A one-day Regional Workshop for Northern Ireland
Wednesday 19 November 2003, 10.00am to 4.00pm
Belfast Castle, Antrim Road
There is no registration fee for this Workshop, and lunch will be provided.
The event is funded by HEFCE & DEL through the Teaching Quality
Enhancement Fund.
Who is this Workshop for?
- Anyone who works in the Engineering higher education sector who wants
to make the learning experience for their students more informative,
motivating
and rewarding.
Aims of the Workshop
Participants in the Workshop will have the opportunity:
- to identify and discuss current issues in enhancing student learning
- from the broad perspective of Teaching Materials for Engineers,
to the specifics of Student Motivation, Groupwork and Problem-Based
Learning.
- to explore examples of changes made to traditional learning and teaching
practice in Engineering Departments in Northern Ireland that focus
on enhancing student learning.
- to gain 'hands on' experience of how
to implement Problem-Based Learning (PBL) - including advice on how
PBL is managed and how students are supported in their activities.
- to consider the advantages for student learning that the PBL method
can offer.
- to examine national and regional HE challenges, in light of educational
policies, such as The Higher Education White Paper and the Quality
Enhancement focus.
- to learn of solutions and support available to academics for developing
good practice in Materials and Engineering learning and teaching, from
amongst others the UK Centre for Materials Education and the forthcoming
Higher
Education
Academy.
The principal aims of implementing Problem-Based Learning will be explored
within the Workshop programme, these being:
- to integrate knowledge and skills from a range of disciplinary
perspectives
- for students to learn how to work in groups and manage group projects
- to improve and develop the ability of students to use a range of
transferable skills
- to encourage self-motivation, curiosity and thinking
- to help students to see the relevance of their learning to the world
outside a university
- and finally, to make learning more fun!
Workshop Format
- The workshop programme has been designed to be highly interactive,
with the opportunity for participants to engage in small group discussions,
group exercises, as well as question and answer sessions.
Workshop Programme
| 10:00 |
Registration and Coffee/Tea |
| |
|
| 10:30 |
Welcome and Introduction to the Workshop
(Mike Bramhall and Adam Mannis) |
| |
|
| Session 1: How to Enhance Student Learning? |
| |
|
| 10:40 |
Broad Issues: Teaching Materials for Engineers
(Mike Bramhall, UK Centre of Materials Education, University of Liverpool)
|
| |
|
| 11:00 |
Specific Issues: Student Motivation, Groupwork and Problem-Based
Learning
(Interactive session facilitated by Heather Fry, Centre for Educational
Development, Imperial College London) |
| |
|
| Session 2: How to Change Traditional Learning and
Teaching Practice? |
| |
|
| 12:15 |
A Case-Study of Using Problem Based Learning in an Engineering
Module
(Robin Clarke, School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, University
of Ulster) |
| |
|
| 12:30 |
The CDIO Approach to Engineering Education: Conceive-Design-Implement-Operate
(Cecil Armstrong, School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering,
Queens University Belfast) |
| |
|
| 12:45 |
Review and Feedback Session |
| |
|
| 1:00 |
Lunch |
| |
|
| Session 3: How to Implement Problem-Based Learning? |
| |
|
| 1:45 |
Problem-Based Learning: How to use it, and Why?
(Interactive session facilitated by Heather Fry, Centre for Educational
Development, Imperial College, London) |
| |
|
| Session 4: How to Develop Good Practice in Learning
and Teaching? |
| |
|
| 3:00 |
National Challenges: The Higher Education
White Paper / Quality Enhancement issues
(Mike Bramhall, UK Centre for Materials Education, University of
Liverpool) |
| |
|
| 3:15 |
Regional Issues: Perspective from the Department for Employment
and Learning NI
(Representative of the Higher Education Policy Branch, DEL) |
| |
|
| 3:30 |
Solutions and Support for Your Discipline: FDTL / LTSN / Higher
Education Academy
(Questions and Answer Session with Panel) |
| |
|
| 3:50 |
Workshop Evaluation |
| |
|
| 4:00 |
Close of Workshop |
Event Organisation
- This Regional Workshop is a collaboration between two national HE
bodies - the Fund for the Development of Teaching and Learning (FDTL),
and the Learning and Teaching Support Network (LTSN) - and the Engineering
Departments of the two regional universities, Queens University Belfast
and the University of Ulster.
Speakers' Details
- Cecil Armstrong is Head of the School of Mechanical
and Manufacturing Engineering at Queens University Belfast.
- Mike Bramhall is Associate Director of the UK Centre
for Materials Education, one of 24 national LTSN centres that provides
a subject-based focus to learning and teaching for UK academics. Mike
is also Professor of Engineering Education at Sheffield Hallam University,
and Chair of the Steering Group for the national 'Tutoring Materials'
project.
- Robin Clarke is Head of the School of Electrical
and Mechanical Engineering at University of Ulster. He has taught engineering
design at all levels for a number of years. The approach described
in his case-study presentation has evolved, firstly as a pragmatic
response to effectively handling large groups, but latterly further
a developments of PBL have become evident.
- Heather Fry is Senior Lecturer and Head of the Centre
for Educational Development at Imperial College London. She is also
Director of the national FDTL 'Tutoring Materials' project comprising
a consortium of UK universities led by Imperial College London. Amongst
her many publications, Heather is joint editor of 'The Handbook of
Teaching and Learning in Higher Education'. She has considerable experience
of designing PBL curricula, using PBL, and enhancing staff skills as
PBL tutors.
- Adam Mannis is Project Manager of the 'Tutoring Materials' project,
based at the UK Centre for Materials Education.
- The Higher Education Policy Branch of DEL is responsible
for the formulation, development and oversight of the implementation
of higher education policy in accordance with the regional needs of
Northern Ireland, taking account of developments in the rest of the
UK.
Other Enquiries
If you have any other enquiries regarding this event, please Contact
the Centre.
