1. CHALLENGE BASED LEARNING IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION
Antti Piironen, Anssi Ikonen,
Kimmo Saurén, Pasi Lankinen
Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences
FINLAND

2. Case: What Information Technology Students can Do?
Copyright: Teemu Partanen, 2009

3. Metropolia - The largest University of Applied Sciences in Finland
students
61 bachelor and master level degree programmes
4 fields of study:
Culture
Business and Administration
Health Care and Social Services
Technology and Transport
Helsinki, Espoo and Vantaa

4. Bachelor of Engineering in Information Technology Curriculum
Basic studies (79 ECTS credits)
Common Professional Studies (70)
Professional Orientation Studies (30)
Elective Studies
Final Year Thesis (15)
Maturity exam
Language studies
____________________________________
Total 240 ECTS credits in 4 years

5. Four Specialization Options, 30 ECTS each
Telecommunications
Computer Networks 1
Computer Networks 2 / Personal Communications
Software Engineering
Real-Time and Embedded Systems / Mobile Programming
Embedded Engineering
Computer Engineering
Measurement Systems / Digital Signal Processing
Information Systems

6. What did we do?
Integrating project combining learnings of three courses:
Electronic Components and Systems
Embedded Systems Programming
Finnish language for Information Technology
In future: - Business Studies for Engineers - Multicultural Project Teams

7. Problem Based Learning Principle
Realistic problem is used.
Teaching  Tutoring.
Teacher does not know the only correct answer.
Students learn by doing: a lot of trial and error involved!
Learning happens outside of lectures.
But still, lectures are needed!

8. How? Challenge instead of problem:
Variety of valid solutions
Goal orientation
Process learning
Problem based learning is well suited method to teach applied engineering, communication, and group work skills.
T0161
Electronic Systems
T0162
Electronic Components and Circuits
T0192
Microprocessors
T0022
Embedded System Programming
KIELT0164
Finnish for Information Technology
Combined
Project
Circuit theory
etc.
Digital Circuits
T0189
Programming
Competition

9. Learning resources: no changes to traditional curriculum!
Electronic Components and Circuits
20 h project
2 home exercises
6 h extra supervised laboratory sessions
Embedded Systems Programming
5 laboratory exercises
Finnish for Information Technology
10 h project
7 h group meetings
Oral presentations
Documentation exercises

10. Extra Teachers Resources to Keep it Going
FIRST TIME:
AT LEAST DOUBLE THE TIME
>140 hours/teacher
Planning starts 3 months before the project
Selecting a topic: ~10 work hours
Validating the topic: >20 work hours
Forming the groups and modifying project rules: ~10 work hours
Extra supervision
14 hours of electronics laboratory to advice on hard to solve problems
Daily “quick answers” on hallways and classrooms
Three electronic component group-orders
The competition
Organizing: 12 work hours
Grading requires a teachers meeting: 4 work hours
________________________________________________
TOTAL >70 hours of teachers work extra

11. Project Topics
2005:
Groups formed freely  some groups never finished
Topic selected freely  some topics were way too hard
2006:
Groups assigned by teacher  works very well
Topic: IR remote control transmitter or receiver  too easy :
Groups assigned by teacher
Topic: Remotely Controlled Robot
Works  DON’T MESS IT UP NOW!!!

12. Competition Classes Challenge 2009: Robot Wars
Speed: Two trials on 400cm long acceleration track.
Tuning: Coolest looking car is voted.
Robot Wars: The last robot in circuit wins.
In future:
Slalom
Obstacle track
Anti-speed race

13. Assessment
Dirty trick to get everyone involved: students can make a group decision on how to redistribute the points: for example, group of three and grade of 3 can be divided in (4,3,2), or (5,2,2), or even (5,4,0).

14. Time Table (Students) Theory Combined project
January February March April May
Orientation
Supervising sessions
Grading
Project
Report
Group
meeting
Technical
Document
Kickoff
Feedback on
Project Plan
2. Review of
Project Plan
Customer
meeting
Competition

15. Learning Spiral Closure Challenge Testing Solution Practical Work
Contruction
of Knowledge
Appropriation
Refining
Solution
Client
Meeting
Searching
Solution
Experiments
Solution
Intro
Appropriation
Formulating
Questions
Tutoring
Session
Challenge

16. Students comments:
Multidisciplinary project is a motivating method for learning.
Students learned project and team working skills and gained knowledge and experiences on embedded systems design process.
"we found out that designing embedded systems is 5% of planning and implementation and 95% of testing and debugging“.
Senior Students comment: “one of the best courses ever during my studies”.

17. Teachers observations
Supervision takes much more time than in “normal” project, but the outcome is very rewarding.
We learn to know students more as persons than just student “ID numbers”.
Hidden competence of silent students will blossom.

18. Recommendations… Please take these seriously!!!
Get enough planning resources.
Our project could not have been possible without an extra 100 hours of teachers vocational studies project work of Mr. Anssi Ikonen.
Planning the combined project requires substantial amount of meeting hours.
Keep the meetings casual, since this project cannot be forced to happen.
In our case, we had pizza, beverages, and sauna.

19. Recommendations… Co-operation means that everybody participates.
Not just only students, but especially teachers’ real co-operation is crucial.
Learn from your own successes and mistakes
All groups will not deliver end product but they still are successful.
Do not evaluate only the end product but also the learning process.

20. Recommendations… Get project maintance tools.
NetPro-system was in use until The system was turned down during the fusion. Big mistake!
A paper folder was used as a project diary.
Some teams made their own electronic project management systems, which evidently gave them (well earned) advantage.

21. Recommendations… Select project topic carefully.
Active involvement in guidance is crucial during first weeks of project.
Do not allow students to form teams by themselves.
Eliminate extra variables to simplify project maintenance.
Get enough implementation resources.

22. Recommendations… Get enough resources:
This is not a miracle cure for a budget deficit!!!

23. Few pictures
Copyright: Erika Julku, 2009

24. Copyright: Harry Sileoni, 2009

25. Copyright: Antti Piironen, 2009

26. Copyright: Erika Julku, 2009

27. Thank you!