1. Problem based Learning in Engineering and Science – Development of Facilitator
A Course given by:
Xiangyun Du
Department of Education, Learning and Philosophy
Fibigerstraede 10, DK Aalborg East
Phone: ,
Lars Peter Jensen
Department of Control Engineering
Fredrik Bajers Vej 7C, DK Aalborg East
Phone: ,
Associated Professors at Aalborg University
Tell about each bullit by reading up the content from the program

2. Tuesday, 25th of October 2011: Facilitation
9.00       Mini project: In a Danish brewery  there is too much noise emitted in the production hall, due to the bottles. Plan how to find the noise sources and find solutions.
9.45       Introduction to role play. Exercise: Role play of a supervising situation
12.00       Lunch
13.00       Facilitation skills and experience exchange
Intercultural Communication in a PBL Environment
15.15       Forming Peer groups and planning experiment
16.00       End of day two  
Supervision

3. Role-play Six role plays illustrate supervising situations (meetings)
Imagine that your group is working on the project from this morning
The group members assign roles between themselves, so that the outlined situation in the role play occurs
Each role play lasts approximately 15 minutes
Each role play is commented by 4-5 observers
Supervision

4. Lunch until 13.00
Supervision

5. Teach me… and I will forget ?
Student centered learning
Teach me… and I will forget ?
Tell me and I will forget
Show me and I will remember
Involve me and I will understand
Step back and I will act
Chinese proverb
Supervision

6. Carl Rogers on teaching at Harvard in 1951
It seems to me that anything that can be taught to another is relatively inconsequential, and has little or no significant influence on behavior.
I have come to feel that the only learning which significantly influences behavior is self-discovered, self-appropriated learning.
Supervision

7. Active involvement, discussing a topic is an effective educational strategy, for students as well as for teachers.
Supervision

8. Teacher roles and PBL The teacher as: Expert Facilitator
Designing a stimulating environment for learning
Management of the learning process, including evaluation
Stimulates students to define their own learning goals and to direct their own learning process
Supervision

9. Teaching styles How do you teach? Can give a metaphore? Supervision
Martin Valcke Universiteit van gent
Supervision 9

10. Teaching styles Guidance Transfer Shaping Nursing
After: Dennis Fox, 1983
Supervision 10

11. © SLP-gruppen, Aalborg Universitet
Types of supervision
Four types of supervision:
Product supervision
Process supervision
Laissez-faire supervision
Control supervision
© SLP-gruppen, Aalborg Universitet

12. Product Supervision Focus on professional knowledge
Be sure to make ​​an outline of the report as early as possible
Focus on professional knowledge
Emphasis on a consistent and coherent project reports
Is solution oriented
Provides ideas, suggestions and answers
Is product oriented
© SLP-gruppen, Aalborg Universitet

13. © SLP-gruppen, Aalborg Universitet
Process Supervision
Try to set up some questions that can control your work the next period of time ...
Focuses on the understanding process
Supervises team collaboration
Asks questions rather than provide solutions
Promotes reflective processes
Is process oriented
© SLP-gruppen, Aalborg Universitet

14. Laissez-faire Supervision
Well, it goes very well, so there's no reason why I ...
Allows the ideas of the team to guide the project
Praise and encourage the team to work independent of supervisor
Demonstrates a lack of commitment
Provides general, noncommittal and random comments
Minimizes the time spent on supervision
© SLP-gruppen, Aalborg Universitet

15. © SLP-gruppen, Aalborg Universitet
Control Supervision
Please go to the blackboard and derive the formula you have used on page 10, so we can see if you have all understood it.
Testing the group
Make the project one long exam
Focuses on the assessment
Focuses on the individual student's knowledge
© SLP-gruppen, Aalborg Universitet

16. Situated supervision Ability to read the situation ….
Where in the process
Where in the education
Type of projects and objectives
Type of students
Experienced?
Brilliant or poor students
Social competence
Ability to read the situation ….
Supervision

17. project supervision “supervisor ” “Students”

18. Communication maps during a project
Beginning of the project
Progressing in the project
Supervision

19. Forms of groups - 1
Supervision

20. Forms of groups - 2
Supervision

21. Characteristics for a well functioning group:
Common goal or objectives
Agreement about group norms, rules
The members ”play” all the necessary roles
All group members respect each other
How do you see if it is a good group?
Supervision

22. Co-operation: group classification
Integrated
Instrumental
Hierarchic
Chaotic
Role casting
All
Some No
Work sharing
Control/Leadership
Yes
Few
Power
Equal
Equal ?
Unequal
Personal Engagement
High
Fair
Different
Low
Group identity
Conflict solving
A simple classification of groups could be:
The integrated group where all members are equal and share roles, work and leadership. They respect each other and have equal power in the group. This gives a very high group identity and personal engagement. But the main point about this group is that they don't ignore conflicts, in fact they have realized that a lot of progress in project work might come from conflicts if they are discussed and dealt with. So the group work actively with identifying, discussing and solving conflict.
In this way it differs from any other group classification and it makes the best projects and learns the most also as individuals. But is is not possible for all people and groups to be that way.
The instrumentional group reach a fairly good result by sharing roles and work so that each job is handed out to the person that knows most about it on beforehand and they use control and leadership as a tool more than giving power to someone. Usual there is a fairly high personal engagement with each persons tasks, but the group identity is low. This kind of group is good to get things done and might be preferable sometimes in a company, but being students it would have been better if they have shared work and roles so everybody learned more about their week sides.
In the hierarchic group there is a battle of controlling the group. Usually there is 2 power constellations and this affect the group work. Roles and work has to be decided from the top of the group and usually peoples engagement is rather different. As the group often is working more like two groups there is a very low group identity. These group seldom exist more than one semester.
Finally the chaotic group where nothing is done because there are no engagement and no driving force. This kind of group is usually the result of the other students judgement of the group members, meaning that they are the left over when the groups are formed. It is persons that no other will have in their group because they have behaved badly or don't do their job, so it is a kind of rest group, and if it turns out chaotic then the student probably will fail and stop
Supervision

23. Ideal group size: 3-4 people
Ideal Learning environment from the perspective of students – group work
Ideal group size: 3-4 people
Most important things that make group work function
Positive attitude
Constructive communication
Cooperation
Compromise
New perspectives
Supervision

24. Students’ opinions on supervision
Good Supervision:
Overview in chaos
Cut through in critical situations
Solutions are not presented by the supervisor
Ask facilitating questions
The project is not controlled by the supervisor but by the group itself
Supervisor is well prepared and well informed
Supervision

25. Students’ opinions on supervision
Poor Supervision:
Supervisor does not express opinions about affective questions
Supervisor does not give constructive feed back/criticism
Lack of interest in the project and/or the students
The supervisor has poor knowledge about the students’ work and work process
Supervisor takes ownership of the project and controls the students’ learning process
Supervision

26. Learning environment from the perspective of students –supervision
Functions of supervisors
Beginners of each project / the study program
More direct inputs regarding how to the project work started and relevant technical knowledge
Later part of the project / education
Structural comments, emergency support
‘In the first year, we had no idea what we can expect from them and how to communicate with them. So lots of problems coming out along the way. Now we know what we can do from our part. If we have specific problem we have to solve, we will tell him and be clear about what specific help we expect to get. We prepare something for him to read for comments.’ – student group
Supervision

27. Learning environment from the perspective of students –supervision
Expectation to supervisors
clear information about what can be expected
Technical knowledge
The art of teaching (more important)
Engagement, willingness to help
Accessibility
Mental support, especially in case of problems
Instruction of methods (how to learn) regarding how to solve the project and do the project rather than facts answers
Constructive communication – with clear knowledge about the expectation from both sides
Supervision

28. Tasks of a supervisor Before the semester start:
Prepare project proposals
Plan project courses
In the beginning of a project:
Help to find appropriate literature
Help to establish contacts with companies etc.
Discuss the potential of the project proposal with students
During the whole project period:
Give comments to both oral and written presentations/memos/working papers
Monitor the progress and professional level of group and individual students
At the end:
Prepare for the examination
Chair the examination
So what are you supposed to do as a supervisor: ....
We will dig deeper into commenting presentations and assessing later
Supervision

29. Tools for supervision Contracts Supervision
Now we will talk about the tools we have as a supervisor.
First we can set the learning objectives, e.g.. Using bloom in our project proposal.
At the start of a project we might make a kind of contract with the students – i will dig deeper within a minute.
You can help improving the students peer assessment, by e.g. Encouraging them to comment on each others working papers, which will improve the quality of the papers you have to read.
At the basic year we use a written process analyse to improve the students teamwork and project skills.
But the main tool you have in the daily confrontation with the students is to be aware of facilitating more than teaching and to use dialogue, more about this later.
Supervision

30. Cooperation agreement example
It might be a good idea to make a kind of formal contract with the students to create …

31. Cooperation agreement A225 2006 NANO
3. Group Leader:
The group leader is responsible for seriousness is maintained, and the schedule is followed.
The position rotates (alphabetically), a new group leader selected by. 14 days.
The group leader should keep the agenda at supervisor meetings.
Tools available for the group leader is a meeting hat when placed on the meeting bottle should establish a profound seriousness in the room, and a bell to use in case of the group being unserious.
Only the group leader that has rights to use these tools, but if the leader don’t interfere the bell can be used by others.
Billede:

32. Cooperation agreement A225 2006 NANO
4. Friday Meetings
Summary of the week's progress in relation to the project.
Comparing schedule with where we are in the process.
Discussion of the work sheets.
Red thread, where do we go with the project?
Project Relevant topics for discussion.
Evaluation of the group leader's performance.
Constructive criticism of the group members.
Payment of fines!
Rotating logbook writer, mail man and leader (every 14 days).
Logbook writer shall keep minutes of the Friday meetings, supervisor meetings and the times when it is otherwise appropriate.
Over the weekend the minutes of the week's course is uploaded on the forum, if not done by Monday falls a fine of 25 kr.
Billede:

33. Tools for supervision Contracts Students’ peer assessment Supervision
Now we will talk about the tools we have as a supervisor.
First we can set the learning objectives, e.g.. Using bloom in our project proposal.
At the start of a project we might make a kind of contract with the students – i will dig deeper within a minute.
You can help improving the students peer assessment, by e.g. Encouraging them to comment on each others working papers, which will improve the quality of the papers you have to read.
At the basic year we use a written process analyse to improve the students teamwork and project skills.
But the main tool you have in the daily confrontation with the students is to be aware of facilitating more than teaching and to use dialogue, more about this later.
Supervision

34. Students’ peer assessment
Students in the same group reviewing each other’s written material
Students in the same group giving mini- lectures for each other
Two groups acting as opponents for each other at seminars and exams
Now we will talk about the tools we have as a supervisor.
First we can set the learning objectives, e.g.. Using bloom in our project proposal.
At the start of a project we might make a kind of contract with the students – i will dig deeper within a minute.
You can help improving the students peer assessment, by e.g. Encouraging them to comment on each others working papers, which will improve the quality of the papers you have to read.
At the basic year we use a written process analyse to improve the students teamwork and project skills.
But the main tool you have in the daily confrontation with the students is to be aware of facilitating more than teaching and to use dialogue, more about this later.
Supervision

35. Tools for supervision Contracts Students’ peer assessment
Process analysis
Now we will talk about the tools we have as a supervisor.
First we can set the learning objectives, e.g.. Using bloom in our project proposal.
At the start of a project we might make a kind of contract with the students – i will dig deeper within a minute.
You can help improving the students peer assessment, by e.g. Encouraging them to comment on each others working papers, which will improve the quality of the papers you have to read.
At the basic year we use a written process analyse to improve the students teamwork and project skills.
But the main tool you have in the daily confrontation with the students is to be aware of facilitating more than teaching and to use dialogue, more about this later.
Supervision

36. Process analysis - content
Now we will talk about the tools we have as a supervisor.
First we can set the learning objectives, e.g.. Using bloom in our project proposal.
At the start of a project we might make a kind of contract with the students – i will dig deeper within a minute.
You can help improving the students peer assessment, by e.g. Encouraging them to comment on each others working papers, which will improve the quality of the papers you have to read.
At the basic year we use a written process analyse to improve the students teamwork and project skills.
But the main tool you have in the daily confrontation with the students is to be aware of facilitating more than teaching and to use dialogue, more about this later.
Supervision

37. Process analysis – example
Now we will talk about the tools we have as a supervisor.
First we can set the learning objectives, e.g.. Using bloom in our project proposal.
At the start of a project we might make a kind of contract with the students – i will dig deeper within a minute.
You can help improving the students peer assessment, by e.g. Encouraging them to comment on each others working papers, which will improve the quality of the papers you have to read.
At the basic year we use a written process analyse to improve the students teamwork and project skills.
But the main tool you have in the daily confrontation with the students is to be aware of facilitating more than teaching and to use dialogue, more about this later.
Supervision

38. Tools for supervision Contracts Students’ peer assessment
Process analysis
Facilitation
Now we will talk about the tools we have as a supervisor.
First we can set the learning objectives, e.g.. Using bloom in our project proposal.
At the start of a project we might make a kind of contract with the students – i will dig deeper within a minute.
You can help improving the students peer assessment, by e.g. Encouraging them to comment on each others working papers, which will improve the quality of the papers you have to read.
At the basic year we use a written process analyse to improve the students teamwork and project skills.
But the main tool you have in the daily confrontation with the students is to be aware of facilitating more than teaching and to use dialogue, more about this later.
Supervision

39. Facilitation Summarize Mirror students’ work
Ask open-ended questions using 6-W
Encourage students to keep a dynamic list of questions
Give feedback by rethinking aloud
The visitor is the supervisor that acts the most as a facilitator and the way you can act is:
Supervision

40. Tools for supervision Contracts Students’ peer assessment
Process analysis
Facilitation
Questioning the team work
Now we will talk about the tools we have as a supervisor.
First we can set the learning objectives, e.g.. Using bloom in our project proposal.
At the start of a project we might make a kind of contract with the students – i will dig deeper within a minute.
You can help improving the students peer assessment, by e.g. Encouraging them to comment on each others working papers, which will improve the quality of the papers you have to read.
At the basic year we use a written process analyse to improve the students teamwork and project skills.
But the main tool you have in the daily confrontation with the students is to be aware of facilitating more than teaching and to use dialogue, more about this later.
Supervision

41. Questioning team work - 1
Put on the students’ agenda when starting the project:
level of ambitions
how much time to be used
how to share the work
meeting discipline
how to solve conflicts
social relations
Another good idea is to put co-operation issues on the student agenda at their first or second meeting
Supervision

42. Questioning team work - 2
During the project:
ask to the way the students organize the work and discuss the working process
ask to special project functions
discuss objectives for the organizational aspects
give individual consultations
feel the atmosphere - be present
let the students discuss
try to involve all the students
A lot of supervisors is not concerned about how the group cooperates, because they think that the students has learned that at the basic year, and also they don't like to question the students about what is often regarded as more personal things.
This is a shame, because the process of working together always can be improved, and the supervisor can help just showing an awareness about the process.
Better co-operations improves both the projects and the learning process, and knowing about the co-operation and working process makes it easier to facilitate the group.
So i will recommend that you is concerned about the groups cooperation, but how to do?
Supervision

43. Project supervision - preparation
The group (two days in advance) :
What have we accomplished (working papers)
What are we doing right now
Requested supervision
Agenda
The supervisor :
Read the working papers
Reflect upon and formulate questions to structure, form and content
Prepare for input to requested supervision
A general example of what to bear in mind at a meeting with the group …
Supervision

44. Project supervision – meeting
The group :
Chairs the meeting
Takes minutes
Presents the points of the agenda
All students participate in discussions
The supervisor :
Facilitates the students’ own reflection by asking questions
Involves all students in discussions
Secures reflections on:
Contracts, working processes, progress, time schedule etc.
A general example of what to bear in mind at a meeting with the group …
Supervision

45. Project supervision – follow up
The group :
Sends minutes of the meeting to the supervisor
Discusses and assesses the input from the supervisor
Revises working papers, time schedule etc.
The supervisor :
Reads the minutes and replies
Follows up on requested tasks
A general example of what to bear in mind at a meeting with the group …
Supervision

46. Experimenting/sharing experiences with supervision/facilitation.
In each Peer Group there is at least one who is going to supervise a student group in the autumn semester. The rest of the Peer Group should help him/her in the planning and assessment of one of the supervisors meetings with the student group.
The supervisor selects a planned meeting soon.
BEFORE the meeting the Peer Group gets together and discusses the meeting with the supervisor, and makes a plan for how he should supervise the students at the meeting. It will be an excellent chance to experiment by doing something differently than usual.
Supervision

47. DURING the meeting the rest of the Peer Group acts as observers (this is legalized by the student group beforehand) and notes down what happens.
AFTER the meeting the Peer Group gets together and the observers tell the supervisor about their observations and they all share the experience and reflect upon how to improve their own supervision.
The experiment/discussions are documented in a small report (3-5 pages) telling what was planned, what actual happened and what is to be learned. The report is handed in to the lectures (XD, LPJ) in electronic form no later than the 16th of November.
Supervision