Engineering Engineering Education

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Engineering Engineering Education

• A Catalyst for Change

Incorporating a Problem Solving Methodology into
your course
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Possible Scenario

• You have decided to try PBL
• You make up a great problem
• You assigned it to the student teams
• Due Date Two weeks

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What Happens Next?

• Take 4 minutes with your group to determine what
  might go wrong after you assign the problem

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Things that may happen

• The students are confused...
• They dont know how to get started...
• They are floundering/rebelling.
• Dont get going until the day before due date

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What can we do about it

• Take 4 minutes with your group and develop 1-2
  strategies to overcome the problem of getting
  started/floundering

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What can we do about it

• Structure Problems so that students must
  implement a problem solving methodology
• Embed methodology implicitly in the assignment,
  with due dates

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Outcomes for this session

• Youll be able to
• Recognize common problems that can occur with PBL
• Describe a problem solving methodology
• Design a problem that incorporates a problem
  solving methodology

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Session Overview

• Overview of Problem Solving Method (PSM)
• WHY might you use a PSM?
• WHAT is a problem solving methodology?
• HOW might you incorporate problem solving into
  your course?
• WHAT IF you want to develop materials to teach
  problem solving in your courses beyond this
  workshop?

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Overview of Problem Solving Method?

• A problem solving methodology is simply a
  framework or pathway for approaching a problem
  and developing a solution as well as reflecting
  and evaluating the solution

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Why teach problem solving

• Gives a framework for problem solvers to work
  through a difficult, ill-defined problem
• Helps to develop problem solving skills
• Helps them to get started or get unstuck
• Also provides a vehicle to require reflection or
  evaluation of the solution
• ABET Graduates must demonstrate and ability to
  identify, formulate and solve engineering
  problems.

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What does the data reveal?

• Data for engineering students showed no
  significant change in confidence in their ability
  to solve problems (despite having solved over
  2500 problems during their 4 years) Woods
• Students receiving a seminar/instruction on
  problem solving did show increased confidence in
  ability to solve problems and were less anxious
  about problems

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Incorporating PSM Woods Method
We recommend Woods for several reasons 1.
Evidence/Research based 2. Intuitive and
reasonable 3. Developed for engineers
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Overview of Woods Method
Woods Method 1. Engage/Motivation (sometimes
step 0) 2. Define 3. Explore 4. Plan 5.
Do it 6. Check 7. Evaluate/reflect
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Steps in Woods Problem Solving Method
1. Engage/Motivation -I can do it -I want to
do it
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Steps in Woods Problem Solving Method
2. Define -define what the problem
states -determine the given information -dete
rmine constraints and -criterion for judging
final product
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Steps in Woods Problem Solving Method
3. Explore -Determine the real objective of
the problem - Sketch the problem (if
appropriate) -Make reasonable
assumptions -Guestimate the answer
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Steps in Woods Problem Solving Method
4. Plan -develop a plan to solve the
problem -map out sub-problems -select
appropriate theory, principles,
approach -determine information need to gather
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Steps in Woods Problem Solving Method
5. Do it -implement the plan
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Steps in Woods Problem Solving Method
6. Check -check the solution (units,
accuracy)?
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Steps in Woods Problem Solving Method
7. Evaluate/reflect -is it reasonable, does it
make sense? -were the assumptions
appropriate? -how does it compare to
guestimate? -question built into the
problem is it socially/ethically acceptable?
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Incorporating Woods Method in course activities
1. Explain Woods to Students 2. Require Woods
approach for different problems a. Laboratory
problems b. Homework problems c. Projects 3.
Provide Practice, Feedback/Evaluation
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Incorporating Woods Method in course activities
Example CHEG300 Homework 1
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Feedback from the classroom-My Thoughts
1. Effect of using PSM and PBL on
learning -worked well -gave them a reason to
get started -gave them a framework to get
unstuck and think through the steps 2. Did it
improve their problem solving skills? -93
agreed that the course was more effective than
traditional course in developing ability to solve
problems that are vaguely defined or have more
than one acceptable solution.
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Student Comments - The Good
I learned a lot more by doing the problems
rather than sitting in a class hearing how to do
the problems and then putting the pre-packaged
solutions into a homework problem Walking
away from this class, I have a very strong
understanding of heat transfer I loved
working with my team on problems I really
enjoyed the set up of this class I have
learned more relevant material about chemical
engineering this class than any other I have
taken
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Student Comments - The Bad
There were times when we could have used more
direction There were times when the course
load seemed too much I was frustrated from
time to time with the amount of direction we got
to begin each problem set, but only because it
was uncomfortable, not because it was bad
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Student Comments - The Ugly
Prince didnt teach us anything! I had to
learn everything on my own.
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Student Comments - The Good
Ive never before worked under this type of
teaching style! I really enjoyed working through
problems with group members. I feel I will
remember more material because I had to figure
out how to use most of it
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Summary

• Problem solving is an essential skill for
  engineers
• There is evidence to suggest that traditional
  engineering programs do not effectively develop
  problem solving skills
• Using a methodology has advantages as a means to
  provide guidance
• Reported methods are (for the most part) similar
• We recommend Woods for many reasons

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Summary Continued

• Key to making it work is
• developing good problems!
• providing the framework
• practice
• evaluation and feedback

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Activity - Incorporating Woods

• Engage, Explore, and Plan
• Using the problem you have developed for a
  course, take some time and structure the problem
  so that you could incorporate a PSM as part of
  the assignment.
• Or, if you think it isnt right for your class,
  continue your work on developing good problems

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Resources

• Woods, Donald (1995) Problem-based Learning
  How to gain the most from PBL. Available on
  website http//www.chemeng.mcmaster.ca/pbl/pbl.h
  tmBooks20and20Resources20to20Help20you20wit
  h20PBL
• Wankat, P.C. and F.S. Oreovicz. (1993) Teaching
  Engineering. Available on website
  https//engineering.purdue.edu/ChE/News_and_Public
  ations/teaching_engineering

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Resources

• Good link to many resources on PBL
  http//www.adelaide.edu.au/ltdu/leap/leapinto/pbl/
  resources.html
• More info on PBL - links, example problems etc..
  http//www.udel.edu/pbl/