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Ideas of Problem-based Learning

• As a learner-centred process, problem-based learning meets the learners' interests and as such gives room for developing learning motivation.

• Furthermore, problem-based learning emphasizes a development of analytic, methodical and transferable skills.

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Ideas of Project Work + PBL

Project work is a way of organizing the learning process that lead to development of abilities to:

• formulate objectives, aims and goals• start and end a project • analyse and specify problems or objectives• analyse and specify criteria for solution• write reports • collaborate, organize and plan the working process• handle projects• manage oneself

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What is a theme?

A framework for teaching and learning

• an area where technological development and human, social economic and political development are explicitly linked and mutually interact

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Methodological themes

Specification of the overall engineering methods/disciplines to be applied - but not specification of the area of specific engineering to which the method should be applied. There must be possibility to allow a broad range of different areas, e.g.:

• modelling of dynamic systems• design of engineering constructions

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Problem oriented themes

Concentrating on issues which are common to all engineering areas, e.g:

• working environment,

• natural resource consumption

• pollution

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What is a good theme?

• Must inspire and motivate the students, pose a challenge

• Broad to be able to integrate specific technical knowledge

• Clear description– what is it all about– actuality– state of the art– some of the problems to be solved– technological implications– clear relation to subjects/discipline– project examples

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Gaps

Deep under-standing

Traditional teaching focused on a broad overview

project project

???

The student understanding need not remember

exemplarity - interdisciplinary

?????

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Planning a project work

Conclusion:

• The project proposals should be in good correspondence with the theme of the semester

• Propose a problem project if possible

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Exercise – for another work-shop

• Choose a semester you know something about

• Prepare 1-3 project proposals (different types) for the semester

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Tasks of a supervisor

• In the beginning of a project:– Help to find appropriate literature– Help establishing contacts with companies ect.– Discussing the project proposal with the students

• During the whole project period:– Commenting both oral and written

presentations/memos/working paper– Continues assessment of the professional level of

both group and individual

• At the end:– examination

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Tools for supervision

• Setting learning objectives - Bloom

• Contracts

• Students peer assessment

• Process analysis (only first year)

• Change of the teaching role towards:– facilitation– dialogue

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Why Contracts:Create common expectations and clear

agreements. • Content could be:

– face to face meetings? (whenever possible)– how often are you going to have meetings? (once a week)– how long meetings (1 hour)– where? (in the group room)– agenda– chair of the meeting– students own objectives for the period– supervisors objectives for the period– areas of response to the Aworking papers@ during the

period:• Language, structure, details, methods

– external contacts– response to the group process

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An example: project supervision

Prepare the meeting by reading the working papers, reflecting the project structure and details, and formulate your own objectives for the meeting.

• let the students be responsibly of the agenda• start discussing the agenda• points in mind:

– the contract (formative evaluation) – external contacts– the structure of the project– the working process

• Ask questions about the content of the working papers

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Tasks for a group meeting

• Planning tasks• Subject tasks• Social aspect

where in the process?where in the educational progress?which type of project?types of students, experienced project

managers, good or poor, social aspect

Depending on:

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Characteristics for a well functioning group:

• Common goal or objectives

• Agreement about group standards

• The members ”plays” all the necessary roles

• All group members respect the others

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Roles of the supervisor

• The group member– Takes over responsibility for the project work– Very active in choice of theory and methods– Gives answers in stead of asking questions

• The visitor– Stands on the sideline, ready to kick or withdraw– Points out directions where to seek answers– The students own the project

• The consultant– Only activated on request– Only answers the questions asked – leave all decisions, planning and control to the group

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Facilitator interventions

• summarizing

• mirroring

• asking open-ended questions

• use why, how, what, where

• dynamic list of question

• feedback as rethinking loudly

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What about students cooperation?

How can the supervisor find out - and what to do? 

• ask to the way the students organize the work and discuss the working process

• ask to special project functions• discuss objectives for the organizational

aspects• individual consultations• feel the atmosphere - be present• let the student discuss• try to involve all the students

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What about students cooperation? - 2

Put on the students agenda when starting the project:

• level of ambitions

• how to share the work

• discipline of meetings

• how to solve conflicts

• social relation

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Assessment - the hidden curriculum

The aim of the study

goals

objectives

Forms of the exams and criteria

Teaching and learning methods: PBL and project work

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Basic assumptions

• Examination is dominating the students learning approach

• Criteria for evaluation are crucial for the learning process

• Personal skills, metalearning etc. need formative evaluation forms

• Evaluation is a basic part for the learning process (reflection)

• Education is forming identity

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Assessment - practice

1. ALL THE MEMBERS IN THE GROUP PRESENT PARTS OF THE PROJECT.MAX 10 MINUTES EACH and TEACHER AND EXTERNALEXAMINATORER GIVE COMMENT TO THE PRESENTATION

2. GENERAL DISCUSSION OF THE REPORT

3. INDIVIDUAL QUESTIONS

INDIVIDUAL MARKS BASED ON:

1. REPORT2. PRESENTATION3. DISCUSSION4. INDIVIDUAL QUESTION

Peer group

Project group

Supervisor and (external) censor

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Points

• Criteria and methods of self and peer assessment has to be integrated in the summative examination

• Evaluation/reflection has to be part of the learning environment - both as structures and at the informal level

• Supervisor has a role to play in facilitating students peer assessment