Cross-institutional collaboration in engineering education – a systematic review study

To uncover and analyze conceptualizations of cross-institutional
collaboration in engineering education, a systematic review study was
conducted, identifying commonalities in frameworks, assessments and
evaluations, and challenges across prior studies. 74 papers were
reviewed, revealing study descriptors, theoretically applied frameworks,
outcomes of assessments and evaluations, and common challenges. The
findings indicate that the concept of cross-institutional collaboration in
engineering education is region-specific, with papers most frequently
originating from the US. The outcomes identified also highlight the
difficulty in establishing clarity among outcomes based on assessments
and evaluations, since the majority of the reviewed papers do not
include empirical data gathered outside the collaborative activities. The
structural and personal challenges and barriers found underline the
need for more efforts to ensure successful collaboration with and across
engineering education. Finally, designing, delivering, and sustaining
collaboration require further attention from decision-makers in
engineering education to address and facilitate collaboration between
academic staff and students across institutions.