Effective Project-Based Learning Strategies for Supervision and Assessment

1. Introduction to Problem based Learning – The AAU Way Program for to day, Supervision and assessment : • Presentation of the mini project, assessment and questions • Planning a project work • Supervision • Assessment • Unfinished or unanswered questions.

2. Presentation of the mini project • Each group present the results from their project yesterday afternoon • The other groups and the lecturer comments both the presentation and the results

3. 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.

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. Problem oriented themes Concentrating on issues which are common to all engineering areas, e.g: • working environment, • natural resource consumption • pollution

8. 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

9. Controlling different projects

10. Gaps Deep under- standing project project Traditional teaching focused on a broad overview ????? ??? The student understanding need not remember exemplarity - interdisciplinary

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

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

15. 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 papers@ during the period: • Language, structure, details, methods • external contacts • response to the group process

16. 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

17. 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:

18. 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

19. Co-operation: group classification

20. Content of Supervision - 1 Problem orientedSupervision helps the group to: • Distinguish between subject,problem and perspective • To sustain the methodical perspective • To work reflexive

21. Content of Supervision - 2 Discipline/Subject oriented Supervision helps the group to: • To connect/combine their problem with scientific knowledge • To find relations between empirical data and theory • Find central litterateur

22. Form of Supervision - 1 • Focus on Product • Focus on Process • Laissez-faire Supervision • Control Supervision

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 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

25. 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. Form of Supervision - 5 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

27. Which form and content of Supervision is suitable for the different phases in a project work?

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

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

31. 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

32. 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

33. 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

34. Facilitator interventions • summarizing • mirroring • asking open-ended questions • use why, how, what, where • dynamic list of question • feedback as rethinking loudly

35. 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

36. 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

37. Lunch until 12.45

38. Assessment - the hidden curriculum The aim of the study goals objectives Teaching and learning methods: PBL and project work Forms of the exams and criteria

39. Basic assumptions • Examination is dominating the students learning approach • Criteria for evaluation are crucial for the learning process • Personal skills, metalearning etc. need formative evaluation forms • Evaluation is a basic part for the learning process (reflection) • Education is forming identity

40. Assessment - practice Peer group Project group Supervisor and (external) censor

41. Grading System in Denmark

42. Marking system in Denmark In Denmark the grading system used is the 13-scale. The following marks exist: 13: the exceptionally, independent and exellent performance. 11: the independent and excellent performance. 10: the excellent but not particularly independent performance. 9: the good performance, a little above average. 8: average performance. 7: mediocre performance, slightly below average. 6: somewhat hesitant but more or less satisfactory performance. 5: hesitant and not satisfactory performance. 03: very hesitant, very insufficient and unsatisfactory performance. 00: completely unacceptable performance. A mark of at least 6 is required for passing.

43. Points • Criteria and methods of self and peer assessment has to be integrated in the summative examination • Evaluation/reflection has to be part of the learning environment - both as structures and at the informal level • Supervisor has a role to play in facilitating students peer assessment

44. Assessment of course Reflection-on-action: • What have we accomplished according to your expectations? • What is missing according to your expectations? • Which subjects from the course do you need the most in the next months? • Are you well "equipped" to start teaching (both as lecturer and supervisor)? • If not: What do you need more?