PBL models in Australia Assoc. Professor Roger Hadgraft Director, Engineering Learning Unit The University of Melbourne ALTC National Discipline Scholar

PBL models in Australia

Assoc. Professor Roger HadgraftDirector, Engineering Learning UnitThe University of Melbourne

ALTC National Discipline Scholar (with Prof. Ian Cameron, UQ)

Overview

• Trace PBL activities in Australia• Discuss different approaches

taken over 20 years• Consider future needs• Make some recommendations for

joint action

Contributions acknowledged

• Lyn Brodie, USQ• Ian Cameron, UQ• Gary Codner, Monash• Anne Gardner, UTS• David Jorgensen, CQU• Julie Mills, UniSA• Alex Stojcevski, VU

Some History

• Early experiments from 1991• UQ, Chem Eng from about 1995• Monash (Civil Eng) and CQU

from 1998• USQ, UniSA, UTS from ?• RMIT from 2004• VU from 2007• And others

Early experiments

• Focussed on single subjects by early adopters

• Enthusiastic though not much evaluation other than what came through the assessment process

• Sufficiently encouraging for wider adoption in many places

A New Degree in Civil A New Degree in Civil EngineeringEngineering

Roger Hadgraft and Paul Roger Hadgraft and Paul GrundyGrundy

Monash UniversityMonash University

1996 Review of 1996 Review of Engineering EducationEngineering Education

a broader educationa broader education more non-traditional studentsmore non-traditional students generic skills in communication, etcgeneric skills in communication, etc lifelong learninglifelong learning diversity in degree programsdiversity in degree programs innovation, alliances, collaboration innovation, alliances, collaboration

with industrywith industry

Basis of the new degreeBasis of the new degree

Project-Based LearningProject-Based Learning– All subjects would have a substantial All subjects would have a substantial projectproject component (50-100%) component (50-100%)

Students develop theoretical Students develop theoretical understanding understanding – as well as those workplace skills identified as well as those workplace skills identified

by the Reviewby the Review– Learn to DO engineering and BE an

engineer

Project Centred Curriculum for Project Centred Curriculum for Chemical EngineeringChemical Engineering

Ian T CameronIan T Cameron

ALTC Discipline ScholarALTC Discipline ScholarSchool of Chemical EngineeringSchool of Chemical Engineering

The University of Queensland, AustraliaThe University of Queensland, Australia

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Year 4

Systems Based Courses[Project Centred Spine] Elective Courses

Basic Sciences & Chemical Engineering Science Courses

A Project Centred Curriculum DesignA Project Centred Curriculum Design

Performance (CEQ Data)Performance (CEQ Data)

RMIT – Royal Melbourne RMIT – Royal Melbourne Institute of TechnologyInstitute of Technology

Similar UQ model introduced in:Similar UQ model introduced in: Civil engineering (2004)Civil engineering (2004) Chemical Engineering (2005)Chemical Engineering (2005) Environmental Engineering (2005)Environmental Engineering (2005)

25% of each semester is an integrating project 25% of each semester is an integrating project

Integrated IndustryProjects in Degree

Courses

David Jorgensen

Central Queensland University

Work Integrated Learning (WIL) in Project Based Learning (PBL)

What makes PBL WIL?

1st year PBL Class Project

Activities

Integrates a ‘work’ project into PBL

activity…but is perhaps a bit contrived?…is it WIL?

WIL/PBLCourse ProjectExpo

Final year and later year teams

Structure inspired by Aalborg Univ.

50% of semester is project.

USQ Problem Solving StrandInnovation in curricula, learning and teaching

Lyn Brodie (Team Leader)On behalf of the Faculty Teaching Team

PBL (problem/project based learning) delivered to on-campus and distance students working in virtual teams Teams work entirely in electronic communication

media – synchronous and asynchronous, across time zones etc

This strategy has also been taken up by on-campus students

Strand of 4 articulated courses integrated into a vertical stream within all programs and majors BEng (4yrs), BTech (3yrs), AD (2yrs); 9 majors Teams are a mixture of all programs and majors Diverse student cohort – mature age, working in

industry etc

Diverse student intake Prior educational experience; skills and

knowledge Aim to use this

diversity within teams for peer assistance and mentoring

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

18 - 24 yrs 25 - 29 yrs 30 - 39 yrs 40 - 49 yrs >50 yrs

Distance students

Oncampus students

Category 1: ‘Necessary for program progression’

Category 2: ‘Developing skills to solve technical Engineering and Surveying problems’

Category 3: ‘Developing skills to work effectively in teams in virtual space’

Category 4: ‘A unique approach to learning how to learn’

Category 5: ‘Enhancing personal growth’

Shift in student attitudes

Project based learning in

Civil Engineering at the University

of South Australia

Assoc Prof Julie Mills

Project based learning in

Civil Engineering at the University

of South Australia

Assoc Prof Julie Mills

School of Natural and Built EnvironmentsSchool of Natural and Built Environments

Project-based learning in Civil Engineering

• Project work is integrated into almost every

course in every year of degree

• Projects done individually, in pairs, in small

groups or as a whole class

• Project assessment ranges from 10% to

100% of the assessment for the course

• Final year studies are > 50% project-based

• Somewhat similar to the Monash approach


Project example Year 2

Spaghetti bridge building


Project Examples, year 3

• Professional Engineering Practice – group project: submit a tender for Project

Management

• Structural Engineering – design of steel and reinforced concrete

structures (e.g. Mawson Lakes Hotel)

• Water Engineering – design a stormwater drainage system for a

new subdivision


• Environmental Engineering: evaluation

of a major Environmental Impact Report

(e.g. Port River expressway, SEA gas pipeline)

• Full-year, Research project: pairs of

students; 25% of final year load

– Projects industry-based, either sponsored

or supervised by industry

Project Examples, year 4

27www.vu.edu.au/pbl

Assoc. Prof. Alex StojcevskiAssociate Professor of Engineering EducationDirector, Office for Problem Based Learning

VICTORIA UNIVERSITY

The VU Engineering PBL Model

28www.vu.edu.au/pbl

VU ENGINEERING PBLLEARNING PRINCIPLES

29www.vu.edu.au/pbl

In year 1 students work on small PROBLEMS to

achieve the Fundamentals

In years 2 & 3 students work on PROJECTS which could be community and/or industry

based

Year 4: Engineering PRACTICE on Industry

Projects

THE VU PBL ENG. MODEL

30www.vu.edu.au/pbl

INSTITUTIONAL LEVEL MODEL

Institutional Level PBL Model

Unit of StudyUnit of Study

Unit of Study

Unit of Study

Proje

ct

Theme

UTS:ENGINEERINGCRICOS Provider No: 00099F

Professional Practice Program at

University of Technology, Sydney

Anne Gardner


• All local engineering students must complete the BE / DipEngPrac

• Students enrolled in BE / DipEngPrac must complete 2 x 24 week internships & pass the associated subjects

• Up to 300 students each semester complete an internship


Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5

Summary of developments

• Subject level changes – Monash, USQ, UniSA• Structural changes:

25% project per semester – UQ and, later, RMIT

50% project – CQU and VU (Aalborg inspired)

• Workplace integrated learning – CQU and UTS• At a distance – USQ and CQU

Looking Forward

Preparing students for:•Globalisation•Sustainability•Rapid change•Flexibility

embracing an evolving profession

Engineers Australia

Rolfe Hartley, President of EA in 2007

2020 Committee• What is expected of engineers in

2020?• How will engineering be practised?• What skills and professional

development is required for competent practice.

• Backcasting to find a solution

the teacher's fundamental task is to get students to engage in learning activities…

what the student does is actually more important … than what the teacher does. (Shuell 1986)

Meanwhile …

New Learning

• Create Complex Learning situations through Projects + New learning resources (online) Projects reinvent the curriculum each year

Project task

Skill development

Skill development repositories

DirectoriesDirectories Title and URLTitle and URL

UK Eng Subject Centre http://www.engsc.ac.uk/

MERLOT http://www.merlot.org

Engineering Pathway http://www.engineeringpathway.com

Foundation Coalition http://www.foundationcoalition.org/

Gateway Coalition http://www.gatewaycoalition.org

CDIO http://www.cdio.org

NEEDS http://www.needs.org

SUCCEED http://succeednow.org

World Lecture Hall http://web.austin.utexas.edu/wlh/

Call for collaboration

• I propose that we develop the “Engineering Education Body of Knowledge”as a global resource, an ISO standard perhaps A Standard for how engineering education

should be done both technical and non-technical skills

• Avoid reinventing the wheel Use best practice (as identified by the global

EE community through peer review)• Build on the work of the UK ESC and others

Questions?

3+2 = BSc + Meng (from 2008)

Year 1Engineering Mathematics Science Breadth

Engineering Mathematics Science Breadth

Year 2Engineering Mathematics Science Breadth

Engineering Engineering Science Breadth

Year 3Engineering Engineering Science Breadth

Engineering Engineering Science Breadth

Year 4Engineering Engineering Engineering Elective

Engineering Engineering Engineering Elective

Year 5Engineering Engineering Engineering Engineering

Engineering Engineering Engineering Engineering

First year: design and build; 3 mini-projects per year

Second year: focus on labs for underpinning knowledge

Third year: capstone experience

Fourth year: further integrative designs in each subject including industry participation

Final year: research project and/or major design project – with industry or community engagement

Subsequent years

Staged developmentStaged development

– Various experiments from 1991 in Various experiments from 1991 in surveying, computing, communications, surveying, computing, communications, drawing, …drawing, …

– Significant change in sequence of Significant change in sequence of geomechanics subjects from about 1994geomechanics subjects from about 1994

– Encouraged wider changes in 1996-7, Encouraged wider changes in 1996-7, implemented in 1998implemented in 1998

– Each subject was encouraged to have a Each subject was encouraged to have a project (now around 40% weight)project (now around 40% weight) Exam 50% and other assessment 10%Exam 50% and other assessment 10% Some subjects 100% project (final year design)Some subjects 100% project (final year design)

Unity and diversityUnity and diversity – – A PC CurriculumA PC Curriculum

Process

Principles

Systems Analysis

Investigation & Analysis

Process Control & Synthesis

RiskManagement

PROCESS DESIGN

MolecularBiotechnology

Chemistry Calculus & Linear Algebra

Fluid & Particle

Mechanics

Chemistry

Heat & Mass Transfer

Process Thermo-dynamics

Analysis of Engineering

Data

UnitOperations

Reaction Engineering

Process Modelling &

Dynamics

Transport Phenomena

ELECTIVE

AdvancedELECTIVE

AdvancedELECTIVE

Advanced ELECTIVE

Advanced ELECTIVE

Projects Chemical Engineering Science Electives

Curriculum Delivery: Staff Teaching TeamsCurriculum Delivery: Staff Teaching Teams

Team Project CourseDevelops

Team workCommunication

ManagementSystems approach

Multi-disciplinarity Problem solvingTechnical depth

Professional ethicsSustainability

Information skillsLearning Skills

Professional development

Engineering Science Course



SEMESTER TEACHING TEAM

47www.vu.edu.au/pbl

VU ENGINEERING CURRICULUM

Documents

PBL models in Australia Assoc. Professor Roger Hadgraft Director, Engineering Learning Unit The University of Melbourne ALTC National Discipline Scholar