PBL course for international students1 Session 1, September 3, 2014 Lise Busk Kofoed, Professor. Architecture, Design and Media Technology lk@create.aau.dk

PBL Introduction at a glance Session Plan: Session 1 – The Aalborg model Session 2 – Learning and collaboration Session 3 – Project management and documentation

© SLP-gruppen, Aalborg Universitet Why PBL? PBL frame work PBL principles PBL myths The project Preparing for the next session © SLP-gruppen, Aalborg Universitet

The framework - AAU structure Faculties – Departments - Educations Schools Study boards Students

Structure N Number of Study Boards Aalborg University Faculty of Medicine Faculty of Engineering and Science School of Information and Communication Technology School of Architecture, Design and Planning School of Engineering and Science Faculty of Humanities Faculty of Social Science ! Denne slide tilrettes. De rigtige studienævn tilføjes i nederste række. Number of Study Boards N

Study secretaries and study board … what can they help you with? Study secretaries Information about practical issues Timetables and classrooms Issues regarding examination Study board Applications for dispensation Complaints

The student guidance … what can we help you with? Study related issues Personal issues Practical issues Our door is always open! (In office hours!)

Project Based Learning (Project Organized Learning) What is PBL? PBL = Problem Based Learning In the Aalborg PBL Model: PBL = Problem Based and Project Based Learning (Project Organized Learning)

Question Discuss with the person next to you: Which will be the biggest challenges using in PBL?

(Ingeniøren, 2004)

Are there one or more institutions which you find particular good at developing engineering education according to the needs of society and companies? (N=187, Ingeniøren, 2004)

Why PBL: Efficient and rewarding

AAU PBL principles Learning Problem based Contextual learning Project based/ organised Activity/ experience based learning Social Participant directed Team based learning Content Theory-practice relation Interdisciplinary learning Exemplary learning Meta-learning Billeder: http://www.irff-europe.org/project/hungary/serviceproj02.htm & http://www.in.lcms.org/NewsLetters/EEE/classroom.jpg

What is special about PBL at AAU? The learninh/project space The type of problems The lenght of the project period The attention towards the learning process Strong group committment Group based assessment

The Aalborg Model 50% courses Course 5 ECTS Course 5 ECTS Course One semester Project 15 ECTS 50% project 1 ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) = 30 working hours

Structure of a semester Semester: 50 % courses (normally three courses, each 5 ECTS) 50 % project (15 ECTS) Expected work: 1 ETCS = 30 hours 450 hours on project 450 hours on courses (150 hours on each course)

The structure of a project Supervisor Group work Literature searching Lab work Report

I.e. – not necessarily a ”problem” What is a problem? Unsatisfactory situation (minus) - Eg. oxygen depletion in water bodies, noise from wind turbines, newborn babies with too low weight An opportunity for improvement (plus) Eg. Robot vacuum cleaner, more effective pesticides, route optimazation Consequences unknown (unknown) Eg. effect of airborne nano - particles , radiation from cell phones , how determined the maximum flow in a given network I.e. – not necessarily a ”problem” Billeder: www.sn.dk, www.madebydelta.com, videnskab.dk

Difference subject and problem based Subject based question Problem based question What is a robot vacuum cleaner? What is graph theory? Characteristics No context Theory/literature Gain knowledge (eg. for PBL) What is the affect for elderly people when they get a robot vacuum cleaner? How can we optimize the route a food company uses to distribute fresh shell eggs to many customers? Characteristics In context Theory/literature when analyzing the problem Apply knowledge Billeder: mattebloggen.com & samvirke.dk

Problem Orientation What is a problem? An Unsatisfactory Situation Unknown Impacts Of new (and old) chemicals, materials, products and technologies Politics The population/people An Unsatisfactory Situation E.g. The build-up of greenhouse gases (GHGs) threatens to set the Earth on the path to a unpredictably different climate. (UNEP, 2009) An Un-Utilized Potential E.g. energy efficient buildings

Subject, Problem Area, Problem Formulation Subject area, Theme – Highest level of generalization. Not a problem´, but objects and fields of interest. Subject Area, Theme Problem Area Problem area - Theoretical and empirical relations that make something a problem. Problem/ Problem Formulation Problem -The object of study for your project Problem Formulation – A short and precise formulation of the problem. Kaare Pedersen, 2003

The Subject Area 2. Conceptualisations 1. Relevance 3. Stakeholders KNOWLEDGE NEEDED 2. Conceptualisations 1. Relevance 5. State of the art 4. Sites; Systems 3. Stakeholders 6. Problems to be addressed SUBJECT AREA

The problem area What Why When Where Who How PROBLEM

Bottom up analysis Who What Where When Why How Who is causing the problem? Who says this is a problem? Who are impacted by this problem? Etc. What will happen if this problem is not solved? What are the symptoms? What are the impacts? Etc. Where does this problem occur? Where does this problem have an impact? Etc. When Why How When does this problem occur? When did this problem first start occurring? Etc. Why is this problem occurring? Why? Etc. How should the process or system work? How are people currently handling the problem? Etc.

Myths of PBL Picture: www.baekdal.com & www.bodybycal.com

In a PBL environment there is a lot of free-riders Picture from: fineartamerica.com

The PBL process is aligned with professional practice Picture from: padtmedical.com

In a PBL environment you always have to reach consensus with others Picture from: rightattitudes.com

It is easier to study in a PBL environment Picture from: darrenhardy.success.com

In a PBL environment – the teacher will not tell you what to do http://www.coolrewards.co.uk/index.php?cat=funny_educational_teacher_teaching_picures

When you are educated in a PBL environment you are better to think outside-the-box – be creative Picture from: photo.net

In a PBL environment you are getting very good at many things – but not that good at something in specific Picture from: blog.thestoragearchitect.com

PBL- learning principles Problem based Contextual learning Project based / organised Activity/experience based learning Social Participant directed Team based learning Content Theory-practice relation Interdisciplinary learning Exemplary learning Meta-learning/ Double loop learning

What is so specific about The Aalborg model: The group rooms The type of problems The length of the project period The attention towards the learning process Group based assessment - and a strong group commitment Picture: implicit-thoughts-explicit.blogspot.com

What is so specific about The Aalborg model: Projects Group work Supervisor Students are responsible for own learning Picture: implicit-thoughts-explicit.blogspot.com

Overcoming challenges of collaborate learning Hopes What are your hopes for the project outcome and for your cooperation with the members of your group? Eg. what would make you satisfied and thrive during the project time. Fears What are your fears for the project and the working process? Eg. based on earlier “bad experiences”. Expectations What do you expect as good conduct from you and your fellow students? Eg. related to communication, self-direction, involvement,…

See you next Wednesday Questions lk@create.aau.dk