Nine years of Project-Based Learning in Engineering.

Monográfico con el título: 'Aprendizaje basado en problemas'.Resumen tomado de la publicación

Commercial management in project-based organisations

The term commercial management has been used for some time, similarly the job title commercial manager. However, as of yet, little emphasis has been placed on defining. This paper presents the findings from a two-year research initiative that has compared and contrasted the role of commercial managers from a range of organisations and across industry sectors, as a first step in developing a body of knowledge for commercial. It is argued that there are compelling arguments for considering commercial management, not solely as atask undertaken by commercial managers, but as a discipline in itself: a discipline that, arguably, bridges traditional project management and organisational theories. While the study has established differences in approach and application both between and within industry sectors, it has established sufficient similarity and synergy in practice to identify a specific role of commercial management in project-based organisations. These similarities encompass contract management and dispute resolution; the divergences include a greater involvement in financial and value management in construction and in bid management in defence/aerospace.

Coordination and control in project-based work: digital objects and infrastructures for delivery

A major infrastructure project is used to investigate the role of digital objects in the coordination of engineering design work. From a practice-based perspective, research emphasizes objects as important in enabling cooperative knowledge work and knowledge sharing. The term ‘boundary object’ has become used in the analysis of mutual and reciprocal knowledge sharing around physical and digital objects. The aim is to extend this work by analysing the introduction of an extranet into the public–private partnership project used to construct a new motorway. Multiple categories of digital objects are mobilized in coordination across heterogeneous, cross-organizational groups. The main findings are that digital objects provide mechanisms for accountability and control, as well as for mutual and reciprocal knowledge sharing; and that different types of objects are nested, forming a digital infrastructure for project delivery. Reconceptualizing boundary objects as a digital infrastructure for delivery has practical implications for management practices on large projects and for the use of digital tools, such as building information models, in construction. It provides a starting point for future research into the changing nature of digitally enabled coordination in project-based work.

Experience with practical project based learning in a developing undergraduate engineering degree program

The use of practical learning experience in undergraduate degree programs offers students the opportunity to apply their knowledge and receive feedback in a supportive environment before entering the workplace or undertaking further study. Traditional laboratory based instruction allows students this opportunity; however, it tends to provide limited opportunity for students to explore creative solutions to problem solving. The University of Waikato recently established undergraduate degree programs in engineering and has aimed to incorporate flexible learning opportunities for students, as part of their degree and as extra-curricular activities. This paper presents some of the practical project based opportunities that have been adopted and examines the role these have played in a developing engineering program.

Community resilience, climate change, sustainability & engagement : adventures in creative project-based education on the Eyre Peninsula

Teaching sustainability ethics and creative practical technological applications holistically, in a multi-disciplinary ethos, with real community engagement is fraught with pedagogical and logistical issues. This paper reviews a highly community-acclaimed tertiary course/project, offered at the School of Architecture, Landscape Architecture & Urban Design at the University of Adelaide, undertaken on the Eyre Peninsula in 1st semester 2009. The course successfully enhanced student appreciation of rural community capacity building and economic fragility issues while undertaking a project-based approach to interrogating and working with rural communities to devise and demonstrate potential micro-relevant design and planning initiatives that could strengthen community resilience, climate change adaptiveness, and validate natural resource management aims within townships. The project involved some 120 students in 6 host communities through 6 local municipalities with the full support of the Natural Resource Management (NRM) Board and Local Government Association (LGA).

The paper reviews the project, its historical evolution, aims, objectives, learning strategies, community aspirations and outcomes, and positions such against various professional education accreditation frameworks. The methodological learning process, including its philosophical, pedagogical and instruments outcomes are reviewed and interrogated. The student learning outcomes, University reputation impact, and community impact, professional practice knowledge and skill attributes, and instrumental outcomes are also reviewed drawing upon evidence derived from extensive meetings, questionnaire surveys, synergistic NRM-sponsored research projects, student evaluation of teachings (SELTS), and local media coverage of the project.

The project has received applause from the Australian Institute of Architects (AIA) and Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA), and preliminary endorsement from the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA), as being integral to the School’s curriculum that achieves their professional accreditation expectations of key learning experiences relevant to climate change, master planning and design, and community engagement. The project offers a possible educational model that enriches student experience and learning and addresses recent generic university community engagement policy expectations.

An evaluation of a project-based learning initiative in engineering education

Project-based learning (PBL) is a well-known methodology for engineering design education due to a number of benefits it is claimed to offer. This paper presents the initial offering of a first-year engineering PBL unit at Griffith University in Australia. An evaluation of student perceptions of the unit revealed that students generally enjoyed the experience, with the oral presentation aspect receiving the lowest satisfaction rating. There was no significant difference in the ratings between any demographic grouping, suggesting that all students were able to participate in, and experience, the unit in essentially the same way. The best aspects of the unit and those aspects needing improvement were similar to the findings of other investigations documented in the literature. It is proposed that future offerings of the unit will reduce the number of design projects from three to two per semester and will attempt more sophisticated individualisation of marks for group work activities.

Employers' perspectives on work-integrated learning in project-based workplaces

The property and construction industry is uniquely impacted by project-based work environments; this creates special challenges for collaborative education. This research is based on investigating the attitudes of employer’s towards the use of formally assessed internships. The study comprised two stages; firstly a series of pilot interviews were undertaken with employers to test a number known issues. Secondly, the results from the interviews were used to refine a set of questions that were put to a large focus group of employers who were invited from across the property and construction sector. The results showed that many organisations expressed considerable goodwill towards collaborative education with universities. However, the challenges caused by project-based work environments restricted their ability to provide comprehensive learning opportunities. This research focuses on the distinctive issues associated with work-integrated learning in the property and construction industry

A longitudinal evaluation of a project-based learning initiative in an engineering undergraduate programme

Project-based learning (PBL) is a well-known student-centred methodology for engineering design education. The methodology claims to offer a number of educational benefits. This paper evaluates the student perceptions of the initial and second offering of a first-year design unit at Griffith University in Australia. It builds on an earlier evaluation conducted after the initial offering of the unit. It considers the implementation of the recommended changes. Evaluations of the two offerings reveal that students (in both the initial and second offering) generally enjoyed the experience, but that the second offering was found to be a significantly more enjoyable learning experience. Students in the second offering also reported a significantly better understanding of what they needed to do for the design projects and where to find the requisite information. The oral presentation aspect of the initial and second offerings received the lowest satisfaction rating. The inclusion (and delivery) of the computer-aided drawing component of the unit is seen as a positive aspect by some students, but many others comment on it negatively. The best aspects of the PBL unit and those aspects needing further improvement were similar to the findings of other investigations documented in the literature.

Creating project-based learning in software

BACKGROUND : Project Based Learning (PBL) allows students to learn by doing hands on work and thus also again practical skills. Therefore going to software simulation may seem like a backwards step. However, the opportunity presented itself to create a unit on Artificial intelligence (AI). This lends itself it a software approach. An added benefit was the opportunity to create a PBL AI unit for both Engineering and IT students.

PURPOSE : Can Project Based Learning be improved with dedicated, specifically written, software design?

DESIGN/METHOD : After introducing a dedicated software package the student marks and student feedback for the AI unit for a few years before the package introduction until the most recent year was analysed. In the student surveys, 2 key questions where examined: unit material quality and feedback to students. Student comments were also studied.

RESULTS : Student surveys gave a consistently high mark for unit’s material and student marks seems consistent as well but favourable comments increased. The most significant result was that the students’ thoughts about the project feedback had increased significantly, probably due to the inbuilt feedback system in the dedicated software package.

CONCLUSIONS : With an appropriate subject matter a dedicated software package can help students in PBL. Student enjoyment increased which, in turn, increased their motivation.