Problem-Based Learning for Laboratory & Professional Skills Teaching Kevin Wells SCEPTrE Fellow Dept of Electronic Engineering, FEPS University of Surrey …. how I binned the Lab Manual and got away with it.

Overview  Background  Motivation  Planning  Implementation  Analysis  Follow on  Conclusions

Overview  Background  Motivation  Planning  Implementation  Analysis  Follow on  Conclusions

Background

Background  Lab lectures ~1hr  6 hours per week 2 x 3 hrs  Experiment Rotation working pairs  Weekly Assessment:PG Demonstrators Prep, Progress, Log First year Laboratory Programme

Background  Lectures ~1 hr  Workshops~2 hrs  Assessment: Academic/PG Demonstrators Professional Skills Programme Mandatory component for IET accreditation

Background Professional Skills Programme Mandatory component for IET accreditation

Skills of a Professional Engineer IET Competence Statements Chartered Engineers must be competent, by virtue of their initial formation and throughout their working life, to: B - Apply appropriate theoretical and practical methods to the analysis and solution of engineering problems: - plan and implement solutions, taking a Holistic approach to cost, benefits, safety, reliability, appearance and environmental impact. - evaluate solutions and make improvements. A - Use a combination of general and specialist engineering knowledge and understanding to optimise the application of existing and emerging technology.

Skills of a Professional Engineer C - Provide technical, commercial and managerial leadership. This includes: - plan for effective project implementation. - plan, budget, organise, direct and control tasks, people or resources. - develop the capabilities of staff to meet the demands of changing technical and managerial requirements. - bring about continuous improvement through quality management. D - Use effective communication and Interpersonal skills. This includes: - work and communicate with others at all levels. - presentation and discussion of ideas and plans. - build teams and negotiate.

Background Engineers MUST be able to communicate to : engineers & scientists clients ‘the public’ via technical oral presentations technical written reports to convey new ideas to a broad audience.

Overview  Background  Motivation  Planning  Implementation  Analysis  Follow on

Motivation

Motivation Professional Skills Programme Mandatory component for IET accreditation ….. but it was a joke! Real effort required …. …. in order to fail.

Motivation First year Laboratory Programme [Over] assessment : ….. potentially disadvantaged our best students ….. potentially disadvantaged our best students ….. perennial complaints about ‘apparent PG bias’ ….. perennial complaints about ‘apparent PG bias’

Motivation First year Laboratory Programme Learning ….. allowed students to ‘sleep walk’ and still get good grades ….. Teaching materials were very tired

Motivation Address some/all these issues by addressing them as a single problem: Enhance student engagement with learning Professional Skills Laboratory Skills

Motivation Address some/all these issues by addressing them as a single problem: Professional Skills Laboratory Skills Enhance student engagement with learning

Overview  Background  Motivation  Planning  Implementation  Analysis  Follow on

Planning

Planning

Planning Week Student Preparation Professional Skills/Design session AssessmentLab SessionAssessment 2E1 3E2E1 Peer-based assessment 4ProjectE2 Peer-based assessment 5 Project & Criteria Design Peer-based assessment E2 - Filter Designsingle mark 6ProjectFeedback only 7ProjectFeedback only 8 ProjectFeedback only 9Project Showcase Peer-based assessment E1 - Transistor Amplifier single mark

Planning Week Student Preparation Professional Skills/Design session AssessmentLab SessionAssessment 2E1 3E2E1 Peer-based assessment 4ProjectE2 Peer-based assessment 5 Project & Criteria Design Peer-based assessment E2 - Filter Designsingle mark 6ProjectFeedback only 7ProjectFeedback only 8 ProjectFeedback only 9Project Showcase Peer-based assessment E1 - Transistor Amplifier single mark

Planning Week Student Preparation Professional Skills/Design session AssessmentLab SessionAssessment 2E1 3E2E1 Peer-based assessment 4ProjectE2 Peer-based assessment 5 Project & Criteria Design Peer-based assessment E2 - Filter Designsingle mark 6ProjectFeedback only 7ProjectFeedback only 8 ProjectFeedback only 9Project Showcase Peer-based assessment E1 - Transistor Amplifier single mark

Planning Week Student Preparation Professional Skills/Design session AssessmentLab SessionAssessment 2E1 3E2E1 Peer-based assessment 4ProjectE2 Peer-based assessment 5 Project & Criteria Design Peer-based assessment 6ProjectFeedback only 7ProjectFeedback only 8 ProjectFeedback only 9Project Showcase Peer-based assessment E1 - Transistor Amplifier single mark E2 - Filter Designsingle mark

Planning Week Student Preparation Professional Skills/Design session AssessmentLab SessionAssessment 2E1 3E2E1 Peer-based assessment 4ProjectE2 Peer-based assessment 5 Project & Criteria Design Peer-based assessment E1 - Transistor Amplifier single mark E2 - Filter Designsingle mark ProjectFeedback only ProjectFeedback only ProjectFeedback only Project Showcase Peer-based assessment

Planning Week Student Preparation Professional Skills/Design session AssessmentLab SessionAssessment 2E1 3E2E1 Peer-based assessment 4ProjectE2 Peer-based assessment 5 Project & Criteria Design Peer-based assessment E1 - Transistor Amplifier single mark E2 - Filter Designsingle mark ProjectFeedback only Project Showcase Peer-based assessment ProjectFeedback only ProjectFeedback only

Overview  Background  Motivation  Planning  Implementation  Analysis  Follow on

Implementation  Buy out  Web pages  Session Plans  Peer assessment scheme  Design examples

Implementation  Web pages replace lab lectures + lab manual

Implementation  Design session & PA

Implementation  Brain storming  Mind mapping  Team ex.

Implementation  Judgements / criteria  Peer Designed PA

Implementation  3 cycles of 3 week Design process + PA  2 weeks of ‘E’ Design briefing practicals  DVD ‘Short’ + 30 min Teaching vid  3 weeks of L1 Project  Final week – project showcase: paired PA using peer-designed PA scheme

Implementation  DVD ‘Short’ + 30 min Teaching vid

Overview  Background  Motivation  Planning  Implementation  Analysis  Follow on

Analysis  Plot mean project showcase mark vs PA marks Outliers rejected by thresholding

Analysis  Plot PA marks vs PG Demonstrator marks

Analysis  Student questionnaire Table 1 Summary of mean responses to the three questions polled.

Analysis  Student questionnaire: Prof Skills

Analysis

Analysis  Student questionnaire Table 2 Summary of mean responses to the three questions polled.

Analysis  Student questionnaire: Lab

Analysis

Overview  Background  Motivation  Planning  Implementation  Analysis  Follow on

Follow On  Autumn Semester Lab Programme - 2 weeks assessment free - feedback forms + single grades

Follow On  Autumn Semester Lab Programme - new workshop training session - new competency test  follow-up skills session  follow-up skills session  open-access for competent users

Follow On  Spring Semester Lab/Prof Skills Programme - Choose 3 from 5 scripted experiments - 4 weeks of Design Briefings - 3 week Lab Project - 1 week Project Showcase + PA

Conclusions / Lessons Learnt  Many students liked the new style of working  - and others did not  Students seemed very comfortable with directed web-based learning  There is some evidence that student satisfaction has improved – enhanced student engagement ?  ‘Demonstrator bias’ seems to have disappeared  Students may not be aware of ‘Skills training’ aspect  L1 students cannot do PA - requires training and QA checks

Acknowledgements I would like to thank the following staff that helped make this SCEPTrE Fellowship project: SCEPTrE: Jo Tait, Norman Jackson and Fred Buining EE : Janco Calic EE : Janco Calic Jeremy Allan, Phil Jackson, Graham Reed Jeremy Allan, Phil Jackson, Graham Reed Richard Clarke, Bill Backhouse, Dave Fishlock

Questions?

The end

Acknowledgements

EDPS Themes Aims/Objectives in Year 1:  Key Individual Communication Skills -   Written  Written - technical reports, info. retrieval  Diagramatic  Diagramatic - technical drawings, interpretation  Verbal  Verbal - EFFECTIVE presentations, meetings  Intro to time/project management, team working

EDPS L1 Course Summary Semester 1: u Basic MS Office skills u Information retrieval u Technical report writing u Technical drawing Semester 2: u Presentations Skills u Time Management u Data Presentation & Analysis u Managing professional meetings u Project Documentation

EDPS L1 Course Summary Semester 1: u Basic MS Office skills u Information retrieval u Technical report writing u Technical drawing Semester 2: u Presentations Skills u Time Management u Data Presentation & Analysis u Managing professional meetings u Project Documentation

Planning