Project-oriented Study and Project-organized Curricula: A Brief Review of Intentions and Solutions

Abstract

Project orientation and project-organized curricula in higher education are attributed to a wide range of intentions causing different approaches and solutions concerning the structuring of curricula and of teaching/learning situations. The historical review describes briefly pedagogical and profession-oriented motivations as well as science and society-related aspects. In engineering education, the changing demands from industry and the professionemphasizing skills instead of specialized content orientation-s-promote a rapid expansion of problem-centred project work and of active and productive learning. A shift from projects, integrated in the traditional subject structure of engineering curricula, towards project-organized curricula can be observed. To overcome obvious problems and constraints of the future implementation of projects in higher education staff and faculties will need to establish a continuous process of organizational development.

Aprendizaje por problemas: una experiencia en el grado de Ingeniería en Tecnologías Industriales - [Problem Based Learning: Experience in the Industrial Technologies Engineering Bachelor Degree]

“…Esta metodología, inicialmente utilizada en los estudios de medicina y otras ciencias de la salud, se ha extendido durante los últimos años a distintos niveles de enseñanza como los programas de MBA (Stinson y Milter, 1996), enseñanza superior (Bridges y Hallinger, 1996); y a titulaciones de diversas áreas, en particular a las ingenierías (Perrenet et al, 2000;Heitmann, 1996;Woods, 1994;Woods et al, 2000;Yadav et al 2010Yadav et al y 2011. Esta lista, lejos de ser exhaustiva, pretende simplemente ser ilustrativa de los múltiples contextos en los cuales el ABP puede ser utilizado.…”

Developing Work-Ready Software Engineers using Real-world Team-based Projects as a Catalyst for Learning

“…Use of projects in Computer Science and Software Engineering programs is widespread with most universities aligning with project-oriented studies as described by Heitmann [8]. A typical model for UK universities is to have at least one group-based project in the first two years with a significant individual project in the final year.…”

“…projects are used as the catalyst for learning and assessment in all modules in the program, which aligns with a projectorganized curriculum described by Heitman [8]. Projects within the program resemble the Problem Project Model described in de-Graaff and Kolmos [7] where students carry out a carefully scoped, full-scale project where the course of action is not planned in detail by the lecturers.…”

On Competition-driven Teaching of Multidisciplinary Engineering Education: Implementation cases at University of Stavanger

“…A classical project-based learning approach can be implemented at individual course level, but it may not lead to a student-centered learning environment. In such approach, students get better opportunity to work on a problem that is close to professional reality, but they do not have the freedom to fully manage their time and resources [13], compared to student-centered projects such as those in ION Racing and UiS Subsea.…”