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Dr. Xiangyun Du Professor Department of Learning and Philosophy Aalborg University

Innovative Pedagogy and PBL-Inspired Teaching Experiments

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Teaching, learning and assessment

Competence profile of graduate

Design of study program

Design of semester program

Design of study activity

Evaluation of study activity

Evaluation of semester program

Evaluation of study program

Evaluation of graduate

competences

This is where assessment is carried

out!!!

CD – a top-down process

Mona Dahms, 2009

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Institutional (sub-institutional level)(Subject approach)

System/ group level(Subject approach)

Individual level(Subject approach)

ImplementationMoesby, E. 2004. "Reflections on making a change towards Project Oriented and Problem-Based Learning (POPBL)”, World Transactions on Engineering Technology Education (WTE&TE), UICEE, Monash University, Australia. Volume 3, No. 2, December 2004.

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Curriculum Development (CD) – a sequential process

Design of Nth sem.

Competenceprofile of graduate

Design of study program

Design of 1st sem.

Design of 2nd sem.

Design of 3rd sem.

Design of 4th sem.

Study activity 1

Study activity 2

Study activity 3

Study activity 4

Study activity 5

Mona Dahms, 2009

Examples of course designs / teaching experiments and assessment

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Republic Polytechnic (RP) – Visions

Students of RP should be:Knowledgeable (understand, share, apply)Inquirers and thinkers with ability to reasonOpen minded, risk takers and decision makersCommunicators and negotiators, Teamworkers Caring and tolerant individuals with a balanced

outlook and good valuesLearning-enabled

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RP – ’one day – one problem’

• Diploma program: 3 years, 30 modules• 1 semester = 16 weeks, 5 modules per

semester• 4 contact hours per module and per week• 20 contact hours per week• 4 ‘understanding tests’ per module and

semester

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RP – ’one day – one problem’

25 students per class – 5 teams of 5 studentsA facilitator assigned for the day for each classA problem given in the morningFive different but related problems per weekDaily assessment supplemented by

’understanding tests’

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The daily routine at RP - 1Sessions Activities (and actors: f=facilitator,

s=students)First meeting(1 hr)

Presents problem trigger + scaffolding (f)Analyse problem (f + s) Identify known – unknown - learning needs (f +s)Assign research duties (s)

First break out(1 hr)

Search, select, structure informationMake meaning

Second meeting(1 hr)

Discuss progress and difficulties (s + f)Helps develop learning strategies (f)

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The daily routine at RP - 2

Sessions Activities and (actors)Second break out(2 hr)

Review resource materialsPeer teach each otherPrepare presentations

Final meeting(1 hr)

Present outcomes – discuss, justify, defend (s)Presents ‘the sixth outcome’ (f)

Assessment(½ hr)

Do an individual written quiz (self assessment)Write in personal reflective learning journal

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PBL applied to software engieering group projectsNational University of Ireland (Delaney and Mitchell 2006)

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PBL applied to software engieering group projectsNational University of Ireland (Delaney and Mitchell 2006)

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An example of project proposal from AAU INTELLIGENT AUTONOMOUS SYSTEMS

Objectives and contents of the specialisation

The objectives of the specialisation in Intelligent Autonomous Systems are summarised as follows:

to provide students with knowledge in modelling of mechanical systems such as spacecraft, ships, and mobile robots, enable the student to apply modern methods of control to problems related to autonomous systems, to analyse methods of state observation, parameter estimation and sensor fusion in mechanical systems, to provide students with a comprehension of supervisory control, fault-tolerant control and fault detection, to let students analyse software architectures for autonomous systems.

The courses include necessary general theoretical topics within process control forautonomous systems but modules are also made available in scientific communication and proficiency in English language for those who need it.

An example of Project proposalSPRING Semester – Intelligent Autonomous SystemsTHEME: Modelling and ControlPERIOD: 1 February - 30 June PURPOSE: To give knowledge and comprehension of optimal and robust control theory. To give the students the ability to analyse modern control methods for multi input/multi output systems. To give students the ability to apply modelling methods and control synthesis for advanced mechanical systems.CONTENTS: The project is based on a problem of control and supervision of an autonomous system. The model of the mechanical system has to be derived. The vital part of the project is the choice of the set of actuators and sensors for onboard application. Different control strategies have to be investigated and compared. The supervisor system responsible for autonomy onboard has to be designed. The chosen solution has to be implemented on a real time platform and tested, either by the computer simulations or dedicated hardware.COURSES: Courses will be given in the field of modelling of mechanical systems, supervisory andfault tolerant control, and modern control theory. EXAM: The external oral examination is based on the prepared project documentation. Each student is marked according to the 13-scale.

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A 4th-year students’ project on Autonomous Model Airplane

An case for discussion

Goal: Achieving an autonomous flight with a model airplane A model describing dynamics of the physical airplane employed A controller for stability developed Implementation of the controller – a compact system platform design

Test 2 resulted in a crash of the airplane – a larger airplane is needed

Test 1 success: log data obtained, verified the dynamics of the derived model

Facilitation? Assessment?

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Supervisorsexaminors

Team to beassessed

(Audience)

OH screen

Blackboard

Team based examination

Phase in assessment process

Activities for students Activities for faculty and external examiners

Assessment

Oral presentation of the projectApprox. 1 hour

The students make the oral presentation by taking turns, max. 10 min. per student.

The faculty examiner welcome all and the external examiner present his professional profile.

This phase is considered a part of the project and is not a basis for grading.

Short discussion Approx. ½ hour

Reflect on the comments given and eventually reply to the given comments.

Comment on the presentation and give some overall comments concerning the project.

This is an activity seen as a part of the project and is not a basis for grading.

Break 10-15 min.

Individual exam of student 1-n35 min. each

Each individual gets 2-3 predefined questions and answers them.

Question the student to get them to clarify or elaborate on the answers.

Immediately after the questioning, discussion takes place and the students receive an individual grade.

AAU examinationKolmos & Holmgaard, 2009

21Cowan, 2004

= learning outcomes

The Cowan Curriculum Development model

Tools for assessing and designing teaching experiments – 6 step process

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A 6-step Process – Step 1

1. Aims = learning outcomes are at the center– We need to specify clearly, explicitly and in detail what

the students will be able to do after they have completed the course or the programme, that they could not do before, i.e.

– Which intended competences, skills or knowledge at what level should our students acquire via the course or the programme?

– The learning outcomes should be made known to the students from the start of the course/programme

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A 6-step Process – Step 21. Aims = learning outcomes are at the center2. Assessment drives the learning efforts of students

– Assessment should be designed to assess achievement of the explicit learning outcomes, i.e.

– Assessment should measure whether the students have acquired the intended competences, skills or knowledge

– and should measure nothing but these competences– No ’hidden curriculum’ in the assessment process !!

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A 6-step Process – Step 31. Aims = learning outcomes are at the center2. Assessment drives the learning efforts of students3. Learning efforts of students should focus upon

achieving the explicit learning outcomes– …and will do so when assessment and learning

outcomes are aligned– We need to find out the learning needs of our students

and respond to them in our teaching

Cowan, 2004

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A 6-step Process – Step 41. Aims = learning outcomes are at the center2. Assessment drives the learning efforts of

students3. Learning efforts of students should focus upon

achieving the explicit learning outcomes4. Teaching should support students seeking to

achieve the learning outcomes– We should not concentrate on what ’needs to be

covered’, or what we ’want’ to teach – only on what is included in Learning Outcomes

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A 6-step Process – Step 51. Aims = learning outcomes are at the center2. Assessment drives the learning efforts of students3. Learning efforts of students should focus upon achieving the

explicit learning outcomes4. Teaching should support students seeking to achieve the

learning outcomes5. Evaluation should be carried out - Collect evidence and

feedback from students, colleagues, examinors, graduates, employers etc.

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A 6-step Process – Step 6

1. Aims = learning outcomes are at the center2. Assessment drives the learning efforts of students3. Learning efforts of students should focus upon achieving the

explicit learning outcomes4. Teaching should support students seeking to achieve the

learning outcomes5. Evaluation should be carried out – formative and summative6. Revision of: learning outcomes, assessment, learning

and/or teaching based on the evaluation- the decision on what to change is ours, not the evaluator’s

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PBL Learning Principles

Learning Principles (Graff & Kolmos 2003)

Learning Problem basedContextualizedExperience and activity based

ContentInterdisciplinary learning Exemplary learningAnalytical thinking – theory-practice relation

SocialParticipant directedTeam based

References

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Basic distinctionsReferences

PBL experience • Problem formulation (Phase 1)• Problem analysis (Phase 1)• Problem solving

oDesigning a concrete PBL teaching experiment based on the institutional framework - Possible problems and projects that could be used at GDUT (Phase 3)

• Presentation (Phase 4)• Peer assessment and evaluation (Phase 4)