1. Introduction to Problem based Learning – The AAU Way
Program for to day, Supervision :
Exercise: Role play of a supervising situation
Lunch
Planning a project work
Supervision
Unfinished or unanswered questions
Assessment of course
Tell about each bullit by reading up the content from the program

2. Role-play
Six role plays/advising situations that describe various group situations will be held. The particular topics the groups will work with and where the group work will take place will not be stated in advance but is chosen by the group, e.g. your project from yesterday.
The role plays illustrate an advisor meeting.
The group will have already given an agenda to the advisor (which topic the group wants discussed at the advisor meeting) played by a person from another group.
The group's members assign roles between themselves, so that the outlined situation in the role play occurs.
Each role play lasts approximately 20 minutes.
Each play is commented by 6 observers.

3. Lunch until 12.45

4. Ideas of Problem-based Learning
As a learner-centred process, problem-based learning meets the learners' interests and as such gives room for developing learning motivation.
Furthermore, problem-based learning emphasizes a development of analytic, methodical and transferable skills.
Now you have learned o lot about the Aalborg model and why we uses it and what the students are supposed to do and to gain from it. Now it is time to discuss our tasks in the implementation of this model.
First something about planning a project work, and after the coffee break we will discuss how you can work as a supervisor.
First lets resume the ideas of project based learning ….

5. Ideas of Project Work + PBL
Project work is a way of organizing the learning process that lead to development of abilities to:
formulate objectives, aims and goals
start and end a project
analyse and specify problems or objectives
analyse and specify criteria for solution
write reports
collaborate, organize and plan the working process
handle projects
manage oneself
Combining these with project work it is actually a way of organizing the learning process….

6. What is a theme? A framework for teaching and learning
an area where technological development and human, social economic and political development are explicitly linked and mutually interact
As i shoved you the first day we uses themes for each semester in order to control the technical subjects within the specific semester. But a theme might be seen as a more broad frame for ….
This broad definition is mainly used at the basic year and maybe the last 2 years of the study.
The theme is mostly planned by the study board, but a lot of teachers – maybe you also might be involved in the development of them, so it might be appropriate for you to know about them.

7. Methodological themes
Specification of the overall engineering methods/disciplines to be applied - but not specification of the area of specific engineering to which the method should be applied. There must be possibility to allow a broad range of different areas, e.g.:
modelling of dynamic systems
design of engineering constructions
An often used type of theme is the methodological theme ….

8. Problem oriented themes
Concentrating on issues which are common to all engineering areas, e.g:
working environment,
natural resource consumption
pollution
Another type would be the problem oriented theme …

9. What is a good theme?
Must inspire and motivate the students, pose a challenge
Broad to be able to integrate specific technical knowledge
Clear description
what is it all about
actuality
state of the art
some of the problems to be solved
technological implications
clear relation to subjects/discipline
project examples
So what is a good theme? ….
Maybe you will never be involved in developing a theme, but when you is asked to be a supervisor on a specific semester you will be responsible for developing project proposals, and they shall of course be projects that might fulfil the objectives of the given theme, so you have to dig a bit into the theme to be able to make good project proposals, and as you can se there might be some good examples to inspire you.

10. Controlling different projects
Problem
Methods
Results
Assignment Project
Supervisor +
Students
(?) ?
Subject Project
(+)
Problem Project
When you have to develop a project proposal you might remember the project classification from yesterday, and propose a project that is well suited for the actual semester, but also for your capability.
As you can see the supervisor is able to control the problem, the methods and the results for the assignment project, where the students only know the problem and have to learn the methods and gain a result.
In the subject project the supervisor is in control of the methods and have also some control over the problem as he can talk the students into a specific problem and thereby also to a certain amount control the results.
The students might control the problem and the result them selves, if they don't follow the supervisor.
In the problem project the supervisor knows what methods can be used, but who controlles the methods the problem and the results is very much up to the cooperation between the group and the supervisor.

11. Gaps Deep under- standing project project
Traditional teaching focused on a broad overview
?????
Another thing you have to be aver of is the difference between traditional teaching and project work where, depending on the choices of the project the students gain a deeper understanding of some subjects and a gab on some others. This is a strength and not a weakness if we emphasise to chose to learn methods and exemplarities.
???
The student understanding need not remember
exemplarity - interdisciplinary

12. Levels of understanding - Bloom
Knowledge
memorize
Comprehension
translation,interpretation
Application
Use, in new situations
Analysis
uncover relations between entities
Synthesis
Building something new of the entities
Evaluation
Judging
Taking about the depth of understanding the study boards often uses blooms taxonomy to describe the goals of learning of the different subjects, so you might look a bit into this as well.
Being a taxonomy it means that you have to pass one level to rise to the next. If you are not familiar with bloom i must warm you, that it seems easy to understand but it is often difficult to use in practice.

13. Planning a project work
Conclusion:
The project proposals should be in good correspondence with the theme of the semester
Propose a problem project if possible
So the conclusion of the planning process is .... And .... Bearing in mind that the subject project and the assignment project is better suited for some of the semesters and also might be better suited for you being an inexperienced supervisor. Here i am not saying that it is better to use assignment projects when you are inexperienced, in fact for my self it has been the other way around, but it depend on how much control you are daring to loose, and of course the people who have been a student at Aalborg University knows how much the students are capable of doing, so they might be more willing to let go control.

14. Tasks of a supervisor In the beginning of a project:
Help to find appropriate literature
Help establishing contacts with companies ect.
Discussing the project proposal with the students
During the whole project period:
Commenting both oral and written presentations/memos/working paper
Continues assessment of the professional level of both group and individual
At the end:
examination
So what are you supposed to do as a supervisor: ....
We will dig deeper into commenting presentations and assessing later

15. Tools for supervision Setting learning objectives - Bloom Contracts
Students peer assessment
Process analysis (only first year)
Change of the teaching role towards:
facilitation
dialogue
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.

16. Why Contracts: Create common expectations and clear agreements.
Content could be:
face to face meetings? (whenever possible)
how often are you going to have meetings? (once a week)
how long meetings (1 hour)
where? (in the group room)
agenda
chair of the meeting
students own objectives for the period
supervisors objectives for the period
areas of response to the Aworking during the period:
Language, structure, details, methods
external contacts
response to the group process
It might be a good idea to make a kind of formal contract with the students to create …

17. An example: project supervision
Prepare the meeting by reading the working papers, reflecting the project structure and details, and formulate your own objectives for the meeting.
let the students be responsibly of the agenda
start discussing the agenda
points in mind:
the contract (formative evaluation)
external contacts
the structure of the project
the working process
Ask questions about the content of the working papers
A general example of what to bear in mind at a meeting with the group …

18. Tasks for a group meeting
Planning tasks
Subject tasks
Social aspect
where in the process?
where in the educational progress?
which type of project?
types of students, experienced project managers, good or poor, social aspect
Depending on:
We might look at your tasks as planning tasks, subject tasks and also a kind of social aspect, and you have to act different depending on …

19. Characteristics for a well functioning group:
Common goal or objectives
Agreement about group standards
The members ”plays” all the necessary roles
All group members respect the others
How do you see if it is a good group?

20. 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

21. Form of Supervision
Focus on Process
Focus on Product
Control Supervision
Laissez-faire Supervision

22. Form of Supervision - 1 Focus on Process:
Sees the project as a cognitive process
Facilitates co-operation in the group
Starts reflexive processes
Asks facilitating (reflexive) questions in stead of pointing out solutions

23. Form of Supervision - 2 Focus on Product:
Focus on theoretical knowledge
Focus on solutions, which is often given
Project report must be coherent
The product/construction (or part of) should be finished

24. Form of Supervision - 3 Control Supervision: The group are tested
Thinks on the exam
The project period is one long exam
Is interested in the knowledge of the individual student

25. Laissez-faire Supervision:
Form of Supervision - 4
Laissez-faire Supervision:
The group are left to them selves
Lack of engagement
General and occasional comments
Uses minimal time

26. What might go wrong in the co-operation between supervisor and group ?

27. Different expectations
Students
expectations
Study guide
objectives
Supervisors
Project and documentation

28. 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 group is not controlled by the supervisor but by the group it self
Supervisor is well prepared and well informed

29. 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

30. Roles of the supervisor – good or poor ?
The group member – discipline oriented supervision with focus on product
Takes over responsibility for the project work
Very active in choice of theory and methods
Gives answers in stead of asking questions
The visitor – both discipline and problem oriented supervision with focus on process
Stands on the sideline, ready to kick or withdraw
Points out directions where to seek answers
The students own the project
The consultant – discipline or problem oriented laissez-fair supervision
Only activated on request
Only answers the questions asked
leave all decisions, planning and control to the group
Now you know something about what the groups think about supervision. They have some difficulties about discussing both form and content of supervision. Often they discuss supervision according to tree stereotypes:
The group member

31. Facilitator interventions
summarizing
mirroring
asking open-ended questions
use why, how, what, where
dynamic list of question
feedback as rethinking loudly
The visitor is the supervisor that acts the most as a facilitator and the way you can act is:

32. What about students cooperation?
How can the supervisor find out - and what to do? 
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
individual consultations
feel the atmosphere - be present
let the student 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?

33. What about students cooperation? - 2
Put on the students agenda when starting the project:
level of ambitions
how to share the work
discipline of meetings
how to solve conflicts
social relation
Another good idea is to put co-operation issues on the student agenda at their first or second meeting

34. Assessment of course This was good/usefull: Bdkabdjgme _______________
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This needs to be improved or could be left out:
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