Developing teamwork and other professional skills while teaching reinforced concrete design

Professionals, in addition to being technically competent, need a range of generic skills. These include teamwork, communication, being able to think both critically and independently, being able to critically appraise one’s work and the work of others and an appreciation of the need and value of reflection in both their personal and professional life [1, 2]. However, there is a reported competency gap between the skills required by employers and those developed by students during their undergraduate courses [3, 4]. At the University of Technology, Sydney, we are using self and peer assessment in our Engineering program to develop professional competencies in undergraduate engineering students. Its co-ordinated use is providing opportunities for students to practise, develop and assess their professional skills and develop their judgement [5] within subjects where traditional discipline content is taught.