Project Based Learning in First Year, First Semester of Industrial Engineering and Management: Some Results

The innovative learning methodology Project-based learning (PBL) has been functioning in the first semester of the first year of the Master Degree in Industrial Engineering and Management (IEM) at University of Minho, Portugal, since 2004_2005. This methodology was implemented by a team of teachers from the Department of Production and Systems of the Engineering School just before the Bologna process was adopted in Portugal. The process required substantial changes in the teaching/learning methods and methodologies and had a significant impact on students’ learning and motivation. The team of IEM teachers designed a full semester project based on the contents of four project-supporting courses (PSC), and formed a coordination team involving PSC lecturers, tutors and educational researchers. The latter aimed to accompany students’ teams, assess the learning process and evaluate the PBL experience at IEM. After nine editions of PBL in the first year, the IEM curricular structure has been reformulated to include a semester-wide project course in the first semester, recognizing PBL as a distinct part of the curriculum. It is therefore time to reflect on the past experiences and the merits of the PBL experiences. After presenting the overview of PBL based on the IEM specific context, its merit will be discussed through the analysis of surveys results and workshops organized at the end of last three PBL editions. This learning approach has put many challenges to the coordination team, brought discussion and triggered research that supported PBL along the way.

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Action, Practice and Research in Project Based Learning in an Industrial Engineering and Management Program

Volume 5: Education and Globalization ◽

10.1115/imece2015-51438 ◽

2015 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Anabela C. Alves ◽

Celina P. Leão

Keyword(s):

Best Practices ◽

Management Program ◽

Project Based Learning ◽

Industrial Engineering ◽

Teacher Engagement ◽

First Semester ◽

Engaged Teachers ◽

Market Needs ◽

Teaching Learning ◽

Coordination Team

Engineering is a profession that suffers from rapid obsolescence because of constantly new market needs. Therefore, the engineering education curriculum must be adapted to accommodate change and to prepare as well as possible new engineers. To achieve this, Project-Based Learning (PBL) as an active learning methodology, assumes greater importance. PBL has been implemented for a decade (since 2004/05) in the first semester of the first and fourth year of the Master Degree in Industrial Engineering and Management (IEM) at University of Minho, Portugal, by a team of IEM teachers. This paper describes this last decade of teaching, learning and researching in a PBL environment in this degree. PBL engages students in their own learning. In IEM program, PBL also engaged teachers in improving their teaching methods by questioning continuously these. Throughout ten years, the coordination team of IEM program faced many challenges and brought significant contributions to discussion, researching on how PBL process in IEM could be improved and studying different PBL models for different students’ needs. By following this path, this paper disseminates the practices researched in PBL process of IEM program and the benefits founded by applying this learning methodology through an analysis of the results of this research published in international conferences, journals and books (more than 70 publications). In light of the results achieved, as well as feedback from researchers and students, the authors believe that PBL is one of the best practices for student learning and teacher engagement.

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The Use of Blogs in a Project-Based Learning Context for First-Year Engineering Students’ Teams

Volume 9: Engineering Education ◽

10.1115/imece2020-23768 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Anabela C. Alves ◽

Ana C. Pereira ◽

Celina P. Leão ◽

Sandra Fernandes ◽

Andre F. Uebe-Mansur

Keyword(s):

Engineering Students ◽

Assessment Method ◽

Project Based Learning ◽

Industrial Engineering ◽

First Year ◽

Learning Context ◽

First Semester ◽

Teachers And Students ◽

Development Context ◽

Project Phases

Abstract The Integrated Project of Industrial Engineering and Management 1 (IPIEM1) is a curricular unit of the first year developed in the first semester of the Integrated Masters degree of Industrial Engineering and Management (IEM11) – University of Minho, Portugal. In the 2019’s 1st semester and in the IPIEM1 previous versions, Project-Based Learning (PBL) was usually adopted as a learning methodology. In this pedagogical development context, freshman students develop a project integrating all five courses related to this current semester. To undertake this project, the students work in large teams that comprise nine to ten members. Throughout the semester, each team must accomplish the project phases and tasks. To communicate their progress and results developed during the semester, each team designed a blog. In the IPIEM1 previous editions of PBL of this year in this program, the weblog (blog) digital technology was also adopted, but it was never assessed. Thus, this paper has two main objectives: 1) to evaluate the importance of the blog for the teams; 2) to discuss teams’ engagement during its development, knowing that it would be a part of the assessment method. The survey results revealed that the teams considered the blog useful to keep an update record of the project progress and to stimulate the writing and reflection about project contents. Furthermore, some of teachers’ and students’ considerations showed the need for providing more training and experience in the development of blogs.

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Dealing With Student Profile Diversity in an Industrial Engineering and Management Program: PBL vs “Non-PBL”

Volume 5: Engineering Education ◽

10.1115/imece2018-86368 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Anabela C. Alves ◽

Francisco Moreira ◽

Celina P. Leão

Keyword(s):

Management Program ◽

Project Based Learning ◽

Industrial Engineering ◽

First Year ◽

First Semester ◽

Student Profile ◽

The University ◽

Transfer Mechanisms ◽

Pbl Model ◽

Distinct Approach

The Integrated Master in Industrial Engineering and Management (IEM) program has been implementing Project-Based Learning (PBL) for more than 15 years in the first year, first semester. The IEM program is currently attracting students from different programs, using transfer mechanisms, who normally already have passed some of the courses on their original program. Additionally, this program also attracts a number of students already working in some companies. These students are a bit older and their profile is also distinct from that of their fellow colleagues, which enter the university using a regular national ingress process. Thus, distinct situations are identified that demand a different learning approach. The teachers have come-up with one such distinct approach and called it “non-PBL”, since the PBL model is structured in a way that students must have a specific profile, namely, to be first-year IEM student and enrolled a similar set of curricular units. With this in mind, this paper presents these situations, and describes the solution found to address this diversity. The solution must promote similar competences on both PBL and “non-PBL” students. A heavier workload is imposed on the teachers, given that the number of “non-PBL” teams formed can be as much as the number of PBL teams. Nevertheless, the results demonstrate that the “non-PBL” students successfully conclude the first year and that they value the solution proposed, in spite of the difficulties raised with this process.

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Project Based Learning (PBL) as a Promising Challenge of Teaching Mathematics

Studia Edukacyjne ◽

10.14746/se.2016.40.20 ◽

1970 ◽

pp. 379-409

Author(s):

Miri Hilai

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Abilities ◽

Self Regulation ◽

Project Based Learning ◽

Teaching Mathematics ◽

Mathematical Skills ◽

The Past ◽

Innovative Learning ◽

Different Populations ◽

Individualized Teaching ◽

Teaching Learning

Mathematics has always presented a challenge, both for teachers and for pupils, all around the world. Teachers of mathematics of all time periods are interested in having their pupils master the mathematical skills and love math. They deliberate on ways of teaching-learning, because of the tremendous gaps in their pupils’ cognitive abilities and their non-uniform abilities to pay attention and to concentrate. It appears that the main solution in the frontal mathematics lessons is offered to the average pupils, but the main goal is to provide a solution for the entire classroom population. Over the years I have searched for different ways beyond frontal and individualized teaching, so that I could provide a solution for populations with different needs in the mathematics lessons. My search for alternative ways derived also from the need to promote the achievements and to boost the motivation, interest, curiosity, and enjoyment in the learning of mathematics. Contemporary research indicates that there is practical innovative learning which is active and involving; it is called project-based learning (PBL). PBL provides a solution for the improvement of the performances in mathematics, for the motivation of the pupils, and for the inspiration of interest and curiosity in and enjoyment from this field of knowledge. From my experience as a teacher in the past and from the reports of my students in the Gordon Academic College for Education in the PBL course, in such teaching a solution is provided for the different populations in the class. The pupils are engaged in learning in practical and realistic projects that are relevant to their lives. They are more active and autonomous, work cooperatively, and develop patterns of behaviour of independence in learning, self-orientation, and self-regulation. These skills and patterns of behaviour are important to their lives as adults and cultivate the six functions of the learner that are derived from the curriculum in Israel: sensory-motor, self-direction in learning and in its management, intrapersonal and interpersonal, cognitive and meta-cognitive.

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Self-assessment based on language learning outcomes: a study with first year engineering students

Revista Alicantina de Estudios Ingleses ◽

10.14198/raei.2010.23.08 ◽

2010 ◽

pp. 133 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Pilar Durán Escribano ◽

Joana Pierce McMahon

Keyword(s):

Language Learning ◽

Learning Outcomes ◽

Engineering Students ◽

Bologna Process ◽

First Year ◽

Assessment Practices ◽

Assessment Practice ◽

Self Assessment ◽

Language Courses ◽

The Bologna Process

As the Bologna Process moves forward, changes in European systems of higher education are expected. The introduction of the ECTS focussing on the students’ achievements described in terms of the learning outcomes and competences acquired is one of the innovations. This process, encouraged by Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, signifies a change in teaching focus, from an input model to an output one, which promotes self-assessment in a flexible curriculum, in this case adapted to student’s language profile. To illustrate this new approach in language learning, a pilot experience with Technical English mining engineering students is discussed, with special attention to learner reflection and self-assessment practices. Students’ progress in self-assessment, based on the introduction of learning outcomes in specific language courses, is analysed to conclude that personal engagement and clear purpose -specified in terms of learning outcomes- seem to have become relevant components to student's self-assessment practice.

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Convergence at What Cost?

Professional Development and Workplace Learning ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-8632-8.ch072 ◽

2016 ◽

pp. 1328-1346

Author(s):

Daniel A. Glaser-Segura ◽

Suzanne D. Mudge ◽

Constantin Bratianu ◽

Ivona Orzea

Keyword(s):

Identity Development ◽

Professional Identity ◽

Business Students ◽

Bologna Process ◽

First Year ◽

Professional Identity Development ◽

Self In Relation ◽

Quasi Experimental ◽

Academic Credits ◽

The Bologna Process

The Bologna Process instituted measures promoting common curriculum throughout Europe with three-year standards established for Bachelor programs in economics, humanistic and positive sciences, and four-year standards for engineering sciences. Dramatic reductions were made to programs resulting in students moving into the workforce at a faster pace and with fewer academic credits. Questions existed as to whether three-year programs were sufficient for professional identity development. Professional identity, a system of attributes and values one has about self in relation to professional role, is essential for professional culture integration. This chapter employs a quasi-experimental design to compare professional identity development of Romanian business students ranging from first- through third-year using 2012 data and fourth-year students using 2007 data. Findings reveal professional identity within post-Bologna Process programs rose from first year to second but fell in the end-of-program third year. Data from pre-Bologna Process programs show higher measures of professional identity for end-of-program fourth-year students. Interpretations are provided and student workforce readiness discussed.

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Integrating Content and Language in Business English Teaching in China: First Year Students’ Perceptions and Learning Experience

English Language Teaching ◽

10.5539/elt.v11n8p86 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 11 (8) ◽

pp. 86 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Elaine Ruth Martyn

Keyword(s):

Language Learning ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

Learning Experience ◽

Foreign Language Learning ◽

Difficulty Level ◽

First Year ◽

Business English ◽

English Teaching ◽

First Semester ◽

Teaching Learning

Content and language integrated learning (CLIL) is a key construct in Business English teaching in universities in China today. While there is a plethora of articles on implementation in European contexts, there is limited evidence in the literature of the teaching/learning experience in other foreign language learning environments—despite its wide application in, for example, south-east Asia and China in particular. As CLIL programs have been developed in a variety of ways to meet the unique needs of learners and societal expectations, the context of teaching and learning is critical. This paper focuses on the perceptions and learning experiences of students in a first year, first semester course, Introduction to Contemporary Business, in a Chinese university. Lesson observations, questionnaires, and interviews explore the experience of learners. While most students found the course very challenging in their first semester, they met the challenge. Coping with both language and content is always a double challenge: most students found their Introduction to Contemporary Business their most difficult course, yet they perceived it as manageable and worthwhile. Students coped with the difficulty level in two main ways: either by spending much time in review and translating the textbook prior to class, or by focusing on the teacher’s PowerPoint slides after class—as they considered these were the key points and the textbook was too difficult. Suggestions for a closer integration between language and content within CLIL courses are offered, such as a case-task-based approach, a greater variety of input, and the role of content teachers in English enhancement.

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Sustainable Project-Based Learning Methodology Adaptable to Technological Advances for Web Programming

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13158482 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (15) ◽

pp. 8482

Author(s):

Juan Carlos López-Pimentel ◽

Alejandro Medina-Santiago ◽

Miguel Alcaraz-Rivera ◽

Carolina Del-Valle-Soto

Keyword(s):

Software Engineering ◽

Learning Strategies ◽

Educational Software ◽

New Technologies ◽

Project Based Learning ◽

Plagiarism Detection ◽

Web Programming ◽

Technological Advances ◽

Innovative Learning ◽

Teaching Learning

The fast pace of development of the Internet and the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic have considerably impacted the educative sector, encouraging the constant transformation of the teaching/learning strategies and more in technological areas as Educational Software Engineering. Web programming, a fundamental topic in Software Engineering and Cloud-based applications, deals with various critical challenges in education, such as learning continuous emerging technological tools, plagiarism detection, generating innovative learning environments, among others. Continual change and even more change with the current digitization becomes a challenge for teachers and students who cannot depend on traditional educational methods. The article presents a sustainable teaching/learning methodology for web programming courses in Engineering Education using project-based learning adaptable to the continuous web technological advances. The methodology has been developed and improved during 9 years, 15 groups, and 3 different universities. Our results demonstrate that the methodology is adaptable with new technologies that might arise; it also presents the advantages of avoiding plagiarism in students and a personalized induction for every specific student in the learning process.

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