{"id":4621,"date":"2026-10-06T14:37:34","date_gmt":"2026-10-06T13:37:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/microsites.ncl.ac.uk\/casestudies\/?p=4621"},"modified":"2026-10-06T14:37:34","modified_gmt":"2026-10-06T13:37:34","slug":"assessing-multi-discipline-group-projects-in-engineering","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/microsites.ncl.ac.uk\/casestudies\/2026\/10\/06\/assessing-multi-discipline-group-projects-in-engineering\/","title":{"rendered":"Assessing multi-discipline group projects in Engineering"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span class=\"TextRun SCXW224722271 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW224722271 BCX0\">A<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW224722271 BCX0\">\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW224722271 BCX0\">Postgraduate engineering project where mixed-discipline teams collaborate over a year on a design task. Assessment covers both output and teamwork, with structured feedback, peer review, and individual contributions shaping final marks and skill development.<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP Selected SCXW224722271 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:278}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #003f80;\"><strong>Our challenge \/ opportunity<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">This case study describes a\u00a0group project in postgraduate engineering\u00a0that draws together students\u00a0from across engineering disciplines into working teams for a group assessment. Students must each draw on their area of expertise with\u00a0allocated\u00a0inputs.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:278}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Stated module aims and\u00a0objectives\u00a0are:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:278}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"4\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Working as a member of a team, to jointly develop and manage a\u00a0design or research project, to present its findings, and to produce a\u00a0team project report.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:278}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"4\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">To develop competence and skills in: Team management; time and\u00a0task management; research and information retrieval; oral and written\u00a0presentation; interpersonal skills.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">A particular challenge with this project is that we assess the process of team work as well as the product produced by each group.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:278}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><strong><span style=\"color: #003f80;\">Our solution (approach)<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">The teams are formed by the teaching staff to\u00a0ensure a mix of demographic features such as gender and nationality, a balance in the range of disciplines\u00a0presented in the cohort, and an approximately equal average of Stage 3 grade outcomes (a mix of students holding grades of 1<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">st<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">, 2:1, and 2:2).<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:278}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">The project runs over the course of a full year,\u00a0starting with a period where the students\u00a0select\u00a0a\u00a0topic and define\u00a0a\u00a0design problem\u00a0for their chosen context. We suggest that the groups\u00a0initially\u00a0come up with\u00a0a few different\u00a0ideas and\u00a0then work together on the best one.\u00a0This culminates in a project pitch presentation to academics and representatives from industry, where students can gain some feedback on their plans.\u00a0As well as this\u00a0initial\u00a0presentation after six weeks, there are further formative assessment opportunities where the teams can gain feedback on their projects at\u00a0fifteen and twenty-six weeks through the project.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:278}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Throughout the project, the groups are expected to hold formal team meetings to\u00a0plan and allocate tasks, discuss their progress,\u00a0and identify what actions need to be taken to keep the group on track, including recording when members of the team are not performing to expectations.\u00a0Each group\u00a0elects\u00a0a Chair and Secretary who take these roles for their meetings throughout the project,\u00a0and the team is expected to report progress\u00a0to the academic team, which should be done by inviting\u00a0one of them to attend a meeting, and providing a written report when\u00a0appropriate.\u00a0The individuals in the team are also expected to keep logs\u00a0of their individual work on the project, which are\u00a0submitted\u00a0along with the summative assessed elements, and used to moderate individual marks.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:278}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_4626\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4626\" class=\"wp-image-4626 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/microsites.ncl.ac.uk\/casestudies\/files\/2026\/08\/K-Pazouiki-case-study-image.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"235\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-4626\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Students from one of the project teams alongside industry representatives<\/p><\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">There are three summative elements, which are all\u00a0submitted\u00a0at the end of the design process.\u00a0The team collectively write two linked\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Project Reports<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">:\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:278}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"5\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">One\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">technical report<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0detailing the design and problem-solving aspects of the project, with an overall limit of two-hundred pages.\u00a0Students will\u00a0be responsible for\u00a0writing specific sections of this report, in line with their specific discipline within engineering.\u00a0These individual chapters generate an individual\u00a0mark, and\u00a0are\u00a0assessed\u00a0by\u00a0a marker from the same specialism.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:278}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"5\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">A\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Critical Review<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0which is written in a sixteen-page provided template document. This outlines\u00a0a summary of the design, a review of design aspects, and an in-depth critical review of the success of the design.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:278}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">The second element is a\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Group Presentation and Poster<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">,\u00a0presented at the end of Semester 2. Creativity is encouraged to allow for students to use\u00a0multimedia.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:278}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">The final element is a\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Team Organisation Report<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">,\u00a0outlining\u00a0the input of\u00a0each individual, reporting on the organisation and effectiveness of the\u00a0team as a whole, and\u00a0including documents such as project schedules, meeting minutes,\u00a0peer reviews,\u00a0and individual logbooks.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:278}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">The individual work in the Technical Report, peer reviews, and formative assessment points (including academic attendance at team meetings) provides a robust structure to ensure that individual marks are\u00a0allocated\u00a0fairly. A group mark is decided\u00a0overall, and\u00a0then adjusted based on the input of\u00a0each individual.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:278}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><strong><span style=\"color: #003f80;\">The impact (results)<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span class=\"TextRun SCXW202166872 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW202166872 BCX0\">Students are\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW202166872 BCX0\">generally positive<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW202166872 BCX0\">\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW202166872 BCX0\">about this approach, enjoying the project, but also viewing the grading process as fair, with\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW202166872 BCX0\">some marks\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW202166872 BCX0\">allocated<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW202166872 BCX0\">\u00a0based on contributions to the team. Moreover, students\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun AdvancedProofingIssueV2Themed SCXW202166872 BCX0\">are able to<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW202166872 BCX0\">\u00a0develop val<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW202166872 BCX0\">uable skills through working together, particularly in communication and collaboration<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW202166872 BCX0\">, which they are then able to cite as experience when it comes to job applications.<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP Selected SCXW202166872 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:278}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><strong><span style=\"color: #003f80;\">Lessons learned<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW120880669 BCX0\">We had previously grouped students differently,\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW120880669 BCX0\">particularly i<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW120880669 BCX0\">n grouping together students with similar grades or degree classifications. We found that this did not work\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW120880669 BCX0\">as\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed SCXW120880669 BCX0\">effectively, and<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW120880669 BCX0\">\u00a0lost many of the benefits of peer learning and working, and working collaboratively.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><strong><span style=\"color: #003f80;\">Tips for colleagues<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Our peer review process is in two stages: firstly, the teams agree a set of\u00a0grades\u00a0together, following the question \u2018assuming that your group average mark is 70, what should each member of the team score, based upon their input into the group?\u2019\u00a0Scores 70 across the board are not accepted, and teams\u00a0have to\u00a0properly negotiate\u00a0and\u00a0identify\u00a0where the workload has fallen.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:278}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">This is followed with each individual member\u00a0submitting\u00a0individual grades based on their own feelings, with a brief justification for why certain team members may have scored higher or lower (based on things like input and attendance). We have found that this process allows students to bring some honesty outside of the group submission. These moderating marks are used, along with other evidence from meeting minutes, tutorials, and tutor observation, to adjust marks for individuals\u00a0from the group score.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><strong><span style=\"color: #003f80;\">Skills and attributes<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Students were able to develop the following attributes:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/microsites.ncl.ac.uk\/casestudies\/tag\/reflective-and-self-aware\/\">Reflective and self-aware<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/microsites.ncl.ac.uk\/casestudies\/tag\/critical-thinking\/\">Critical thinking<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/microsites.ncl.ac.uk\/casestudies\/tag\/problem-solving\/\">Problem solving<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/microsites.ncl.ac.uk\/casestudies\/tag\/creative-thinking\/\">Creative thinking<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/microsites.ncl.ac.uk\/casestudies\/tag\/communication\/\">Communication<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/microsites.ncl.ac.uk\/casestudies\/tag\/collaboration\/\">Collaboration<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/microsites.ncl.ac.uk\/casestudies\/tag\/future-focused\/\">Future focused<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><strong><span style=\"color: #003f80;\">Education for Life Strategy<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>This case study reflects the following aims of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncl.ac.uk\/who-we-are\/education-strategy\">Education for Life strategy<\/a>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Equity<\/strong>: To provide a core, universal offer for all students, including tailored provision where needed, to ensure equity of access, experience and in outcomes for all, regardless of background, identity, nationality, location or mode of study.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Encounters with the Leading Edge<\/strong>: To put at the heart of our curriculum and learning experiences, encounters with our world leading research and the leading edge of industry and practice.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Fit for the future<\/strong>: To ensure our students are fit for their future, our teaching is fit for the future of our offer, and our colleagues are fit for the future of HE<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<div style=\"border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 10px; margin-top: 20px;\">\n<h3><strong><span style=\"color: #003f80;\">Authors<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"vertical-align: top; padding-right: 10px;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-4623 size-thumbnail\" src=\"http:\/\/microsites.ncl.ac.uk\/casestudies\/files\/2026\/08\/Dr-Kayvan-Pazouki-150x150.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/microsites.ncl.ac.uk\/casestudies\/files\/2026\/08\/Dr-Kayvan-Pazouki-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/microsites.ncl.ac.uk\/casestudies\/files\/2026\/08\/Dr-Kayvan-Pazouki-174x174.png 174w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/td>\n<td style=\"vertical-align: top; text-align: left;\"><strong>Dr Kayvan Pazouki<\/strong><br \/>\nSenior Lecturer<br \/>\nSchool of Engineering<br \/>\n<a href=\"mailto:kayvan.pazouki@newcastle.ac.uk\">kayvan.pazouki@newcastle.ac.uk<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dr Kayvan Pazouki describes a Postgraduate engineering project where mixed-discipline teams collaborate over a year on a design task. Assessment covers both output and teamwork, with structured feedback, peer review, and individual contributions shaping final marks and skill development. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11053,"featured_media":4624,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,280,585,636,265,589,588,582,273],"tags":[653,676,678,675,650,677],"class_list":["post-4621","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all","category-assessment-and-feedback","category-design-thinking","category-ep","category-engineering","category-groupwork-collaborative-learning","category-pbl","category-reflective-practice","category-sage","tag-employability","tag-interpersonal-skills","tag-presentation-skills","tag-project-working","tag-research-skills","tag-time-management"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/microsites.ncl.ac.uk\/casestudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4621","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/microsites.ncl.ac.uk\/casestudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/microsites.ncl.ac.uk\/casestudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microsites.ncl.ac.uk\/casestudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11053"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microsites.ncl.ac.uk\/casestudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4621"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/microsites.ncl.ac.uk\/casestudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4621\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4671,"href":"https:\/\/microsites.ncl.ac.uk\/casestudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4621\/revisions\/4671"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microsites.ncl.ac.uk\/casestudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4624"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/microsites.ncl.ac.uk\/casestudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4621"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microsites.ncl.ac.uk\/casestudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4621"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microsites.ncl.ac.uk\/casestudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4621"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}