Exposing Sophomore Students to Engineering Design Using an Innovative Project-Based Learning Approach

Abstract

This study presents a teaching methodology developed through a 3-year-long iterative-study in order to incorporate hands-on experiences in engineering courses and expose sophomore students to engineering design. Sophomore engineering technology students enrolled in a 200level Computer Aided Design course participated in this study. An innovative Project-Based-Learning (PBL) approach with an embedded Agile Project Management (APM) is implemented to promote skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, communication, and selfmanagement. These are skills that students need to have to succeed in senior capstone projects or in professional practice. APM is used to respond to students' struggles with PBL's project management. APM is an iterative approach with ability to respond to issues as they arise throughout the course of the project. In this approach, students performed a series of agile rituals such as showcases, retrospectives, stand-up meetings and iteration reviews.However, in PBL approach, student learning is significantly correlated with quality of implemented PBL. Students, who are provided with low quality PBL, even show a negative learning growth [10]. High quality PBL has six criteria, each of which must be at least minimally met in a project in order for it to be considered high quality. These six criteria are [11]:

Profile of Problem Based Learning (PBL) Model in Improving Students' Problem Solving and Critical Thinking Ability

“…The analyzed article agrees that the PBL model is highly effective when implemented by schools to motivate and enhance students' self-directed learning abilities [11], [25]- [30] [12], [31], [40]- [43], [32]- [39]. Additionally, students feel valued and empowered to contribute to resolving the issues they encounter.…”