Project-Based Learning Technique for Holistic Development of Students

Abstract

International accreditation norms like Washington Accord or the national norms like NBA have defined program outcomes for undergraduate professional engineering courses. These norms aim at the holistic development of students. This paper presents project-based learning as a strong pedagogy tool for the overall development of students. The undergraduate project course is considered a case study for this pedagogy technique and the attainment of Program outcomes is illustrated in the results. The major desired outcomes for project work like communication, collaboration, knowledge application, documentation, work ethics, teamwork and independent learning are the parameters included in the Program Outcomes. The three point Likert scale is used for the assessment of the program outcomes. The results show that most of the program outcomes for these courses are satisfactorily achieved. Thus, it can be established that project based learning techniques help inculcate specific knowledge, skills and attributes into the students thereby assisting their holistic development and growth. Keywords - program outcome, holistic development Likert scale