Improving Student Engagement With Project-Based Learning: A Case Study in Software Engineering

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-28
Author(s):  
Paula Morais ◽  
Maria Joao Ferreira ◽  
Bruno Veloso
Keyword(s):  
Student Engagement ◽  
Software Engineering ◽  
Project Based Learning

The problem of projects: understanding the theoretical underpinnings of project-led PBL

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roy Hanney ◽  
Maggi Savin-Baden
Keyword(s):  
Student Engagement ◽  
Problem Based Learning ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Dialogic Approach

For many years there has been a sharp division between project-based learning, and problem-based learning, with the former adopting a more technical rationalist approach while the latter adopts a more Socratic or dialogic approach. This article argues that current notions of project-based learning are too narrow and that combining the two approaches will improve student engagement and criticality. This article begins by outlining the key differences between project-based, and problem-based learning, suggesting a new constellation. It then provides an exemplar in the form of a case study that sought to undertake such a combination, and reports on implications for practice.

Failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA) to improve collaborative project-based learning: Case study of a Study and Research Path in mechanical engineering

2021 ◽  
pp. 030641902199904
Author(s):  
Elena Bartolomé ◽  
Paula Benítez
Keyword(s):  
Active Learning ◽  
Failure Mode ◽  
Mechanical Engineering ◽  
Failure Modes ◽  
Collaborative Study ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
Effect Analysis ◽  
Questions And Answers

Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) is a powerful quality tool, widely used in industry, for the identification of failure modes, their effects and causes. In this work, we investigated the utility of FMEA in the education field to improve active learning processes. In our case study, the FMEA principles were adapted to assess the risk of failures in a Mechanical Engineering course on “Theory of Machines and Mechanisms” conducted through a project-based, collaborative “Study and Research Path (SRP)” methodology. The SRP is an active learning instruction format which is initiated by a generating question that leads to a sequence of derived questions and answers, and combines moments of study and inquiry. By applying the FMEA, the teaching team was able to identify the most critical failures of the process, and implement corrective actions to improve the SRP in the subsequent year. Thus, our work shows that FMEA represents a simple tool of risk assesment which can serve to identify criticality in educational process, and improve the quality of active learning.

scholarly journals Project-Based Learning in a Transinstitutional Research Setting: Case Study on the Development of Sustainable Food Products

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 233 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hartmut Derler ◽  
Simon Berner ◽  
Daniela Grach ◽  
Alfred Posch ◽  
Ulrike Seebacher
Keyword(s):  
Secondary School ◽  
Food Products ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Research Setting ◽  
School Students ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Problem Solving Skills

Project-based learning (PBL) has been thoroughly integrated in university sustainable development curricula, but has not been well-established in curricula used at pre-university educational levels. Integrating real-world settings into the teaching of secondary school students can help to promote problem-solving skills and competencies at younger ages, which is a crucial task in sustainability education. Therefore, in this article we describe the results of a case study on the development of sustainable food products that involved a university and two secondary schools in Austria. The methods used in this case study were drawn from the transdisciplinary case study (TCS) and the PBL literature. Data were collected by carrying out participatory research methods such as photovoice, focus group discussions, food diaries, student evaluations, and surveys. We divided the study design into three phases: (1) exploration, (2) product ideation, and (3) product prototyping and optimisation. The case study illustrates that the use of PBL research approaches by students at different levels of education provides promising results, if the research process is clearly structured and managed. When a demand for learning is encountered by students, secondary school teachers and university researchers must provide the students with additional sources of information. The establishment and management of a transinstitutional research setting is a promising, yet time-consuming endeavour.

scholarly journals Older adults and hackathons: a qualitative study

2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 1895-1930 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wiesław Kopeć ◽  
Bartłomiej Balcerzak ◽  
Radosław Nielek ◽  
Grzegorz Kowalik ◽  
Adam Wierzbicki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Software Engineering ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Qualitative Methods ◽  
Older Adult ◽  
Good Practices ◽  
Adult Participation ◽  
Modern Technologies

Abstract Globally observed trends in aging indicate that older adults constitute a growing share of the population and an increasing demographic in the modern technologies marketplace. Therefore, it has become important to address the issue of participation of older adults in the process of developing solutions suitable for their group. In this study, we approached this topic by organizing a hackathon involving teams of young programmers and older adults participants. Below we describe a case study of that hackathon, in which our objective was to motivate older adults to participate in software engineering processes. Based on our results from an array of qualitative methods, we propose a set of good practices that may lead to improved older adult participation in similar events and an improved process of developing apps that target older adults.

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