1. Project Organised Problem Based Learning (POPBL)
What is a Problem Based Project?
Introduction to course
Lecturer: Lars Peter Jensen

2. Today’s Programme Presentation of the POPBL course
Mm 1: Introduction to the study form

3. The POPBL course
Objective: Students who complete the module will have:
Knowledge about
Fundamental learning theories and styles
Different approaches to problem based learning including the Aalborg University model
Group processes and effective organisation of small groups
Acquiring and sharing of knowledge
Intercultural competences
Scientific documentation and academic honesty

4. The POPBL course
Objective: Students who complete the module will have:
Skills to
Plan and manage a project within a fixed time schedule
Reflect on group collaboration and ways to improve it
Reflect on personal contribution to project work and learning
Prepare, present and discuss scientific documentation using correct terminology
Maintain efficient communication within project groups and to supervisor(s)

5. The POPBL course
Objective: Students who complete the module will have:
Competencies to
Evaluate personal learning and collaboration with peers and supervisors
Apply project organized problem based learning in professional contexts

6. The POPBL course content
The contents include among others issues:
Problem based learning
Planning/controlling project work
Group work
Conflict handling
Communication
Presentation
Learning
Intercultural competencies
Experience with project work in small scale (short time)
Duration: 1 ECTS, i.e. 5 mini-modules in the beginning of the semester

7. Foundation for the POPBL course
Theoretical: Theories of learning, organisations and communication
Practical: More than 35 years of experience with the ’AAU-model’

8. Information about the course
POPBL at SICT Moodle homepage:
Handouts
Literature

11. Problem Based and Project Based Learning
Subject
Topics 1
What is a problem-based project?  Course introduction 2
Learning in a new culture and Learning in an intercultural context 3
Project Management  and scientific writing 4
Learning strategies – individual and Team skills 5
Communication and group dynamics

12. Mm 1: Introduction to the study form
Content:
PBL and the ’Aalborg-model’
About the project
During the lectures there will be small exercises, questions and a large exercise

13. Survey of background knowledge
Who of you participated in the introduction to PBL given by the International office last week?
Please raise your hand high of you participated

14. Survey of background knowledge
Use your smartphone, tablet or labtop To go to webpage: m.socrative.com Enter room number: Answer question: How much experience do you have with project work in groups? A: No experience at all B: A little experience C: Some experience D: Have tryed several times E: A lot of experience (almost expert)

15. Please think of one of the things that you are good at, write three words in the post-it describing how you learned it well

16. Backgrounds of PBL in engineering

17. Teach me… and I will forget ?
Student centered learning
Teach me… and I will forget ?
Tell me and I will forget
Show me and I will remember
Involve me and I will understand
Step back and I will act
Chinese proverb

18. Carl Rogers on teaching at Harvard in 1951
It seems to me that anything that can be taught to another is relatively inconsequential, and has little or no significant influence on behavior.
I have come to feel that the only learning which significantly influences behavior is self-discovered, self-appropriated learning.

19. Diversity of engineering competencies
Scientific knowledge
Process competencies
Project management
Communication
Teamwork
Organization
Technical competencies

20. What kinds of engineers are expected for the future?
Globalized context
Interdisciplinary knowledge
Lifelong learning
Effective communication
Analytical skills
Designing and conducting experiments
Application of
mathematics and science knowledge
Diverse capabilities
Intercultural competencies
Team work
Identity and solve applied science problems
Project management
Social, environmental, and ethical concerns
Characteristics of a communities of practice are cultivated in the historical, social and cultural context.
Learning as personal growth and development process – being and becoming through interaction with others in the social context
National Academy of Engineering, The Engineer of 2020, 2004
EUR-ACE (Accreditation of European Engineering Programmes and Graduates,
- ABET:

21. Changing traditional teaching and learning
Deeper
learning
through project
work
Student’s own
interest
Key competencies
Scope and
specific aims
Methods and skills

22. PBL as an example of student-centered teaching and learning model
What is problem-based learning?
A learning method based on the principle of using problems as a starting point for the acquisition and integration of new knowledge.
- H.S. Barrows 1980

23. Where and how are PBL practiced?
Pioneers
McMaster 1968
Maastricht 1972
Linköping 1972
Roskilde 1972
Aalborg 1974
Different practices
Single courses
Problem & project organized
Individual project
Team work

24. New study environment at AAU

25. PBL Learning Principles
Social Participant directed Team based learning Content Theory-practice relation Interdisciplinary learning Exemplary learning Meta-learning/ Double loop learning Learning Problem based Project based / organised Contextual learning Activity/experience based learning

26. PBL Aalborg Model - practice
Problems – question – wondering within a frame
a project each semester (1. year)
each group has a group room
group size of 6-8 students first year, 2-3 students the last year
each group has at least one supervisor
self selected group and projects within themes and disciplines
group presentation followed by individual examination
Lectures
8:15-10:00
Lecture-related
Assignment 10:15-12:00
Supervision
-initiated & arranged by students
Doing project
In groups

27. 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

28. 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

29. 4 types of facilitation Product facilitation Process facilitation
Make an index to the report as soon as possible
4 types of facilitation
How are things in the group?
Product facilitation
Process
facilitation
Well everything seem to be working fine – so …..
Can you please go to the blackboard and…
Control
facilitation
Laissez-faire
facilitation

30. “supervisor ”
project supervision
“Students”

31. Communication maps during a project
Beginning of the project
Progressing in the project

32. The New Aalborg Model Course 5 ECTS Course 5 ECTS Course 5 ECTS
50% courses
One semester
Project
15 ECTS
In groups up to 8 persons
Individual assessment
Self-selected groups
Appointed supervisor(s)
50% project 32
1 ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) = 30 working hours

33. The Aalborg-model – the study form
The key words are:
Problems
Project
Team work
Let’s take the last first!

34. Team work – WHAT?
6 - 8 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 presentation is the starting point for en individual exam based on the documentation, held at the end of the project period. Individual marks are given.

35. Team 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 (Peer Learning)
Responsibility towards the group makes the individual student work hard

36. AAU students on team work
”I think that it becomes easier when you learn technical matters in groups. Normally we use the blackboard to discuss things. … You gain more from the time you have to spend in the university in this kind of education when you work in teams. We are getting energy in this way.”
”Working in groups we get mental support from each other; it is also a responsibility so that we won’t drop out easily.”
(Xiangyun Du 2005)

37. Team 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.

38. Group contract – an example
It might be a good idea to make a kind of formal contract with the students to create …

39. BREAK 15 minuts

40. Multiple learning resources
Social
activities
Exam
Report writing
Studying engineering via group projects
Group
meeting
Life
Multiple learning resources
Brainstorm
Participating communities of practice – active learning, communication, organization, and management
Presentation
Subgroup
work
Compromise
Disagreement
Discussion

41. Diversity of group situation

42. Diversity of group situation

43. If you feel confused, don’t worry.
You are not the only one…
You will have more opportunities to figure out…

44. Project – WHAT? A unique and complex task  TEAMWORK
A creative and iterative process
Time limited
Goal oriented
Documented result

45. Project – 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.

46. Project – HOW? The project is supported by courses
The project is supported by courses
Students have to look for relevant information beyond the courses

47. Project – HOW? Timing of a semester
Weekly time
Courses
Project
In order to get the best connection between the project courses and the project, the semester is timed as you see on this slide:
Most of the project courses are given at the beginning of a semester, meaning that there will be less time in the beginning for the project work, but as the semester moves along the project time increases.
We have found out in Aalborg that this is a good timing because the students need to know the theory on beforehand to be able to use it in the projects. And at the same time it takes some time to ”dig” into the project in the beginning, and this is calendar time – not actual time according to hours, so it doesn’t matter that they have less time for the project in the beginning, because they are not ready to work hard on the project until they have a broad understanding of the problem and the implications.
When they reach this understanding – after 5-7 weeks – they uses a lot of time on the project, so it matches perfectly with the fact that now their are less courses, and for the last five weeks the students have almost all their time for project work, except for some of the study unit courses that are given at the end of a semester.
Please move on to the next slide
Project time

48. …..a week in September …..a week in November …..a week in December
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Morning
Course
Afternoon
Project
Other
…..a week in November
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Morning
Course
Project
Afternoon
Other
…..a week in December
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Morning
Project
Course
Afternoon
Other

49. The four phase model of a Project
Analysis
Design
Implementation
Test
The ideal
Student Project
Industriel
Project
Student
Project
too narrow
Student
Project
too broad
What does a typical project look like? Basically most projects has four phases:
Analyse, design, implementation and test.
If it is an industrial project, like creating a new mobile phone, then of course one have to analyse the whole product and its market situation before designing the whole phone, implementing it and test all parts alone and together before releasing the phone to be produced.
But a student project doesn't have to do it that way. If they try then they will find out that there isn't enough time and probably end somewhere between design and implementation. This is soon realized by the student and then some of them tries to narrow the project right from the beginning, choosing only to analyse a small part of the project, e.g.. The antenna of the mobile phone, and then design, implement and test that. But this is a too narrow approach where the students don't know the actual problem because they haven't analysed the whole problem.
The right way to do a problem oriented project is to start with a problem that isn't too big and then analyse the whole problem, chose which part to design – probably the parts the students think they can learn the most by designing.
Then again narrow the project by only implementing some parts, learning different implementation methods by using them once in stead of learning one method using it 5 times.
Testing is of course done of all the implemented parts to be sure they work, but using more formal testing methods and making test reports is only done for a small part of the implemented parts in order to prove that the students can do it.

50. Problems - WHAT?
It can be theoretical, practical, social, technical, symbolic-cultural or scientific
It grows out of students’ wondering within different disciplines and professional environments
It is the starting point directing the students’ learning process and situates the learning in a context
It may involve an interdisciplinary approach in both the analysis and solving phase
It has to be exemplary

51. Different kinds of Problems
An Unsatisfactory Situation
E.g. an increasing number of danish kids are getting fat
An Un-Utilized Potential
-The homepage of AAU is old fashioned
Unknown Impacts
- We want to investigate if and how IT and new technology can be used to improve kids habits towards doing regular exercising

52. Problems – 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

53. AAU students on problems
”We are engineers – our responsibility is to solve real technological problems.”
”This is the first time we found a real problem ourselves rather than getting something from supervisors. It is really exciting. It fits my way of learning. I learn better when I find the way myself. This way of learning is much better than only attending lectures, because I have to know why I need to learn this. When I know the objective clearly, I learn much better.”
”When working on a problem, I am strongly motivated and attracted. We need to solve this problem.”
Xiangyun Du, 2005

54. Problems - 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

55. Strategies for problem analysis
An unsatisfactory Situation
Bottom-up analysis – from practise to technology
WHO and WHY questions are dominating
An Un-Utilized Potential
Top down analysis – from technology to practise
WHAT-IF questions are dominating
Unknown Impacts
Theoretical analysis – from technology and within
WHAT questions are dominating

56. Survey of background knowledge
Use your smartphone, tablet or labtop To go to webpage: m.socrative.com Enter room number: Answer question: How much experience do you have with project work in groups done as in the Aalborg PBL model? A: No experience at all B: A little experience C: Some experience D: Have tryed several times E: A lot of experience (almost expert)

57. Group exercise
What are the most important things to make group work function well in the process of managing the project work?
Please write down your opinions in the post-it – one point on each post-it
Share within your group
Categorize and organize them into 5 levels by priority in the poster
A poster presentation

58. About the project
Problem analysis
Documentation

59. Problem analysis – WHAT?
Looking at the problem from different perspectives/angles
Dividing into different aspects/elements
Examining all the aspects/elements one by one

60. Problem analysis - WHY?
Me My wife
Water
What to do to get to my wife?

61. 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

62. Problem analysis – HOW? 2) The 6 W model Why? What? Problem Whom?
Where?
How?
When?
Some times the students find it difficult to start analysing, so we help them by suggesting two tools already at the basic year, and i will present them for you, so that you also know.
…….Demonstrate by using post it laps
The first model can open a problem and the second one is very good for structuring a brain storm.
The strength is that you get a chance to think for your self, you gets a good structure even though it might take some time and finally you can see if more than one has thought of the same (more laps)

63. Bottom up analysis Who What Where When Why How
Who is causing the problem?
Who says this is a problem?
Who are impacted by this problem?
Etc.
What will happen if this problem is not solved?
What are the symptoms?
What are the impacts?
Etc.
Where does this problem occur?
Where does this problem have an impact?
Etc.
When
Why
How
When does this problem occur?
When did this problem first start occurring?
Etc.
Why is this problem occurring?
Why?
Etc.
How should the process or system work?
How are people currently handling the problem?
Etc.

64. Documentation 3 types of project documentation: Working papers
Project diary
Project report
The project report have to be handed in by the end of the project period

65. 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

66. 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

67. Working papers – HOW?
If written text the working papers should contain the following four parts:
Header for identification
Introduction (What? Why?)
The main text
Summary (What did we learn?)

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

69. 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

70. 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

71. Recommended group discussion
Discussion within your project group:
What are your goals and expectations to our project?
What can you contribute to the project?
Make a co-operation contract for your group