Project families: How to improve learning in thesis works and increase impact on research

This paper describes the development of a new concept for organizing thesis work and supervision with the purpose of improving civil engineer students learning within the general key competences and increase their contribution to research and development, by using the student, supervisor and technicians resources in a more efficient way.This concept organizes the traditional thesis works with 1 or 2 students collaborating at a project and a report into project families. A project family consists of a number of project students focusing on a common problem, where the students works supplement each other, share the supervisor team, test facilities, data and project room, while still being independent. The paper presents results for 104 students thesis works and documents significant improvements in learning and in contributions to research and thus a better and more efficient use of the students resources and of the university resources.