UK Centre for Materials Education
Working with you to enhance the student experience
Working with you to enhance the student experience
This project was inspired by the development and implementation of Problem Based Learning (PBL) at Queen Mary. As part of an ‘Implementation Grant’ given by UKCME, the methodology of PBL was aimed to be used in another academic environment on a much smaller scale (only one module rather than in all level 1 modules, as in the case of Queen Mary). PBL was implemented in the module for Materials & Sustainable Engineering for level 3 students.
This particular module was chosen to test-drive this project because it was a Materials module and also incorporated a number of practical sessions. The module was structured in such a manner that the initial presentation/ lecture was followed by the demonstration/ display of common objects of daily use (e.g. camera), focussing on various aspects (materials and components used in manufacture; evolution of materials used and the technology involved; sustainability and failure of the materials concerned etc.). This also provided the methodology for the whole PBL exercise. The students were then divided into groups and asked to choose a product on their own, and, based on the methodology outlined earlier, to evaluate the product by choosing laboratory based tests which they would perform on the product. The findings would then be written down as a group report. The aim of the whole exercise was to give the students scope to conceive, plan and execute a project, and learn group skills at the same time. The project was evaluated through exit questionnaires and informal or tutorial discussions, and the concerned students also had to keep a formal record of all meetings/group sessions attended during the exercise. Overall, the feedback was positive, which indicated that the students were happy with and benefitted from this exercise, though timetabling issues prevented the student groups from presenting their work to other groups as a formal presentation. This method is still in use for this year 3 module, and the main methodology remains the same, even though the finer details (timetabling, organisation of practicals) depend on variable factors each year.
The implementation of PBL at the School of Engineering and Built Engineering at the University of Wolverhampton has generated general interest in the department regarding the use of PBL within a module. This has been reflected in the increased emphasis on and encouragement for practicals in the department.
