Research on Project-Based Learning in Computer Science Education

Abstract

Nowadays, students of the Z generation are living in a digital world surrounded by all kinds of information, resulting in the need to reform traditional teaching methods in line with the changing times. In order to reach better curriculum performance, project-driven learning, as an effective pedagogical approach, is used for mobilizing students' motivation, strengthening students' capacity for active thinking, and metacognitive awareness can be established along the way. Students themselves are responsible to learn, think, monitor, and adjust their learning process, fostering a pretty unique, deep, and complete understanding of a certain subject. And the metacognitive formation may equip the students with enough ability to face and solve real-world problems big and small. This paper explores the integration of project-based learning strategy within the computer science curriculum and investigates the effect of milestones set for different stages of knowledge in a particular course. These milestones are arranged as assignments inside and outside classroom, promoting the ability of students to think positively and the interactivity between teachers and students. Additionally, the high-quality interaction provides students with better personalized guidance, teachers with more dynamic and engaging teaching atmosphere, and the course enough and real feedback from students. Feedback is a kind of assessment, which includes many other forms as sources for future adjustment and improvement towards the course.