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Problem-Based Learning for Labs : new approaches to teaching engineering design & professional skills

My project was concerned with inducing greater student engagement in the Electronic Engineering (EE) learning process and the broader development of professional skills, by replacing traditional scripted laboratory and professional skills workshops with student-led Enquirybased learning (EBL) processes. This approach is starting to deliver richer ways of learning that supplants the traditional expert→student ‘knowledge download’. EBL was piloted at the level of year one students in our department, using new student learning activities in the spring semester’s EE laboratory programme coupled with corresponding new activity in the HE1 Engineering Professional Skills module. The development of professional skills using EBL for design activity and feeding into a revised EBL laboratory programme has become more relevant and engaging in relation to this part of the curriculum and the broader HE agenda. We believe that introducing these processes early in students'learning and professional experience should lead to enhanced independence and confidence in problem solving and laboratory work. Over the coming years, we anticipate that students and staff will develop appreciation for the overarching learning process. In developing and piloting this new curriculum design I worked closely with another SCEPTrE Fellows Fred Buining who is an expert facilitator of creative thinking. Take a look at my videos to see what we have been doing.

The project has been successfully evaluated in terms of assessed marks and anecdotal comments from students and the processes will continue to develop over the coming year. In addition, the development of a peer-assessment process has given rise to some challenges for traditional ways of thinking about students and their ability to understand the purposes of a professional course at University. Work continues and further thinking and writing will take place with the current Fellowship-holder, Janko Calic.

k.wells@surrey.ac.uk

SCEPTRE FELLOWSHIP SEMINAR NOVEMBER 2008

An integrated approach to teaching design, problem solving & professional skills

or  'How I binned the Lab Manual and got away with it'

Dr Kevin Wells FEPS and SCEPTrE Fellow

Increasing student engagement through active learning and embedding professional skills in the undergraduate curriculum are central concerns of many teachers at Surrey. I tackled this issue by replacing traditional scripted laboratory and professional skills workshops with student-led problem-based learning (PBL) processes. Working with Fred Buining, another SCEPTrE Fellow and an expert facilitator of creative thinking, I redesigned our level 1 laboratory and professional skills modules using PBL for design activity and connected this to a revised enquiry-rich laboratory programme. The project has been successfully evaluated in terms of assessed marks and anecdotal comments from students and the processes will continue to develop over the coming year. In addition, the development of a peer-assessment process has given rise to some challenges for traditional ways of thinking about students and their ability to understand the purposes of a professional course at University. You can see a film of my presentation below and you can see more extended explanantions and film footage of the techniques I used with Fred Buining here.

 sceptre fellowship seminar.ppt