Transcript Slide 1

CHALLENGE BASED LEARNING IN
ENGINEERING EDUCATION
Antti Piironen, Anssi Ikonen,
Kimmo Saurén, Pasi Lankinen
Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied
Sciences
FINLAND
Case:
What Information Technology
Students can Do?
Copyright: Teemu Partanen, 2009
Metropolia - The largest University of
Applied Sciences in Finland
• 14 000 students
• 61 bachelor and master level degree
programmes
• 4 fields of study:
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Culture
Business and Administration
Health Care and Social Services
Technology and Transport
• Helsinki, Espoo and Vantaa
Bachelor of Engineering in Information
Technology Curriculum
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Basic studies (79 ECTS credits)
Common Professional Studies (70)
Professional Orientation Studies (30)
Elective Studies
Final Year Thesis (15)
Maturity exam
Language studies
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Total 240 ECTS credits in 4 years
Four Specialization Options,
30 ECTS each
1.
Telecommunications
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2.
Computer Networks 1
Computer Networks 2 / Personal Communications
Software Engineering
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3.
Software Engineering
Real-Time and Embedded Systems / Mobile Programming
Embedded Engineering
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4.
Computer Engineering
Measurement Systems / Digital Signal Processing
Information Systems
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Software Engineering
Information Systems
What did we do?
• Integrating project combining learnings
of three courses:
• Electronic Components and Systems
• Embedded Systems Programming
• Finnish language for Information Technology
• In future:
- Business Studies for Engineers
- Multicultural Project Teams
Problem Based Learning Principle
• Realistic problem is used.
• Teaching  Tutoring.
• Teacher does not know the only correct
answer.
• Students learn by doing: a lot of trial
and error involved!
• Learning happens outside of lectures.
• But still, lectures are needed!
How?
Challenge
problem:
• Probleminstead
based of
learning
is well suited method
Varietyengineering,
of valid solutions
to teach1.applied
2. Goal orientation
communication, and group work skills.
3. Process learning
Circuit
theory
etc.
Digital
Circuits
T0161
Electronic
Systems
T0192
Microprocessors
T0189
Programming
T0162
Electronic
Components
and Circuits
T0022
Embedded
System
Programming
KIELT0164
Finnish for
Information
Technology
Combined
Project
Competition
Learning resources: no changes to
traditional curriculum!
• Electronic Components and Circuits
• 20 h project
• 2 home exercises
• 6 h extra supervised laboratory sessions
• Embedded Systems Programming
• 20 h project
• 5 laboratory exercises
• Finnish for Information Technology
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10 h project
7 h group meetings
Oral presentations
Documentation exercises
Extra Teachers Resources to Keep it Going
• Planning starts 3 months before the project
• Selecting a topic: ~10 work hours
• Validating the topic: >20 work hours
• Forming the groups and modifying project rules: ~10 work
hours
• Extra supervision
FIRST
TIME:
• 14 hours of electronics laboratory to advice on hard to solve
problems
AT •LEAST
DOUBLE
Daily “quick answers”
on hallways and THE
classroomsTIME
• Three electronic component group-orders
>140 hours/teacher
• The competition
• Organizing: 12 work hours
• Grading requires a teachers meeting: 4 work hours
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• TOTAL >70 hours of teachers work extra
Project Topics
2005:
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Groups formed freely  some groups never
finished
Topic selected freely  some topics were way
too hard
2006:
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Groups assigned by teacher  works very well
Topic: IR remote control transmitter or receiver
 too easy
2007 - 2009:
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Groups assigned by teacher
Topic: Remotely Controlled Robot
Works  DON’T MESS IT UP NOW!!!
Challenge 2009: Robot Wars
• Competition Classes
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2.
3.
Speed: Two trials on 400cm long acceleration
track.
Tuning: Coolest looking car is voted.
Robot Wars: The last robot in circuit wins.
4.
In future:
1.
2.
3.
Slalom
Obstacle track
Anti-speed race
Assessment
• Dirty trick to get everyone involved:
students can make a group decision on how
to redistribute the points: for example, group
of three and grade of 3 can be divided in
(4,3,2), or (5,2,2), or even (5,4,0).
Time Table (Students)
Theory
Combined project
January February
Orientation
March
April
May
Grading
Supervising sessions
Group
meeting
Kickoff
Feedback on
Project Plan
Technical
Document
2. Review of
Project Plan
Customer
meeting
Project
Report
Competition
Testing
Solution
Practical
Work
Contruction
of Knowledge
Refining
Solution
Searching
Solution
Appropriation
Challenge
Solution
Intro
Formulating
Questions
Tutoring
Session
Learning Spiral
Client
Meeting
Experiments
Closure
Appropriation
Students comments:
• Multidisciplinary project is a motivating method for
learning.
• Students learned project and team working skills
and gained knowledge and experiences on
embedded systems design process.
• "we found out that designing embedded systems is
5% of planning and implementation and 95% of
testing and debugging“.
• Senior Students comment: “one of the best courses
ever during my studies”.
Teachers observations
• Supervision takes much more time than in
“normal” project, but the outcome is very
rewarding.
• We learn to know students more as persons
than just student “ID numbers”.
• Hidden competence of silent students will
blossom.
Recommendations… Please take these
seriously!!!
• Get enough planning resources.
• Our project could not have been possible without
an extra 100 hours of teachers vocational studies
project work of Mr. Anssi Ikonen.
• Planning the combined project requires substantial
amount of meeting hours.
• Keep the meetings casual, since this project
cannot be forced to happen.
• In our case, we had pizza, beverages, and sauna.
Recommendations…
• Co-operation means that everybody
participates.
• Not just only students, but especially teachers’
real co-operation is crucial.
• Learn from your own successes and mistakes
• All groups will not deliver end product but they
still are successful.
• Do not evaluate only the end product but also the
learning process.
Recommendations…
• Get project maintance tools.
• NetPro-system was in use until 2008. The system
was turned down during the fusion. Big mistake!
• A paper folder was used as a project diary.
• Some teams made their own electronic project
management systems, which evidently gave them
(well earned) advantage.
Recommendations…
• Select project topic carefully.
• Active involvement in guidance is crucial
during first weeks of project.
• Do not allow students to form teams by
themselves.
• Eliminate extra variables to simplify project
maintenance.
• Get enough implementation resources.
Recommendations…
• Get enough resources:
• This is not a miracle cure for a budget deficit!!!
Few pictures
Copyright: Erika Julku, 2009
Copyright: Harry Sileoni, 2009
Copyright: Antti Piironen, 2009
Copyright: Erika Julku, 2009
Thank you!