1

Problem based Learning – The AAU Way

A Work Shop given by:

Mona DahmsDepartment of development and planningFibigerstraede 11, DK - 9220 Aalborg East

Phone: + 45 96357205, e-mail: mona@plan.auc.dk

Lars Peter JensenDepartment of Control Engineering

Fredrik Bajers Vej 7C, DK - 9220 Aalborg EastPhone: + 45 96358740, e-mail: lpj@control.auc.dk

URL: http://www.control.auc.dk/~lpj

Both Associated Professors at Aalborg University

2

Problem based Learning – The AAU Way

Program for day one:

10.00 Introduction and presentation of participants

10.30 The Aalborg model :– PBL, Projects, Team work

12.00 A little theory: Reflection

12.15 Lunch

13.15 Mini project + Presentation

16.00 Group examinations of projects

3

Problem based Learning – The AAU Way

Program for day two:

10.00 Supervision

11.30 Role play of a supervising situation

12.15 Lunch

13.15 Role play of a supervising situation

16.00 Unanswered questions

16.40 Assessment of work shop

The Aalborg model 4

The Aalborg model- one way of dealing with PBL

Key words:

• Problem based learning

• Projects

• Team work

The Aalborg model 5

Team work

What ?

• A group of students working together on a project

• They have to both carry out the project and document the results

• Based on the documentation there is a group examination, but the marks are individual

The Aalborg model 6

Team work

Why ?

• A survey in 1997 showed that 75% of the companies wanted new employees to have good skills in team work

• The individual student in the group learns from the others (synergy)

• Extra: Responsibility towards the group leads to very hard work

The Aalborg model 7

Team work

How ?

• Each group has a group room

• Group size of 6-8 students first year, 2-3 students last year

• Students are in charge of forming groups

• Team building courses:– Roles, communication, co-operation, conflicts

The Aalborg model 8

Projects

What ?

• A unique task

• Have a lot of complex activities

• Needs several people with different skills

• Have a final goal/objective

• Limited resources (time, money, people)

• Have to deliver some kind of result at a given time

The Aalborg model 9

Projects

Why ?• More and more companies use project

organization• Much engineering work is performed as

projects• Motivates the students• Leads to student activity• Improves documentation skills• Secures deep learning in subjects

covered in the project

The Aalborg model 10

Projects

How ?

• One project each semester

• Necessary theories and methods given in project courses

The Aalborg model 11

Structure of a semester:

Project

Project courses Study courses

Examination

Examination

50% - 33%

50% - 67%

The Aalborg model 12

Timing of a semester

Project courses

Project

Study courses

The Aalborg model 13

Projects

How ?• One project each semester• Necessary theories and methods given in

project courses • Each group has (at least) one supervisor• Documentation:

– a written report, oral defence, (construction)

• Courses in: – project management and planning

The Aalborg model 14

Problem based learning

What ?

• The project groups choose their own problem to work with in the projects

• The problem has to be analyzed within a relevant context before it can be solved or analyzed further

• The problem determines the choice of methods and theories to be used

The Aalborg model 15

Problem based learning

Why ?

• Real world problems are interdisciplinary and complex

• It is a learner-centred process

• It meets the learners' interests and enhances motivation

• It emphasizes development of analytical, methodological and transferable skills

The Aalborg model 16

Problem based learning

How ?

• Three different types of problem based projects at AAU:– The assignment project– The subject project– The problem project

The Aalborg model 17

The assignment project

• Considerable planning and control by the supervisors

• The problem and the subject as well as the methods are chosen beforehand

• The educational objectives are easily controlled and are often formulated for each discipline within the subject

• Being a supervisor is easy in that the supervisor knows exactly what is going to be explored in the project and can direct the students' choices in the planned direction.

The Aalborg model 18

The assignment project

Problem Subject

The Aalborg model 19

The subject project

• Subjects chosen beforehand • The students have to find a problem within

the subjects • The educational objectives are mostly

formulated for each discipline within the subject

• Being a supervisor in this process may be a bit uncertain, because the students are allowed to make some choices on their own. However, the scientific field is described well and hardly any surprises occur

The Aalborg model 20

The subject project

SubjectProblem

The Aalborg model 21

The problem project

• Based on problems as the starting point• The problem will determine the choice of

disciplines, theories and methods• The educational objectives emphasises ability

to analyse and methodological skills • The problem has to be chosen within a

broader social and technical frame• Being a supervisor in this process may be

difficult because it is a self-directed learning process and the supervisor may find him/herself at the edge of capacity

The Aalborg model 22

The problem project

Problem Subject

The Aalborg model 23

Who is in control of what ?

Problem Methods Results

Assignment Project

Supervisor + + +

Students + (?) ?

Subject Project

Supervisor (+) + (+)

Students + (?) +

Problem Project

Supervisor ? (+) ?

Students + + +

The Aalborg model 24

Common features of project work

• For all three types of projects, a problem has to be analysed and solved by means of different theories and methods

• The phases of the project are common to all three project types

The Aalborg model 25

Problem based learning

How ?

• Three different types of problem based projects at AAU:– The assignment project– The subject project– The problem project

• A model of a project

The Aalborg model 26

The four phase model of a Project

Analysis

Design

Implementation

Test

Industriel Project

StudentProjecttoo broad

Student Projecttoo narrow

The idealStudent Project

The Aalborg model 27

What is analysis?

Get an overview of the problem • Asking Questions (six W)• See Perspectives

Divide into different aspects• Top Down• Bottum Up (Brain Storm)

Look critically at all aspects• Estimate• Measure• Compare

The Aalborg model 28

How to start analysing – presentation of two tools

• The six W- model

• Post It Brain storm1. Everybody writes keywords on Post It notes for 5 min

2. All notes are placed on the blackboard

3. All notes are read out

4. Everybody goes to the blackboard and structures the notes together

ProblemWhom?

Why? What?

Where?

When?How?

Theory 29

Reflection – a learning theory

Test

Generalise

Reflect

Experience

The Kolb cycle with words paraphrased by John Cowan (Cowan 1998).

Theory 30

Reflection in a learning process - a useful model

The Cowan diagram

Theory 31

Reflection in a learning process- a useful model

Modified Cowan diagram

32

Lunch until 13.15

33

Mini Project

• In a Danish brewery there is too much noise emitted in the production hall, due to the bottles. Plan how to find the noise sources and how to find solutions.

• Prepare a short presentation (10 minutes) of your results to be given afterwards

Group Examination 34

Examination - the hidden curriculum

The aim of the study

goals

objectives

Forms of the exams and criteria

Teaching and learning methods: PBL and project work

Group Examination 35

Statements on evaluation

• Examination is dominating the students learning approach

• Personal skills, meta-learning etc. requires formative evaluation forms

• (Self-)evaluation is a crucial input to the learning process (reflection)

• Education is forming identity

Group Examination 36

Examination - practice

1. ALL THE MEMBERS IN THE GROUP PRESENT PARTS OF THE PROJECT.MAX 10 MINUTES EACH and TEACHER AND EXTERNALEXAMINATORER GIVE COMMENT TO THE PRESENTATION

2. GENERAL DISCUSSION OF THE REPORT

3. INDIVIDUAL QUESTIONS

INDIVIDUAL MARKS BASED ON:

1. REPORT2. PRESENTATION3. DISCUSSION4. INDIVIDUAL QUESTION

Peer group

Project group

Supervisor and (external) censor