PBL models in Australia

1
PBL models in Australia
Assoc. Professor Roger HadgraftDirector,
Engineering Learning UnitThe University of
Melbourne ALTC National Discipline Scholar (with
Prof. Ian Cameron, UQ)
2
Overview

• Trace PBL activities in Australia
• Discuss different approaches taken over 20 years
• Consider future needs
• Make some recommendations for joint action

3
Contributions acknowledged

• Lyn Brodie, USQ
• Ian Cameron, UQ
• Gary Codner, Monash
• Anne Gardner, UTS
• David Jorgensen, CQU
• Julie Mills, UniSA
• Alex Stojcevski, VU

4
Some History

• Early experiments from 1991
• UQ, Chem Eng from about 1995
• Monash (Civil Eng) and CQU from 1998
• USQ, UniSA, UTS from ?
• RMIT from 2004
• VU from 2007
• And others

5
Early experiments

• Focussed on single subjects by early adopters
• Enthusiastic though not much evaluation other
  than what came through the assessment process
• Sufficiently encouraging for wider adoption in
  many places

6
A New Degree in Civil Engineering

• Roger Hadgraft and Paul Grundy
• Monash University

7
1996 Review of Engineering Education

• a broader education
• more non-traditional students
• generic skills in communication, etc
• lifelong learning
• diversity in degree programs
• innovation, alliances, collaboration with industry

8
Basis of the new degree

• Project-Based Learning
• All subjects would have a substantial project
  component (50-100)
• Students develop theoretical understanding
• as well as those workplace skills identified by
  the Review
• Learn to DO engineering and BE an engineer

9
Project Centred Curriculum for Chemical
Engineering

• Ian T Cameron
• ALTC Discipline Scholar
• School of Chemical Engineering
• The University of Queensland, Australia

10
A Project Centred Curriculum Design
11
Performance (CEQ Data)
12
RMIT Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology

• Similar UQ model introduced in
• Civil engineering (2004)
• Chemical Engineering (2005)
• Environmental Engineering (2005)
• 25 of each semester is an integrating project

13
Integrated IndustryProjects in DegreeCourses
David Jorgensen Central Queensland
University
14
Work Integrated Learning (WIL) in Project Based
Learning (PBL)

• What makes PBL WIL?

15
1st year PBL Class Project Activities
Integrates a work project into PBL activitybut
is perhaps a bit contrived? is it WIL?
16
WIL/PBLCourse ProjectExpo
Structure inspired by Aalborg Univ. 50 of
semester is project.
Final year and later year teams
17
USQ Problem Solving StrandInnovation in
curricula, learning and teaching

• Lyn Brodie (Team Leader)
• On behalf of the Faculty Teaching Team

18

• PBL (problem/project based learning) delivered to
  on-campus and distance students working in
  virtual teams
• Teams work entirely in electronic communication
  media synchronous and asynchronous, across time
  zones etc
• This strategy has also been taken up by on-campus
  students

19

• Strand of 4 articulated courses integrated into a
  vertical stream within all programs and majors
• BEng (4yrs), BTech (3yrs), AD (2yrs) 9 majors
• Teams are a mixture of all programs and majors
• Diverse student cohort mature age, working in
  industry etc

20

• Diverse student intake
• Prior educational experience skills and
  knowledge
• Aim to use this
  diversity within
  teams for peer
  assistance and
  mentoring

21
Shift in student attitudes
Category 1 Necessary for program
progression Category 2 Developing skills to
solve technical Engineering and Surveying
problems Category 3 Developing skills to work
effectively in teams in virtual space Category
4 A unique approach to learning how to learn
Category 5 Enhancing personal growth
22
Project based learning in Civil Engineering at
the University of South Australia Assoc Prof
Julie Mills
23
Project-based learning in Civil Engineering

• Project work is integrated into almost every
  course in every year of degree
• Projects done individually, in pairs, in small
  groups or as a whole class
• Project assessment ranges from 10 to 100 of the
  assessment for the course
• Final year studies are gt 50 project-based
• Somewhat similar to the Monash approach

24
Project example Year 2

• Spaghetti bridge building

25
Project Examples, year 3

• Professional Engineering Practice
• group project submit a tender for Project
  Management
• Structural Engineering
• design of steel and reinforced concrete
  structures (e.g. Mawson Lakes Hotel)
• Water Engineering
• design a stormwater drainage system for a new
  subdivision

26
Project Examples, year 4

• Environmental Engineering evaluation of a major
  Environmental Impact Report (e.g. Port River
  expressway, SEA gas pipeline)
• Full-year, Research project pairs of students
  25 of final year load
• Projects industry-based, either sponsored or
  supervised by industry

27
VICTORIA UNIVERSITY The VU Engineering PBL Model

• Assoc. Prof. Alex Stojcevski
• Associate Professor of Engineering Education
• Director, Office for Problem Based Learning

28
VU ENGINEERING PBL LEARNING PRINCIPLES
29
THE VU PBL ENG. MODEL
30
INSTITUTIONAL LEVEL MODEL
Institutional Level PBL Model
31

• Professional Practice Program
• at
• University of Technology, Sydney
• Anne Gardner

32

• All local engineering students must complete the
  BE / DipEngPrac
• Students enrolled in BE / DipEngPrac must
  complete 2 x 24 week internships pass the
  associated subjects
• Up to 300 students each semester complete an
  internship

33
(No Transcript)
34
Summary of developments

• Subject level changes Monash, USQ, UniSA
• Structural changes
• 25 project per semester UQ and, later, RMIT
• 50 project CQU and VU (Aalborg inspired)
• Workplace integrated learning CQU and UTS
• At a distance USQ and CQU

35
Looking Forward

• Preparing students for
• Globalisation
• Sustainability
• Rapid change
• Flexibility

36
Engineers Australia

• Rolfe Hartley, President of EA in 2007
• 2020 Committee
• What is expected of engineers in 2020?
• How will engineering be practised?
• What skills and professional development is
  required for competent practice.
• Backcasting to find a solution

37
the teacher's fundamental task is to get students
to engage in learning activities what the
student does is actually more important than
what the teacher does. (Shuell 1986)
Meanwhile
38
New Learning

• Create Complex Learning situations through
• Projects New learning resources (online)
• Projects reinvent the curriculum each year

39
Skill development repositories
40
Call for collaboration

• I propose that we develop the Engineering
  Education Body of Knowledgeas a global
  resource, an ISO standard perhaps
• A Standard for how engineering education should
  be done
• both technical and non-technical skills
• Avoid reinventing the wheel
• Use best practice (as identified by the global EE
  community through peer review)
• Build on the work of the UK ESC and others

41
Questions?
42
32 BSc Meng (from 2008)
43
Subsequent years
First year design and build 3 mini-projects per
year Second year focus on labs for underpinning
knowledge Third year capstone experience Fourth
year further integrative designs in each subject
including industry participation Final year
research project and/or major design project
with industry or community engagement
44
Staged development

• Various experiments from 1991 in surveying,
  computing, communications, drawing,
• Significant change in sequence of geomechanics
  subjects from about 1994
• Encouraged wider changes in 1996-7, implemented
  in 1998
• Each subject was encouraged to have a project
  (now around 40 weight)
• Exam 50 and other assessment 10
• Some subjects 100 project (final year design)

45
Unity and diversity A PC Curriculum
Projects
Chemical Engineering Science
Electives
Process Principles
Molecular Biotechnology
Chemistry
Calculus Linear Algebra
Systems Analysis
Fluid Particle Mechanics
Chemistry
ELECTIVE
Investigation Analysis
Heat Mass Transfer
Process Thermo-dynamics
Analysis of Engineering Data
Unit Operations
Reaction Engineering
Process Modelling Dynamics
Process Control Synthesis
Transport Phenomena
Risk Management
Advanced ELECTIVE
Advanced ELECTIVE
PROCESS DESIGN
Advanced ELECTIVE
Advanced ELECTIVE
46
Curriculum Delivery Staff Teaching Teams
47
VU ENGINEERING CURRICULUM