CDIO approach to write Reference Models for training decision skills

Preparing engineering students for the future is becoming increasingly challenging as the pace in world and business environment escalates. The CDIO initiative provides curriculum designers and faculty with a template that stress the fundamental attributes that engineering graduates should possess when they enter the workplace. As discussed in this article, the template can also be applied as a framework to set forth educational guidelines on a particular subject. In particular this article examines how the CDIO methodological approach is applied to mature a procedure for enhancing certain managerial skills. The procedure is aimed to guide educational institutions how to implement training on judgement and decision-making skills in situations that are volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA). The outcome presents seven essential and successive decision skills that are to be adopted in the curriculum. The curriculum development is progressed via six stage-based reference models (6RM). Each of the six reference models constitutes the set of criteria needed for the implementation and adaption of the required change processes. Furthermore, each reference model comes with a rubric for a self-assessment on the current maturity of a VUCA based educational program. The point position to communicate the seven decision skills and other managerial challenges to address can also be scaled with the 6RM. The seven decision skills and the Six Reference Models are the offspring of the Erasmus+ funded program Dahoy that started in 2017 and completed in 2020. The 6RM were tested as a pilot study at the Engineering Department of Reykjavik University in 2020 with positive results.