E7-Intro, E051 Project-related course (PE): Project Organised Learning (POL) Master of Science – Introductory Semester (E7 – Intro) Lecturer: Lars Peter Jensen Ass. teacher: Xiangyun Du

E7-Intro, E052 Today’s Programme Presentation of the POL course Mm 1: Introduction to the study form

E7-Intro, E053 The POL course ” Purpose: To introduce the students to project organized problem based learning To give the students knowledge about group work/conflicts and ways to solve conflicts To give the students knowledge about planning a project and structure the documentation of it To make the students capable of applying the project organized learning to actual problem related work in groups of 5-7 persons” (Study regulations, App., page 20) Duration: 1.4 ECTS, i.e. 7 mini-modules, 2 in P0, 5 in P1.

E7-Intro, E054 The POL course (cont.) Preliminary course plan: P0-period (5 weeks) Mm 1: Introduction to the study form Mm 2: Exchange of experience from the P0-project

E7-Intro, E055 The POL course (cont.) Preliminary course plan: P1-period (10 weeks) Mm 3: Cross-cultural teambuilding Mm 4: Project management Mm 5: Learning – individually and in the team Mm 6: Conflict handling Mm 7: Communication, presentation and review

E7-Intro, E056 Foundation for the POL course Theoretical: Theories of learning, organisations and communication Practical: More than 25 years of experience with the ’AAU-model’

E7-Intro, E057

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9 Mm 1: Introduction to the study form Learning outcome: After this mm you should have Knowledge of the study form at Aalborg University, Knowledge of a few of the simple tools which can be used during the study.

E7-Intro, E0510 Mm 1: Introduction to the study form Content: 1)Group play: Survival in the desert 2)Lecture 1: About the ’Aalborg-model’ 3)Group task: Experience with group work 4)Lecture 2: About the P0-project

E7-Intro, E0511 Lecture 1: About the ’Aalborg-model’ 1.Physical and structural frame work 2.Educational frame work 3.The study form

E7-Intro, E0512 The Aalborg-model – physical and organisational frame work project groups á students each group has a group room one project per semester (except 7. semester which has two, P0 and P1) each group has 1 – 2 supervisors

E7-Intro, E0513 What is a supervisor? A person who through facilitating questions encourages your learning process A person who points out the potentials in your work A person who gives loyal and constructive critic of your work A person who at the project exam is one of the examinors

E7-Intro, E0514 What is a supervisor NOT? Not a teacher who is responsible for your learning process Not a person who tells you what to do Not a person who decides what should be the content of your project Not a member of your project group Not an inexhaustible resource – therefore: Use your supervisor hours carefully

E7-Intro, E0515 The Aalborg-model – educational frame work Project Project related courses General courses Own exam Project exam 50%

E7-Intro, E0516 The Aalborg-model – the study form The key words are: Problem orientation Project organisation Group work Let’s take the last first!

E7-Intro, E0517 Group work – WHAT? students co-operating on the same project (at later semesters students per group) They have to carry out the project and document the results An oral group exam based on the documentation is held at the end of the project period. Individual marks are given.

E7-Intro, E0518 Group work – WHY? A survey carried out in 1997 showed that 75 % of companies wanted new employees to have good skills in group work. The individual student in the group learns from the others (i.e. a synergy effect) Responsibility towards the group makes the individual student work hard

E7-Intro, E0519 Group work – HOW? Students are in charge of forming their own groups Project groups choose their own project It is important  to be aware of different roles in the group and  to learn how to use strengths in a constructive way while improving on weaknesses A Contract of Cooperation (CoC) is a useful tool in making mutual expectations explicit.

E7-Intro, E0520 Project organisation – WHAT? A project is characterised by being A unique task which includes Many, complex activities and therefore requests Many project group members with different skills and competencies; The project is goal oriented, Limited in time and resources and has to produce a final result, i.e. the goal.

E7-Intro, E0521 Project organisation – WHY? A survey carried out in 1997 showed that 75 % of companies wanted new employees to have good skills in project work. Working with realistic projects is motivating for students. It increases student activity and thereby increases the learning. Develops transferable skills, incl. project management, documentation etc.

E7-Intro, E0522 Project organisation – HOW? The project is supported by project related courses Students have to look for relevant information beyond the PE courses

E7-Intro, E0523 Project organisation – HOW? Timing of a semester Project courses Project Study courses Weekly time Project time

E7-Intro, E0524 Problem orientation - WHAT? The project group unpicks and formulates the problem embedded in the project The problem has to be analyzed within a relevant context before it can be solved The problem determines the choice of methods and theories to be used in the analysis as well as in the solution

E7-Intro, E0525 Problem orientation – WHY? ‘Real life’ problems are interdisciplinary and complex Working with ‘real life’ problems meets the learners' interests and enhances motivation It emphasizes development of transferable skills, i.e. analytical, problem solving and information processing skills

E7-Intro, E0526 Problem orientation- HOW? You are working problem oriented when you –Ask questions –Point out contradictions –Scrutinize sources of information –Wonder upon given information –Observe the lack of information –Problematise the obvious

E7-Intro, E0527 Group task: Experience and expectations 1.Make a round to present experience with problem orientation, project work and/or group work from previous education and/or work. 2.Compare your experience with the Aalborg model – what are similarities and what are differences? 3.Discuss how you can draw upon your experience in the P0-project.

E7-Intro, E0528 Lecture 2: About the P0-project 1.P0 in the Study guidelines 2.Problem analysis 3.Documentation 4.Exchange of P0-experience

E7-Intro, E0529 Intro – Theme Problem-based project-organised learning in

E7-Intro, E0530 Intro – Purpose To give the students an introduction to the concepts and give them an understanding of the problem-based learning method, used at Aalborg University. To give the students experience with project work dealing with problems within the areas of Energy Engineering/Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, coupled with the process of writing reports as documentation of the project work. More info: click ’Theme’

E7-Intro, E0531 P0 - content P0: (1. period, 5 weeks) Preparation of a problem formulation, project limits and time schedule for the P1 project. The supervisor will give a short description of the initiating problem. The students will carry out an analysis, identify central areas of knowledge, and tackle the planning of the P1 project period. P0 will end with a common evaluation seminar, where the students present their work and receive appraisal from supervisors and fellow students. Following this seminar limited regrouping is allowed before the start of P1 (Theme)

E7-Intro, E0532 Problem analysis – WHAT? Looking at the problem from different perspectives/angles Dividing into different aspects/elements Examining all the aspects/elements one by one

E7-Intro, E0533 Problem analysis - WHY? Me My wife Water What to do to get to my wife?

E7-Intro, E0534 Problem analysis – HOW? 1) Post It brain storm 1) All group members write key words on PostIt stickers and place the stickers on the board. 2) All group members read the stickers and participate in (re-)structuring them into a relevant structure 3) All group members participate in assessing and choosing project activities, based on the structure

E7-Intro, E0535 Problem analysis – HOW? 2) The 6 W model Problem Whom? Why? What? Where? When?How?

E7-Intro, E0536 Documentation 4 types of project documentation: Working papers Project diary Project report Proces analysis The last 2 have to be handed in by the end of the P0-project period

E7-Intro, E0537 Working papers – WHAT? All types of written documentation, whether on paper or as an electronic file, which is related to the project task, the project management the group work

E7-Intro, E0538 Working papers – WHY? To capture, coordinate and distribute the information collected and/or created by individual members of the group, to the other group members as well as to the supervisor

E7-Intro, E0539 Working papers – HOW? If written text the working papers should contain the following four parts: 1.Header for identification 2.Introduction (What? Why?) 3.The main text 4.Summary (What did we learn?)

E7-Intro, E0540 Working papers – HOW? If diagrams, drawings etc. the working papers should as a minimum contain: Header for identification Explanatory text

E7-Intro, E0541 Working papers – HOW? In the Contract of Cooperation you could include points on production of working papers: How to distribute the work tasks How many persons write in a sub-group How to give response to working papers How and when to get response from the supervisor

E7-Intro, E0542 Diary A diary documents the most important activities and decisions in the group The group has to decide upon a suitable format for and content of the diary

E7-Intro, E0543 How is the structure of a project report? FrontPage – often with a picture/illustration Title page – with all relevant information Preface – guidance, acknowledge Contents – to get an overview of the project Chapter 1 – remember references : Chapter n – remember references Literature Appendix – what you have accomplished Enclosure – ”copies” from others

E7-Intro, E0544 Project report A project report will normally contain the following parts: Synopsis Foreword List of contents Chapter 1: Introduction, incl. initial problem Part I: Problem analysis Chapter 2… Chapter 3… The Problem analysis is concluded by a precise problem formulation and possibly a project delimitation, after which follows

E7-Intro, E0545 Project report (cont.) Part II: Problem solution Chapter x… Chapter x+1.. The problem solution is concluded by a discussion and an assessment of the solution, a conclusion and a section putting the solution into perspective. There should be a clear relationship between the problem formulation, the project delimitation and the conclusion

E7-Intro, E0546 How to make references 1.The Harvard method (Jensen, 2001a:21) By numbers [2] Literature is the listed alphabetic (1) or numbered (2). We have to know all possible information's to be able to find the quoted source: Books: Author(s), year, title, publisher, ISBN or ISSN no. Journals: As above + name of journal, number and date Internet: URL and date for downloading Persons: Name, title, company

E7-Intro, E0547 POL – mm. 2 Exchange of experience from the P0-project will take place in the next POL-mm on Tuesday, October 4th, 8:15 In A4-106 (here) in preparation for the P0-proces analysis which we will talk more about next time.

E7-Intro, E0548 This was all for today – good luck with your P0-project!