6.6.1 The Relation between SDL and Improvement
It can be seen in figure 6.1. that the proportions of time spent on self-directed learning by the students in the three design project modules are clearly different, with corresponding different degrees of student self-assessed improvement. (as shown in Figure 6.1) . The result indicates that different proportions of students’ self-directed learning time used to represent the different types of PBL can lead to different degrees of student improvement, which implies that there would possibly be an optimal proportion of students’ self-directed time in the PBL process which may lead to the best improvement. (Here in this study, the module with 68% self-direct learning time seems to be the optimal one). Thus with the trend shown in this study, it is possible that a relative optimal type of PBL can be determined when a general trend can be found by studying more project modules.
6.6.2 Student Time Allocation in PBL
PBL is characteristic of group work and student self-directed learning. This is clearly shown in students’ time spent on both the two distinct learning activities in this study (shown in Figure 6.2 and Figure 6.3). The point we need to pay attention to is that despite the significant difference in the proportion of lectures in the three modules, the proportions of students’ supervision from teachers in the three modules are similar and rank the lowest in the proportion
of time spent by the students. This might be because the modules chosen in this study are in the third and final year and students are, by this time, accustomed to working much more independently from staff than those in the first or second year. On the other hand, the findings indicate that much of the learning in PBL is beyond teacher’s direct control and the true amount of student self directed learning work is important for their learning achievement in PBL.
6.6.3 Categories of Student Learning Improvement
In this short study two categories of student learning were identified: design ability and transferable skills, both of which are important for engineering graduates. Within the proportions of students’ self-directed learning time in this study, the students in this study ranked their learning in design ability greater than transferable skills (as shown in Figure 6.5). Transferable skills are more related with life long learning and help students to learn how to learn. The lower point of transferable skills might result from students’ relatively limited self- directed learning ability in PBL and more guidance from teachers in this aspect seems to be required. Another possible reason for the small improvement of transferable skills might be because students perceived that they had a relatively higher starting point of these skills compared with design ability /skills, because quite a number of students had some engineering experience from previous formal modules or work placement or Sandwich placement. It would be interesting to make an in-depth study to study the first and second year students’ corresponding aspects of improvement and compare the difference with the findings in this study.
6.6.4 Student Satisfaction with PBL
From the findings it can be seen that most of the students in the three modules are satisfied but not over-enthusiastic with their learning experience in PBL, even including those students who did not achieve much improvement. This exactly reflects one of the advantages of PBL, that is, stimulate students’ interest and motivation from the “learning by doing” approach. As this research study develops, it will be important to pay particular attention circumstances where students claim low satisfaction and determine the reasons and trends for it.
6.7. CONCLUSIONS
In this study, we aimed to see the possible trend of the relation between SDL and student improvement in the real-time PBL approaches. A pilot study was conducted in three design project modules and the result showed certain trend existed in the relation between SDL and student improvement in real-time PBL, indicating that a relatively optimal PBL approach can be determined.
Chapter 7.
THE MODEL OF PBL EFFECTIVENESS
IN ENGINEERING DESIGN
In previous two chapters we have respectively discussed PBL effectiveness from the perspectives of engineering lectures and graduates, and parameters of teaching and learning and the determination of parameters of PBL – self-directed learning and learner engagement. This chapter, then, is aimed to study what relation is like between the determined parameters of PBL and the PBL effectiveness.
To date, there has been much research on the relation between self-directed learning, learner engagement and PBL effectiveness, and the relation between learner engagement learning and PBL effectiveness. Most research focused on either the linear relation between a certain parameter of PBL and its effectiveness or the linear interaction of various parameters within PBL. From these research we could know what parameters affect PBL effectiveness and in what aspects, but it is still unknown such effects are to what extent and why. That is, no research has ever studied what the trends between these parameters and PBL effectiveness are like. This chapter was to deal with this issue by building a model of PBL effectiveness through experiment.