such as ChatGPT • Brainstorming about the ways in which businesses might use AI tools in the future • Implications for businesses as AI tools continue to become more mainstream
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    Towards a ‘Community for Practice’—A Narrative Analysis of the Evolution of Higher Education Scholars
    (MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2023-12-14) Scott J; Pryce J; Reinke NB; Li D; Shuker M-A; Singleton R; Tsai A; Parkinson AL; Ambler T; Sinnayah P; Lim J; Kramarski B
    n higher education (HE), collaborative activities that revolve around a core idea, practice, or knowledge base, such as learning circles, communities of practice or inquiry, peer observation, and peer-assisted teaching, are known to support professional learning. This paper explores the experiences of eight HE scholars from Australia and New Zealand, across four years, as they recognized a new means of collaborative professional development that transcends known approaches and extends beyond an immediate focal point. The group originally formed to support the development of HE fellowship applications, but evolved to what they now consider a community for practice (CfP), where the purpose of collaboration has changed to meet the unique learning needs of each member. During their four years of collaboration, meeting discussions were recorded, and individual and community narrative reflections about participation in the group were created. A thematic analysis of these collective data sources revealed the group’s evolution, and the authors draw on their experiences to tell their story with an aim to enhance professional learning in HE. The study highlights that individuals’ distinct and varied needs can be developed and supported through scholarly, collegial engagements such as a CfP, which does not necessarily require an immediate point of practice.