Enhancing Engineering Education with Blank Chart Technique

1. Strategy of using 'Blank-chart technique' in Engineering education. Sungsook Pu(Kyonggi University) Kyungwon Chang(Kyonggi University) Minkyoung Song(Kyonggi University)

2. Introduction • Blank chart technique • one of problem-solving techniques for management consultants • promote problem-solving process and skills in team projects • draw visual images of final outputs before students propose final outcomes

3. Graphic Organizer Figure 1 Types of Graphic Organizer(Tracy & Stangman, 2002)

4. Graphic Organizer • A 'Descriptive or Thematic map' works well for mapping generic information, but particularly well for mapping hierarchical relationships. • A 'Network tree' organizes a hierarchical set of information, reflecting super-ordinate or sub-ordinate elements. • A 'Problem-solution outline' helps students to compare different solutions to a problems. • A 'Series of events chain' can help students to organize information with various steps.

5. Graphic Organizer • A ‘Blank-chart technique’is using graphic organizers in a) identifying specific ideas and summaring key points for implementation, b) using graphic organizers to take notes, summarize key points, and identify specific ideas for implementation, and c) forming to use in taking ideas for implementation from the professional development module.

6. Applying Black-chart technique • Steps for the students Step1 Identify and write problems/learning issues in post-stick note. Step2 Categorize/and assign problems/learning issues among team members. Step3 Organize the contents of problems/learning issues and assign the contents to team members, separately.

7. Applying Black-chart technique Step4 Make a blank-chart Step5 Take action plans based on the blank-chart. Step6 Search and learn information and knowledge to fill blank-chart Step7 Share and revise filled-chart.

8. Blank Chart – Photo 1

9. Blank Chart – Photo 2

10. Blank Chart – Photo 3

11. Participants/ Procedure • Participants Table 1 • Procedure • For the purpose of the study, a team was consisted of 5~7 students and applied a blank-chart technique in their team projects. After applying a blank-chart technique, we asked the opinions of participants of their experiences and evaluated the outcomes of their team projects.

12. Research outcomes Table 2 The difficulties in conducting team projects(N=78)(Multiple choices)

13. Research outcomes Table 3 The advantage of Blank-chart technique(N=78)(Multiple choices)

14. Conclusion • The main difficulties in team projects were • allocating tasks/roles to team members, • making plans and setting up time tables, • developing and finalizing the outcomes of team projects, and • communicating each other sufficiently. • In regard to overcoming these difficulties, • it was finding that a Blank-chart technique was usefulness • and had advantages in • developing diverse contents, • establishing systematic and concrete plans of what to do, • promoting concrete contents and predicting the visual image of contents that students would propose, and • facilitating communication among team members and developing communication skills.

15. Conclusion • Consequently, the research outcomes supported that a 'Blank-chart technique' was effective in improving learning outcomes in team-based learning and activities.