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.     

结对编程在程序设计语言实践教学中的应用

结对编程是敏捷地和基于实践的软件开发方法。在程序设计课程的传统实践教学中,学生之间往往缺乏彼此的有效互动,从而不能完成实践教学的任务,甚至失去对课程的信心。笔者提出一种将结对编程运用于程序设计语言实践教学中的方案,并通过实验证明该方案可以有效提高学生的学习效率。     

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.     

Teaching computer programming with PRIMM: a sociocultural perspective

ABSTRACT

Background and Context: Vygotsky's sociocultural theory emphasises the importance of language, mediation, and the transfer of skills and knowledge from the social into the cognitive plane. This perspective has influenced the development of PRIMM (Predict, Run, Investigate, Modify, Make), a structured approach to teaching programming.

Objective: The objective of the study was to find out if using PRIMM to teach programming had an impact on learner attainment in secondary school, and the extent to which it was valuable for teachers.

Method: We evaluated the use of PRIMM in 13 schools with 493 students aged 11-14 alongside a control group, using a mixed-methods approach. Teachers delivered programming lessons using the PRIMM approach for 8-12 weeks. Data were collected via a combination of a baseline test, a post-test to compare control and experimental groups, and teacher interviews.

Findings: Learners performed better in the post test than the control group. Teachers reported several benefits of the PRIMM approach, including that PRIMM helped them to teach effectively in mixed-ability classes, enabling all learners to make progress.

Implications: PRIMM makes a contribution to programming education research by building on previous work in effective pedagogy for teachers, and encouraging the use of language and dialogue to facilitate understanding.     

The effect of incorporating cooperative learning principles in pair programming for student teachers

Based on their quantitative and qualitative investigations, the authors conclude that pair programming as a strategy for teaching student teachers could be made more effective through the incorporation of principles associated with cooperative learning. They substantiate this claim by referring to a literature study about the advantages and disadvantages of pair programming as a teaching-learning strategy, by then discussing five principles of cooperative learning, and by presenting the findings of their empirical study. Second year student teachers taking a Delphi programming module participated in an experiment conducted over a two year period. In 2005, the participants did computer programming in pairs without the application of principles associated with cooperative learning. In 2006, a similar group of participants also programmed in pairs, but in their case, certain principles associated with cooperative learning were incorporated in the strategy followed by the facilitator. According to a comparison of the module examination marks, the 2006 group outperformed the 2005 group. This finding was confirmed by qualitative investigations.     

Comparative analysis of student self-reflections on course projects

This study presents the skills, experiences, and values identified in project self-reflections of 161 undergraduate engineering students. Self-reflections from two different engineering design courses, which provide experiences in project-based learning (PBL), are analysed through the content analysis methodology. Results show that ‘application’, ‘true life’, ‘satisfaction’, and ‘communication’ are the common keywords shared in the reflections. Multiple hypothesis tests to identify differences between courses, project types, years, and gender suggest that there are no significant differences between experiences, skills, and values self-reported by students who completed either a case study or an industry project. Based on research findings, recommendations will be provided to enhance the engineering curriculum based on PBL experiences to support the development of relevant professional skills and experiences.     

Meta-assessment in a project-based systems engineering course

Project-based learning (PBL) facilitates significant learning, but it poses a major assessment challenge for assessing individual content knowledge. We developed and implemented an assessment approach and tool for a mandatory undergraduate systems engineering PBL-based course. We call this type of assessment student-oriented meta-assessment. Research participants included 131 undergraduate engineering students who carried out team projects requiring conceptual modelling of complex systems. Next, individual students assessed their peer team projects. Finally, the course staff assessed students individually, based on the content knowledge that was reflected in students’ comments to their peers, by using the new meta-assessment tool. The research findings validated the meta-assessment tool which can serve for assessing various PBL courses. Our contribution is twofold: a new approach for assessing project-based undergraduate engineering courses, and classification of meta-assessment methods into three types, where a student-oriented meta-assessment as one of the three meta-assessment methods is our newly introduced and validated method.     

Design and implementation of a project-based active/cooperative engineering design course for freshmen

A project-based active/cooperative design course is planned, implemented, assessed and evaluated to achieve several desired engineering outcomes. The course allows freshman-level students to gain professional hands-on engineering design experience through an opportunity to practise teamwork, quality principles, communication skills, life-long learning, realistic constraints and awareness of current domestic and global challenges. Throughout successive design reports and in-class assignments, the students are required by the end of the semester to communicate, clearly and concisely, the details of their design both orally and in writing through a functional artefact/prototype, a design notebook, an A0 project poster and a final oral presentation. In addition to these direct assessment tools, several indirect measures are used to ensure triangulation. Assignments are based on customer expectations using a detailed checklist. This paper shows the direct and indirect assessment tools that indicated a high level of achievement of course learning outcomes and a high level of student satisfaction.     

计算机专业学生程序设计动手能力的培养

程序设计能力是计算机专业学生应具有的非常重要的、基本的的技能之一,计算机专业学生在程序设计上动手能力差有多方面原因,针对这些原因,应在学生学习的积极性、教学计划、学习方法、教学方法、考核模式等方面改进培养办法。     

Application of experiential learning to improve student engagement and experience in a mechanical engineering course

ABSTRACT

This paper introduced how a mechanical engineering course was redesigned by applying experiential learning theory to improve student engagement and learning experience. Design of machine elements has been considered by students to be a difficult course. Traditional teaching methods tend not to be effective in engaging students. Experiential learning is a philosophy of learning by doing. In applying an experiential learning approach to the course, the design project and workshop activities were restructured in such a way that students were engaged in direct experience and focused reflection to construct knowledge. By exploring a physical gearbox model, working on subtasks for the design project, having group discussions, raising questions, getting feedback, and moving forward for next subtasks, students experienced the learning cycles of ‘DO, OBSERVE, THINK, and PLAN’ many times. Course survey results showed that application of experiential learning helped to improve student engagement and learning experience significantly.     

Cooperative learning in a Soil Mechanics course at undergraduate level

The implementation of the Bologna Process enforced a significant change on traditional learning models, which were focused mainly on the transmission of knowledge. The results obtained in a first attempt at implementation of a cooperative learning model in the Soil Mechanics I course of the Department of Civil Engineering of the University of Aveiro, Portugal, are presented and discussed. The students were confronted with situations recreating a professional atmosphere in Geotechnics. Mandatory project team assignments to be prepared in groups were implemented, where each student had to fulfil specific and rotational roles, namely, laboratory/informatics technician, analyst, reporter and coordinator. To assess the implemented model, several strategies were used: students’ feedback; marks monitoring; questionnaires.     

Gender and stereotypes in motivation to study computer programming for careers in multimedia

A multimedia university programme with relatively equal numbers of male and female students in elective programming subjects provided a rare opportunity to investigate female motivation to study and pursue computer programming in a career. The MSLQ was used to survey 85 participants. In common with research into deterrence of females from STEM domains, females displayed significantly lower self-efficacy and expectancy for success. In contrast to research into deterrence of females from STEM domains, both genders placed similar high values on computer programming and shared high extrinsic and intrinsic goal orientation. The authors propose that the stereotype associated with a creative multimedia career could attract female participation in computer programming whereas the stereotype associated with computer science could be a deterrent.     

Teacher perception of professional skills in a project-led engineering semester

This study explores the perceptions of teachers with regard to professional skills in project-led engineering education experiences for first year engineering students at the University of Minho, Portugal. Their perception on which professional skills to include, how to develop these skills and how to assess them is studied through six semi-structured interviews with experienced teachers of the first year programme, who served as tutors as well as teachers in at least four projects. Analysis of their perceptions reveals a strong commitment to professional skills for engineering students, and also a lack of confidence in the support they can offer to help students develop these skills.     

Good practices to influence engagement and learning outcomes on a traditional introductory programming course

ABSTRACT

There have been many successful examples of new methodological approaches developed to help students in computer programming courses. Of these approaches, the peer assessment mechanism could be useful in providing students with opportunities to learn from one another, improve their learning experience and reach efficient learning outcomes. The paper presents and analyses an improved system based on the received evaluations of a previously developed web-based programming-assisted environment. This system automatically manages the peer code review process and delivers feedback to peers in a manner that favours the incremental learning of the concepts presented throughout the course. The experimental results are focussed on the impact of this system on students’ programming competence, time management capabilities and student engagement.     

Multiprog virtual laboratory applied to PLC programming learning

This study develops a Multiprog virtual laboratory for a mechatronics education designed to teach how to programme a programmable logic controller (PLC). The study was carried out with 34 students in the Department of Industry Education and Technology at National Changhua University of Education in Taiwan. In total, 17 students were assigned to each group, experimental and control. Two laboratory exercises were designed to provide students with experience in PLC programming. The results show that the experiments supported by Multiprog virtual laboratory user-friendly control interfaces generate positive meaningful results in regard to students’ knowledge and understanding of the material.     

三个PBL并行的翻转课堂模式探讨——以志愿者管理课程为例

翻转课堂近几年被广泛关注,然而其所引发的教师角色、课程模式、管理模式等一系列变革,都需要时间去实践和探索.本文以"志愿者管理"线上教学实践为例,通过工具的分析选择、框架设计、实践验证三个阶段,梳理出三个PBL并行的线上翻转课堂教学模式.这种模式取得了良好的教学效果,因此可以在其他实践性强的高校文科教学中加以推广.     

以先进的理念引领工程硕士研究生教育改革 ——来自澳大利亚查尔斯特大学混合学习模式的启示

2018年工程类专业学位类别的调整为培养单位进行工程硕士教育改革提供了更大的自主权。打破工程硕士与工学硕士培养的同质化、突出工程实践能力培养和职业导向是工程硕士教育改革的方向。澳大利亚查尔斯特大学改变以学科知识体系进行课程设计的传统,基于项目学习和"主题树"在线学习进行课程设计,打造以混合学习模式为特色的土木工程本硕贯通项目,有利于培养具备实践能力、创新能力、职业素质的工程人才。研究查尔斯特大学的工程教育改革案例对我国高校工程硕士研究生教育改革有启发和借鉴意义。     

Block-based versus text-based programming environments on novice student learning outcomes: a meta-analysis study

ABSTRACT

Background and Context: The use of block-based programming environments is purported to be a good way to gently introduce novice computer programmers to computer programming. A small, but growing body of research examines the differences between block-based and text-based programming environments.

Objective: Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the overall effect of block-based versus text-based programming environments on both cognitive and affective student learning outcomes.

Method: Five academic databases were searched to identify literature meeting our inclusion criteria and resulted in 13 publications with 52 effect size comparisons on both cognitive and affective outcomes.

Findings: We found small effect size (g = 0.245; p = .137; with a 95% confidence interval of ?0.078 to 0.567) in favor of block-based programming environments on cognitive outcomes, and a trivial effect size (g = 0.195, p = .429; with a 95% confidence interval of ?0.289 to 0.678) on affective outcomes. Both effect size calculations were statistically insignificant using random effects models. The effect sizes were examined for moderating effects by education level, learning environment, and study duration. Some evidence of publication bias was detected in these data.

Implications: More research is needed to examine the utility and efficacy of block-based programming environments for novice programmers. Future studies should account for hybrid programming environments using novel research methods.