Enrolment opens 2nd May 12:00.

Course dates and times: : 28 September; 12, 26 October; 9, 23 November; 7, 14 December (13:15-16:00) [Schedule in TimeEdit]

 

Course syllabus for CLS915 – Teaching project-based courses

 

Syllabus adopted 2022-08-24 by Jens Kabo, Diploma coordinator, EER, CLS

 

2,5 Credits

Grading: Satisfactory/not satisfactory

Education cycle: Second-cycle

Department: 62 - COMMUNICATION AND LEARNING IN SCIENCE

 

Teaching language:

English

 

In course package:

Diploma in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education

 

Examiner:

Malin Kjellberg

 

Eligibility:

Bachelor’s degree, 180 higher education credits or equivalent

 

Course specific prerequisites

CLS926 University Teaching and Learning or equivalent course

B2 CEFR in English (https://www.coe.int/en/web/portfolio/self-assessment-grid)

 

Aim

In this course, participants will be introduced to the learner-centered teaching methods, problem-based learning, PBL, and project-based learning, PjBL and their significance to engineering education. Participants will gain awareness of the most common challenges for faculty teachers to develop, teach and assess project courses and will, hopefully, develop an increased toolbox of methods, tips, and tricks to be more at ease when facilitating students and student teams in their project work. We will also explore how to teach in creative learning environments and discuss PBL and PjBL in relation to other learner-centered teaching methods such as inquiry based learning, IBL, challenge based learning, CBL and challenge driven education, CDE.

 

The course targets teachers who have run project-based courses in engineering education as well as those who have recently become examiners and responsible of their first project course.

 

Intended learning outcomes

After completion of the course the participant should be able to:

•      Explain PBL principles and describe the process

•      Recognise and discuss similarities and differences between Problem and Project Based Learning, (PBL vs PjBL) and describe how they relate to IBL, CBL and CDE.

•      Define and use one or more project management methods and explain main project management principles

•      Define learning outcomes specifically addressed by project-based learning

•      Describe, design and analyse project-based course activities

•      Describe, design and analyse different assessment techniques used in project-based learning

•      Recognize and use different team compositions and evaluate their pros and cons

•      Discuss and evaluate the pros and cons with a process-focused versus a product/system-focused project course and when to implement which one.

•      Recognize and discuss challenges in teaching in creative learning environments

•      Recognize and discuss characteristics of challenge driven education, CDE, (student projects addressing the UNESCO sustainability development challenges)

•      Evaluate and discuss challenges with PBL and ways to address them

 

Content

The course covers the following topics:

•      Problem based learning, PBL, definition, principles and process

•      Overview map of different learner-centered methods, such as PBL, IBL, CBE and CDE, with focus on similarities and differences in PBL vs PjBL and introduction of CDE.

•      Benefits of PBL/PjBL and the roles of students and teacher

•      Learning objectives, teacher activities and assessment methods suitable for PjBC

•      Course organisation and composition of student teams

•      Creative learning environments

•      Process versus product/system?

•      PjBL challenges and support needed.

•      Project management methods – brief overview and main principles

 

Organisation

The course is organised into 7 different 3hr seminar workshops where we introduce, discuss, address and present facts, themes and challenges related to PBL and PjBL and also discuss alternative ways to solve issues that come with the teaching methods. There will be a preparatory assignment before first session, a team assignment parallel to the course and an individual assignment based on a project course or part of a course brought by each course participants. The team assignment is reported and assessed via a project brief and a presentation. The individual assignment is reported through a series of reflective essays throughout the course.

 

Literature

Teaching and Learning STEM: A practical guide by Rebecca Brent & Richard M. Felder, Wiley, 2016. Ebook through Chalmers library. If you are external to Chalmers and don’t have a CID, you need to get a physical copy of the book.

 

In addition to the course book there will be additional readings.

 

Examination

A successful completion of this course will be judged on the following:

 

•      Attendance at the seminars

•      Completion of team assignment: project brief, interviews summary and presentation, ppt documentation

•      Completion of individual assignment “Development of your students’ project assignment” via 3 submissions; 1. Description of student project assignment, 2. Constructive alignment analysis of the student project assignment through course learning objectives, project activities and assessment, and finally 3. Development plan for your student project assignment.