scholarly journals Assessing the Authenticity of the Student Learning Experience

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 449-458
Author(s):  
Katherine Mary Bissett-Johnson ◽  
David F Radcliffe
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Students ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Authentic Learning ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Socially Responsible ◽  
Global Projects ◽  
Authentic Learning Experiences ◽  
Socially Responsible Design

AbstractAuthentic learning is an approach to teaching where the learning is embedded in a real world context, in real situations or simulations, and offers students opportunities for problem solving challenges much like they will encounter in real life. This paper discusses and reflects upon the development a course designed to teach Socially Responsible Design approaches, methods and tools to Product Design Engineering students using global projects. Our research question was to investigate if this Socially Responsible Design course, it's structure, delivery, learning activities and assessments combined to deliver an authentic learning experience. Through informal interviews with staff, review of student reflections, review of university student feedback comments and consideration of final outcomes, all within the framework of Herrington and Oliver's nine elements of authentic learning, we found that this course did provide an authentic learning experience for many reasons. This study offers academics a frame work for reviewing existing and future courses with a view to creating or enhancing authentic learning experiences using project based learning

scholarly journals Physical therapy using robotics: A project-based learning experience for undergraduate students

2021 ◽  
Vol 37 (5) ◽  
pp. 32-42
Author(s):  
Edgar Lopez-Caudana ◽  
Christian Fernando López-Orozco ◽  
César Mendoza Bárbara ◽  
Germán Eduardo Baltazar Reyes ◽  
Pedro Ponce ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Physical Therapy ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Young Patients ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Innovative Therapy ◽  
Wide Range

The dynamic society we live in requires constant adaptation and innovation on every aspect of our daily lives, allowing us to improve the necessities of different people by doing it. For this study, we used a new approach with project-based learning to go beyond the typical environment in higher education and bring solutions to real-life scenarios. The project was developed with undergraduate engineering students in collaboration with a rehabilitation institute in Mexico City to design a physical therapy routine using the NAO robot. It allowed interaction between young patients in real time and fostered empathy while developing a final usable product. The study measured the usability of the robotic platform during the rehabilitation sessions and the reproducibility of the project through Cronbach's alpha evaluation. The usability results show a higher interest in the project from both the patients and the medical staff involved while constructing the material needed to develop a product that matches the standards given by the rehabilitation institute. Implications for practice or policy: Therapists could change traditional approaches to caregiving while adopting new technological methodologies using robots. Higher education students could supplement their school curricula with real-case scenarios such as creating innovative therapy sessions for people with physical disabilities. Schools might need to collaborate with a wide range of institutions to provide technological solutions to real problems.

scholarly journals Blended learning experience through projects

2019 ◽  
pp. 20-27
Author(s):  
Alma Delia Otero-Escobar ◽  
Elsa Suarez-Jasso ◽  
Jesús Ramirez-Sánchez ◽  
Mayra Minerva Mendez-Anota
Keyword(s):  
Blended Learning ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Teaching Strategy ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Primary Role ◽  
Learning Method ◽  
Educational Materials ◽  
Face To Face

This research applies the method of blended learning with project-based learning as a teaching strategy. The main objective was to identify the didactic contribution of the blended learning method through the solution of problems in a university context as mechanism to support the development of student competencies. The achievement of these competences was evaluated through face-to-face sessions and online interactions which sought to grant technological solutions to real organizations. Thus, through the Canvas model, the student carried out the creation of a business in a collaborative, distributed and integral manner as part of the educational experience called Technological Solutions applicable to organizations, taught at the Universidad Veracruzana in Mexico. The research question is: What is the didactic contribution of the blended learning method through problem solving in a university context? As a result of this mixed study, the contribution of the teacher is determined by coordinating, organizing, investigating and preparing the appropriate educational materials and technological resources for maximum use in student learning. A primary role of the teacher was to motivate the student to make a final product that can connect their educational activities with real-life situations.

scholarly journals The Value of Relevant, Project-Based Learning to Youth Development

2013 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kerry Schwartz ◽  
Darcy Tessman ◽  
Daniel McDonald
Keyword(s):  
Youth Development ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Learning Goals ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Community Projects ◽  
Relevant Community

Project Based Learning models present authentic learning opportunities with real-life situations, enabling students to set their own learning goals and forge their own relationships (Barab, et al., 2001). The autonomy inherent in this model allows youth to bring their skills and experiences to real situations and to be seen as valued community members. This article describes a project-based learning model involving “externs,” who developed and implemented sustainability projects in their communities. Externs worked with Cooperative Extension professionals on locally relevant community projects during the summer of 2011 in three Arizona counties. The project based learning experience had a positive impact on the lives of our three externs.

scholarly journals How Entrepreneurship Can Be Learned through Experiential Learning Formats, Especially through Training Firms

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 471-481
Author(s):  
Anne Heinze
Keyword(s):  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Informal Learning ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Entrepreneurship Education ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Present Contribution ◽  
Entrepreneurial Training ◽  
The Impact

A look at entrepreneurship education research shows that there are basically two types of entrepreneurship courses: First, courses for entrepreneurship and second, courses about entrepreneurship such as lectures, formal seminars, individual essays etc. Most of the latter courses can be characterized as teacher-centric where the student involvement is passive. From a more modern perspective and in order to train entrepreneurs trying, experimenting and learning about one's own experience is crucial. More innovative approaches, such as project-based learning, action-based learning and experiential learning, therefore, are gradually appearing on the scene In this context, within the last few years some universities have introduced training firms, mostly for students of economics and business. In Germany, due to a lack of legal possibilities training firms at public universities are still a rarity and therefore under-researched. Thus, the research question for the present contribution is how informal learning can be structured using training firms, and what effects this has on the preparation of learners for later professional practice and / or self-employment. Therefore, the methodology for this paper is first to review the literature related to entrepreneurial learning in order to better understand the informal learning experience in training firms. Second, the case of a communication design agency for students around HTW Berlin, a public university for applied sciences, is analyzed to gain insight into the impact that practice firms can have on entrepreneurship education in general, and in particular in non-business subjects. For this purpose, a case study has been developed based on interviews, which include both the perspective of the students and of the trainer. Overall, the results will show a best practice example of entrepreneurial training and learning in a university context, which can be useful for those involved in the development of course concepts for entrepreneurship education.

Experiences of a US-India Team in Developing a Case Study That Illustrates Technical and Global Issues in Weld Design

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pramod Rajan ◽  
P. K. Raju ◽  
Chetan S. Sankar
Keyword(s):  
Real World ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Inspection Time ◽  
Cd Rom ◽  
Global Issues ◽  
Auburn University ◽  
Institute Of Technology

Understanding the real-world issues in the global industry is one of the ways of enhancing the learning experience of engineering students. This paper describes such an experience. This was a collaborative weld design project between Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras, India and Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), Tiruchirappalli, India. The main problems BHEL faced were (1) Inspection time of the welds, (2) Inaccessibility of the welds, and (3) Detection of kissing bond or pasty weld. Three possible solutions to these problems were identified by the practitioners. In order to bring this real-world issue into engineering classrooms, the authors developed a case study. The authors also developed a multimedia CD-ROM which brings the problem live into class rooms using video, audio and pictures. This case study has been tested with mechanical engineering students. The majority of the students found the use of case studies to be beneficial, particularly because of the group work and applicability to real life situations. The details of the case study and its implementation in an engineering class room at Auburn University are discussed in the paper.

Enhancing Engineering Learning Experience at UTB by Freshmen iHOP

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nazmul Islam
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Design ◽  
Real World ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Senior Design ◽  
Team Selection ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Lower Division

Most of the engineering courses focus more on theory and very little on hands-on, project-based learning in the classroom. Integration of real-world engineering problems and applications in lower division engineering courses will produce engineering students, who will be technically sound and be able to execute and manage real-world projects, when they will do senior design projects in their final year of engineering study. To overcome the engineering design challenges we have developed iHOP (Ingenieŕia Hands on Project) and integrate it with our lower division engineering courses. iHOP has been developed to emphasis the design component at the University of Texas at Brownsville (UTB) Engineering Physics curriculum and the project is now an integral part of Introduction to Engineering class. The iHOP project is one that is challenging, fun, requires teamwork, associated with the engineering material being studied, low cost, and doable in a limited amount of time. The experience from iHOP project motivates our freshman students to choose a better senior design project in senior year of their college career. The objectives of the iHOP projects are — to have students develop teamwork skills, and to teach students basic engineering design concepts in a complementary format to the traditional lecture. Various techniques related to team selection, encouraging teamwork, incorporation of engineering topics, keeping costs down, project results presentations, and gathering feedback from students will also be presented in this paper. Integrating iHOP Project with Introduction to Engineering class helped us to improve our retention effort in the engineering department.

scholarly journals PROJECT-BASED LEARNING IN AN EFL SETTING – A CASE STUDY AT A UNIVERSITY IN VIETNAM

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (38) ◽  
pp. 223-236
Author(s):  
Le Thi Chi Giao ◽  
Bich Dieu Nguyen
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Creative Thinking ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Language Instruction ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Local Context ◽  
The University ◽  
Enhanced Learning

Teaching for enhanced learning experience has well-received great interest from many teachers and educators around the world. In the EFL setting, tremendous efforts have been recognized in taking students out of a conventional classroom to experience a new way of learning which stimulates interest and creative thinking, which improves communication and collaborative skills, and which exposes students to more meaningful real-life situations. Project-based learning (PBL) is an answer to this, and it has developed as an alternative to teaching a foreign language with a focus on enhanced learning experience and increased creative teambuilding and group skills through meaningful projects. This paper presents how PBL has been adopted at the University of Foreign Language Studies – the University of Danang (UFLS-UD). It revisits the significance of PBL, the structure of a PBL activity, and reports how PBL has been situated in the local context of teaching English to students majoring in English in Vietnam. The reflections reported here showcase the gains through the path of action research enacted by individual teachers who act as change agents or enablers of this innovative teaching and learning approach and whose efforts have been recognized by means of several adaptations made to bring real life and a sense of community into language instruction.

MarineTech Project—Attracting Students towards Math and Science Careers in Shipbuilding and Repair Industry

2010 ◽  
Vol 26 (01) ◽  
pp. 29-35
Author(s):  
Alok K. Verma ◽  
Ray Ferrari ◽  
Manorama Talaiver ◽  
Sueanne E. McKinney ◽  
Daniel Dickerson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Science Instruction ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Pedagogical Issues ◽  
Life Problems ◽  
Math And Science

Low enrollment and high attrition rates in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) based degree programs have created a shortage of workforce in industries such as shipbuilding and repair that are important for national security. Part of this problem can be attributed to pedagogical issues such as lack of engaging hands-on activities used for math and science instruction in middle and high schools. Another reason for this is that the teachers are not trained in taking an integrated approach to teaching math and science. This has led to large-scale flight and attrition from STEM-based career tracks. Consequently, engineering and engineering technology programs throughout the nation have observed declining graduation rates and quality of incoming students. To engage students' interest in STEM-based careers, it is important that students establish a link between the math and science instruction and its application to solve real-life problems early in their learning experience. Project-based activities have a proven record as a pedagogical method. Effectiveness of this pedagogy has been supported by research in the acquisition and retention of knowledge. The MarineTech Project funded by the State Council of Higher Education of Virginia and supported by the shipbuilding and repair industry has attempted to address the quality of STEM education in Virginia by developing project-based learning kits and providing professional development training in the use of these kits. The project also provided teacher training in 21st century skills and integrated math and science education while increasing awareness of teachers about the shipbuilding and repair industry. The paper presents the motivation behind developing these project-based learning (PBL) modules, issues related to implementation, and results from student and teacher workshops.

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