1

Introduction to Problem based Learning – The AAU Way

Program for to day, Supervision and assessment :

• Presentation of the mini project, assessment and questions

• Planning a project work• Supervision • Assessment• Unfinished or unanswered questions.

2

Presentation of the mini project

• Each group present the results from their project yesterday afternoon

• The other groups and the lecturer comments both the presentation and the results

3

Ideas of Problem-based Learning

• As a learner-centred process, problem-based learning meets the learners' interests and as such gives room for developing learning motivation.

• Furthermore, problem-based learning emphasizes a development of analytic, methodical and transferable skills.

4

Ideas of Project Work + PBL

Project work is a way of organizing the learning process that lead to development of abilities to:

• formulate objectives, aims and goals• start and end a project • analyse and specify problems or objectives• analyse and specify criteria for solution• write reports • collaborate, organize and plan the working process• handle projects• manage oneself

5

What is a theme?

A framework for teaching and learning

• an area where technological development and human, social economic and political development are explicitly linked and mutually interact

6

Methodological themes

Specification of the overall engineering methods/disciplines to be applied - but not specification of the area of specific engineering to which the method should be applied. There must be possibility to allow a broad range of different areas, e.g.:

• modelling of dynamic systems• design of engineering constructions

7

Problem oriented themes

Concentrating on issues which are common to all engineering areas, e.g:

• working environment,

• natural resource consumption

• pollution

8

What is a good theme?

• Must inspire and motivate the students, pose a challenge

• Broad to be able to integrate specific technical knowledge

• Clear description– what is it all about– actuality– state of the art– some of the problems to be solved– technological implications– clear relation to subjects/discipline– project examples

9

Controlling different projects

Problem Methods Results

Assignment Project

Supervisor + + +

Students + (?) ?

Subject Project

Supervisor (+) + (+)

Students + (?) +

Problem Project

Supervisor ? (+) ?

Students + + +

10

Gaps

Deep under-standing

Traditional teaching focused on a broad overview

project project

???

The student understanding need not remember

exemplarity - interdisciplinary

?????

11

Levels of understanding - Bloom

• Knowledge– memorize

• Comprehension– translation,interpretation

• Application– Use, in new situations

• Analysis – uncover relations between entities

• Synthesis– Building something new of the entities

• Evaluation– Judging

12

Planning a project work

Conclusion:

• The project proposals should be in good correspondence with the theme of the semester

• Propose a problem project if possible

13

Tasks of a supervisor

• In the beginning of a project:– Help to find appropriate literature– Help establishing contacts with companies ect.– Discussing the project proposal with the students

• During the whole project period:– Commenting both oral and written

presentations/memos/working paper– Continues assessment of the professional level of

both group and individual

• At the end:– examination

14

Tools for supervision

• Setting learning objectives - Bloom

• Contracts

• Students peer assessment

• Process analysis (only first year)

• Change of the teaching role towards:– facilitation– dialogue

15

Why Contracts:Create common expectations and clear

agreements. • Content could be:

– face to face meetings? (whenever possible)– how often are you going to have meetings? (once a week)– how long meetings (1 hour)– where? (in the group room)– agenda– chair of the meeting– students own objectives for the period– supervisors objectives for the period– areas of response to the Aworking papers@ during the

period:• Language, structure, details, methods

– external contacts– response to the group process

16

An example: project supervision

Prepare the meeting by reading the working papers, reflecting the project structure and details, and formulate your own objectives for the meeting.

• let the students be responsibly of the agenda• start discussing the agenda• points in mind:

– the contract (formative evaluation) – external contacts– the structure of the project– the working process

• Ask questions about the content of the working papers

17

Tasks for a group meeting

• Planning tasks• Subject tasks• Social aspect

where in the process?where in the educational progress?which type of project?types of students, experienced project

managers, good or poor, social aspect

Depending on:

18

Characteristics for a well functioning group:

• Common goal or objectives

• Agreement about group standards

• The members ”plays” all the necessary roles

• All group members respect the others

19

Co-operation: group classification

Integrated Instrumental Hierarchic Chaotic

Role casting All Some Some No

Work sharing All Some Some No

Control/Leadership All Yes Few No

Power Equal Equal/? Unequal No

Personal Engagement High Fair Different Low

Group identity High Low Low Low

Conflict solving Yes No No No

20

Content of Supervision - 1

Problem oriented Supervision helps the group to:

• Distinguish between subject, problem and perspective

• To sustain the methodical perspective

• To work reflexive

21

Content of Supervision - 2

Discipline/Subject oriented Supervision helps the group to:

• To connect/combine their problem with scientific knowledge

• To find relations between empirical data and theory

• Find central litterateur

22

Form of Supervision - 1

• Focus on Product

• Focus on Process

• Laissez-faire Supervision

• Control Supervision

23

Form of Supervision - 2

Focus on Product:

• Focus on theoretical knowledge

• Focus on solutions, which is often given

• Project report must be coherent

• The product/construction (or part of) should be finished

24

Form of Supervision - 3

Focus on Process:

• Sees the project as a cognitive process

• Facilitates co-operation in the group

• Starts reflexive processes

• Asks facilitating (reflexive) questions in stead of pointing out solutions

25

Form of Supervision - 4

Laissez-faire Supervision:

• The group are left to them selves

• Lack of engagement

• General and occasional comments

• Uses minimal time

26

Form of Supervision - 5

Control Supervision:

• The group are tested

• Thinks on the exam

• The project period is one long exam

• Is interested in the knowledge of the individual student

27

Which form and content of Supervision is suitable for the

different phases in a project work

?

28

Content

Form

Problem oriented Supervision

Discipline oriented Supervision

Focus on Product

Stimulates the analyse and the conclusions. Gives suggestions for problem solving.

Try's to pull the project in the direction of specific theoretical subjects. Gives suggestions for interpretation and choice of theory and method.

Focus on Process

Stimulates independent analyse of self-chosen problems. Asks questions to problem area.

Stimulates critical use of theory and method, chosen by the students. Focus on either discipline or subjects.

Laissez-faire Supervision

As long as the group works with the project everything is accepted.

As long as the group read and discuss specific books everything is accepted.

Control Supervision

Sets deadlines and controls that work is in progress. Very active at the end of project.

Discipline/study guide oriented consulting. Tests that the group have understood the theory.

29

What might go wrong in the co-operation between supervisor

and group

?

30

Different expectations

Students expectations

Study guideobjectives

Supervisors expectations

Project and documentation

31

Students opinions on supervision

Good Supervision:

• Overview in chaos• Cut through in critical situations• Solutions are not presented by the supervisor• Ask facilitating questions• The group is not controlled by the supervisor but

by the group it self• Supervisor is well prepared and well informed

32

Students opinions on supervision

Poor Supervision:

• Supervisor does not express opinions about affective questions

• Supervisor does not give constructive feed back/criticism

• Lack of interest in the project and/or the students• The supervisor has poor knowledge about the

students’ work and work process• Supervisor takes ownership of the project and

controls the students’ learning process

33

Roles of the supervisor – good or poor ?

• The group member – discipline oriented supervision with focus on product – Takes over responsibility for the project work– Very active in choice of theory and methods– Gives answers in stead of asking questions

• The visitor – both discipline and problem oriented supervision with focus on process– Stands on the sideline, ready to kick or withdraw– Points out directions where to seek answers– The students own the project

• The consultant – discipline or problem oriented laissez-fair supervision– Only activated on request– Only answers the questions asked – leave all decisions, planning and control to the group

34

Facilitator interventions

• summarizing

• mirroring

• asking open-ended questions

• use why, how, what, where

• dynamic list of question

• feedback as rethinking loudly

35

What about students cooperation?

How can the supervisor find out - and what to do? 

• ask to the way the students organize the work and discuss the working process

• ask to special project functions• discuss objectives for the organizational

aspects• individual consultations• feel the atmosphere - be present• let the student discuss• try to involve all the students

36

What about students cooperation? - 2

Put on the students agenda when starting the project:

• level of ambitions

• how to share the work

• discipline of meetings

• how to solve conflicts

• social relation

37

Lunch until 12.45

38

Assessment - the hidden curriculum

The aim of the study

goals

objectives

Forms of the exams and criteria

Teaching and learning methods: PBL and project work

39

Basic assumptions

• Examination is dominating the students learning approach

• Criteria for evaluation are crucial for the learning process

• Personal skills, metalearning etc. need formative evaluation forms

• Evaluation is a basic part for the learning process (reflection)

• Education is forming identity

40

Assessment - 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

41

Grading System in Denmark

42

Marking system in Denmark

In Denmark the grading system used is the 13-scale.

The following marks exist:

13: the exceptionally, independent and exellent performance.

11: the independent and excellent performance.

10: the excellent but not particularly independent performance.

9: the good performance, a little above average.

8: average performance.

7: mediocre performance, slightly below average.

6: somewhat hesitant but more or less satisfactory performance.

5: hesitant and not satisfactory performance.

03: very hesitant, very insufficient and unsatisfactory performance.

00: completely unacceptable performance.

A mark of at least 6 is required for passing.

43

Points

• Criteria and methods of self and peer assessment has to be integrated in the summative examination

• Evaluation/reflection has to be part of the learning environment - both as structures and at the informal level

• Supervisor has a role to play in facilitating students peer assessment

44

Assessment of course

Reflection-on-action:• What have we accomplished according

to your expectations?• What is missing according to your

expectations?• Which subjects from the course do you

need the most in the next months?• Are you well "equipped" to start

teaching (both as lecturer and supervisor)?

• If not: What do you need more?