Abstract
The classroom experience has evolved from traditional lecture, PowerPoint and whiteboards to a more active environment where students and instructors work together more on hands-on activities to achieve the course objectives. Various names have been given to this pedagogy; experiential learning, project-based learning, active learning, problem-based learning are a handful of names used to describe this evolving pedagogy. The main challenge faced by educators in educating undergraduate students to be independent thinkers and problem solvers, has been the driving force fueling the shift in pedagogy. The skill sets needed to be successful in the workforce has also evolved over the years. Today’s employees are not only expected to demonstrate proficiency in green skills in their field of study, but must also possess soft skills required to be competitive in the industry. Gone are the days where engineers worked in silos applying their green skills to create for the common good. To be productive, employers expect today’s engineer to demonstrate the ability to work in teams, communicate effectively, while applying the technical and analytical know-how needed to achieve a desired goal. To ensure that undergraduate students have these desired skills, most engineering educators have shifted away from the traditional all lecture classes and are applying active learning pedagogies. This research looks into student’s perception on project-based learning with client based and non-client based projects in terms of: the project as a learning device, contribution to research knowledge, motivation to learn, contribution to skills and personal benefits, and their effects on student evaluation of teaching and motivation to learn.
Highlights
The needs of students and the ways through which they learn varies from student to student
Experiential learning, project-based learning, problem-based learning, or active learning has become a common practice in most colleges in recent years
The project management classes used for this research is a required class for all undergraduate students in an Engineering Technology 4-year undergraduate program in the USA
Summary
The needs of students and the ways through which they learn varies from student to student. Having hands-on activity in classroom make it more active and engaging, shifting the focus away from the educator to the entire class. This pedagogy ensures that students have a practical feel of the course content. The project management classes used for this research is a required class for all undergraduate students in an Engineering Technology 4-year undergraduate program in the USA. This class serves as the prerequisite for senior design capstone class, and is taken at either the sophomore, junior or senior level. The perception survey was analyzed to determine the perceived impact of the project types on student’s motivation to learn, project as a learning device, contribution to research knowledge, and skills and personal benefits
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