Problem-Based Learning for Laboratory & Professional Skills Teaching

1. Problem-Based Learning forLaboratory & Professional Skills Teaching …. how I binned the Lab Manual and got away with it. Kevin Wells SCEPTrE Fellow Dept of Electronic Engineering, FEPS University of Surrey

2. Overview • Background • Motivation • Planning • Implementation • Analysis • Follow on • Conclusions

3. Overview • Background • Motivation • Planning • Implementation • Analysis • Follow on • Conclusions

4. Background

5. Background First year Laboratory Programme • Lab lectures ~1hr • 6 hours per week 2 x 3 hrs • Experiment Rotation working pairs • Weekly Assessment: PG Demonstrators Prep, Progress, Log

6. Background Professional Skills Programme Mandatory component for IET accreditation • Lectures ~1 hr • Workshops ~2 hrs • Assessment: Academic/PG Demonstrators

7. Background Professional Skills Programme Mandatory component for IET accreditation

8. Skills of a Professional Engineer IET Competence StatementsChartered Engineers must be competent, by virtue of their initial formation and throughout their working life, to: A - Use a combination of general and specialist engineering knowledge and understanding to optimise the application of existing and emerging technology. B - Apply appropriate theoretical and practical methods to the analysis and solution of engineering problems: - plan and implement solutions, taking a Holistic approach to cost, benefits, safety, reliability, appearance and environmental impact. - evaluate solutions and make improvements.

9. Skills of a Professional Engineer C - Provide technical, commercial and managerial leadership. This includes: - plan for effective project implementation. - plan, budget, organise, direct and control tasks, people or resources. - develop the capabilities of staff to meet the demands of changing technical and managerial requirements. - bring about continuous improvement through quality management.D - Use effective communication and Interpersonal skills. This includes: - work and communicate with others at all levels. - presentation and discussion of ideas and plans. - build teams and negotiate.

10. Background Engineers MUST be able to communicate to : engineers & scientists clients ‘the public’ via technical oral presentations technical written reports to convey new ideas to a broad audience.

11. Overview • Background • Motivation • Planning • Implementation • Analysis • Follow on

12. Motivation

13. ….. but it was a joke! Real effort required …. Motivation Professional Skills Programme Mandatory component for IET accreditation …. in order to fail.

14. Motivation First year Laboratory Programme [Over] assessment : ….. potentially disadvantaged our best students ….. perennial complaints about ‘apparent PG bias’

15. Learning ….. allowed students to ‘sleep walk’ and still get good grades ….. Teaching materials were very tired Motivation First year Laboratory Programme

16. Enhance student engagement with learning Motivation Address some/all these issues by addressing them as a single problem: Laboratory Skills Professional Skills

17. Motivation Address some/all these issues by addressing them as a single problem: Enhance student engagement with learning Laboratory Skills Professional Skills

18. Overview • Background • Motivation • Planning • Implementation • Analysis • Follow on

19. Planning

20. Professional Student Week Skills/Design Assessment Lab Session Assessment Preparation session 2 E1 Peer-based 3 E2 E1 assessment Peer-based E1 - Transistor 4 Project E2 single mark assessment Amplifier Project & Peer-based 5 E2 - Filter Design single mark Criteria Design assessment 6 Project Feedback only 7 Project Feedback only 8 Project Feedback only Peer-based 9 Project Showcase assessment Planning

21. Planning Professional Student Week Skills/Design Assessment Lab Session Assessment Preparation session 2 E1 Peer-based 3 E2 E1 assessment Peer-based E1 - Transistor 4 Project E2 single mark assessment Amplifier Project & Peer-based 5 E2 - Filter Design single mark Criteria Design assessment 6 Project Feedback only 7 Project Feedback only 8 Project Feedback only Peer-based 9 Project Showcase assessment

22. Planning Professional Student Week Skills/Design Assessment Lab Session Assessment Preparation session 2 E1 Peer-based 3 E2 E1 assessment Peer-based E1 - Transistor 4 Project E2 single mark assessment Amplifier Project & Peer-based 5 E2 - Filter Design single mark Criteria Design assessment 6 Project Feedback only 7 Project Feedback only 8 Project Feedback only Peer-based 9 Project Showcase assessment

23. E1 - Transistor single mark Amplifier Planning Professional Student Week Skills/Design Assessment Lab Session Assessment Preparation session 2 E1 Peer-based 3 E2 E1 assessment Peer-based 4 Project E2 assessment Project & Peer-based 5 E2 - Filter Design single mark Criteria Design assessment 6 Project Feedback only 7 Project Feedback only 8 Project Feedback only Peer-based 9 Project Showcase assessment

24. Planning Professional Student Week Skills/Design Assessment Lab Session Assessment Preparation session 2 E1 Peer-based 3 E2 E1 assessment Peer-based E1 - Transistor 4 Project E2 single mark assessment Amplifier Project & Peer-based 5 E2 - Filter Design single mark Criteria Design assessment 6 Project Feedback only 7 Project Feedback only 8 Project Feedback only Peer-based 9 Project Showcase assessment

25. Planning Professional Student Week Skills/Design Assessment Lab Session Assessment Preparation session 2 E1 Peer-based 3 E2 E1 assessment Peer-based E1 - Transistor 4 Project E2 single mark assessment Amplifier Project & Peer-based 5 E2 - Filter Design single mark Criteria Design assessment 6 Project Feedback only 7 Project Feedback only 8 Project Feedback only Peer-based 9 Project Showcase assessment

26. Planning Professional Student Week Skills/Design Assessment Lab Session Assessment Preparation session 2 E1 Peer-based 3 E2 E1 assessment Peer-based E1 - Transistor 4 Project E2 single mark assessment Amplifier Project & Peer-based 5 E2 - Filter Design single mark Criteria Design assessment 6 Project Feedback only 7 Project Feedback only 8 Project Feedback only Peer-based 9 Project Showcase assessment

27. Overview • Background • Motivation • Planning • Implementation • Analysis • Follow on

28. Implementation • Buy out • Web pages • Session Plans • Peer assessment scheme • Design examples

29. Implementation • Web pages replace lab lectures + lab manual

30. Implementation • Design session & PA

31. Implementation • Design session & PA • Brain storming • Mind mapping • Team ex.

32. Implementation • Judgements / criteria • Peer Designed PA

33. Implementation • 3 cycles of 3 week Design process + PA • 2 weeks of ‘E’ Design briefing practicals • DVD ‘Short’ + 30 min Teaching vid • 3 weeks of L1 Project • Final week – project showcase: paired PA using peer-designed PA scheme

34. Implementation • DVD ‘Short’ + 30 min Teaching vid

35. Overview • Background • Motivation • Planning • Implementation • Analysis • Follow on

36. Analysis • Plot mean project showcase mark vs PA marks Outliers rejected by thresholding

37. Analysis • Plot PA marks vs PG Demonstrator marks

38. Table 1 Summary of mean responses to the three questions polled. Analysis • Student questionnaire

39. 5 4 1 2 Analysis • Student questionnaire: Prof Skills

40. Analysis • Student questionnaire: Prof Skills

41. Table 2 Summary of mean responses to the three questions polled. Analysis • Student questionnaire

42. 5 4 1 2 Analysis • Student questionnaire: Lab

43. Analysis • Student questionnaire: Lab

44. Overview • Background • Motivation • Planning • Implementation • Analysis • Follow on

45. Follow On • Autumn Semester Lab Programme - 2 weeks assessment free - feedback forms + single grades

46.  open-access for competent users Follow On • Autumn Semester Lab Programme - new workshop training session - new competency test  follow-up skills session

47. Follow On • Spring Semester Lab/Prof Skills Programme - Choose 3 from 5 scripted experiments - 4 weeks of Design Briefings - 3 week Lab Project - 1 week Project Showcase + PA

48. Conclusions / Lessons Learnt • Many students liked the new style of working • - and others did not • Students seemed very comfortable with directed web-based learning • There is some evidence that student satisfaction has improved – enhanced student engagement ? • ‘Demonstrator bias’ seems to have disappeared • Students may not be aware of ‘Skills training’ aspect • L1 students cannot do PA - requires training and QA checks

49. Acknowledgements I would like to thank the following staff that helped make this SCEPTrE Fellowship project: SCEPTrE: Jo Tait, Norman Jackson and Fred Buining EE : Janco Calic Jeremy Allan, Phil Jackson, Graham Reed Richard Clarke, Bill Backhouse, Dave Fishlock

50. Questions?