This package aims to promote the effective use of projects in engineering teaching by providing resources for those working with colleagues in this area. It consists of staff development materials to be used in conjunction with the PBLE (Project Based Learning in Engineering) manual “A Guide to Learning Engineering Through Projects”. Both the guide and the staff development pack can be accessed through the PBLE website:
We expect the resources to be used principally by:
· individuals or groups in engineering departments running sessions with their departmental colleagues.
· staff and educational developers running sessions with engineering staff.
Although the guide and staff development pack are targeted specifically at those using projects in engineering, the materials have broader applicability and, suitably adapted, may be helpful to colleagues in other disciplines.
We envisage that participants in the sessions will be, in the main, academic staff from engineering departments. The sessions should be of value to both new lecturers, for whom the resources will provide an introduction to using projects, and experienced staff who are already using projects and can use the sessions to review and enhance current practice. Additionally, staff and educational developers may wish to join the sessions with a view to familiarising themselves with the materials for future use.
Participants attending sessions do not need to undertake extensive preparatory work. They should be asked, however, to bring to the session an example of a recent project brief that has been used with students by them or others in their departments.
The brief should give some details on:
· the nature of the project.
· its overall aims.
· the intended learning outcomes.
· the task students are to undertake.
· resource needs.
· assessment requirements.
The intention is that participants will have the opportunity to look at a range of project briefs during a break in the session.
The package contains:
·
A Powerpoint presentation for a three-hour
workshop, with accompanying guidance notes – designed for those intending
to run sessions with staff on the use of projects in the teaching of
engineering, the slides and notes provide pointers and ideas as to the kinds of
activities to be undertaken in the session. To see the notes use Print >
Notes Pages.
· The Chapter Summaries from the PBLE guide – the summaries are intended to indicate coverage of key points but users are strongly encouraged to read the guide in its entirety.
·
A handout on “The Skills, Attributes and Qualities
of an Engineer” – this forms the basis of one of the activities suggested
in the presentation.
· Key Issues & Advice drawn from the PBLE launch event – the ideas and comments here were offered by colleagues attending the LTSN Engineering workshop on project and group work in engineering, held in September 2003, at which the PBLE guide was launched. See…
http://www.engsc.ac.uk/nef/events/past_events.asp
…for the full set of presentations and reports from the event.
·
A handout on Assessing Groupwork, again
referred to in the presentation.
·
A Briefing Paper on a school-wide approach to
implementing problem based learning at the University of Manchester. There is
much in this paper that will transfer to department or school-level
implantations of project based learning.
The items in italics – that is, the presentation plus notes and the briefing paper – can be edited and adapted for your own use, provided their origin is acknowledged.