Journal of Engineering Education Transformations

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Aalborg UNESCO Certificate:Staff Development and Challenges in PBL Training Programme


Affiliations
1 Aalborg UNESCO Centre for Problem Based Learning in Engineering Science and Sustainability, Department of Planning, Aalborg University, Denmark
2 Techno-Anthropology and Participation, Department of Planning, Aalborg University, Denmark
     

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Problem- and project-based learning (PBL) has been widely adopted in engineering education during the last 40 years because of its effectiveness in improving students' academic knowledge, teamwork skills, communication skills and leadership. However, in a PBL environment, not only students, but engineering staff, too, have faced the challenge of transferring their learning/teaching practice from traditional methods to innovative PBL strategies. In order to improve PBL implementation and promote curriculum change processes, it is important to provide PBL pedagogical training opportunities for engineering staff. In collaboration with the Northeastern University, China, the Aalborg UNESCO Centre set up a half-year certificate programme on the Basics of PBL and Curriculum Change for Academic Staff Development. Using a qualitative method, this research reports engineering staff’s reflections, learning outcomes and challenges through the PBL pedagogical training programme. Suggestions are proposed to optimize PBL training programmes for engineering staff and promote curriculum change processes.

Keywords

PBL, Staff Training and Development, Challenges, Curriculum Change.
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  • Aalborg UNESCO Certificate:Staff Development and Challenges in PBL Training Programme

Abstract Views: 294  |  PDF Views: 1

Authors

Juebei Chen
Aalborg UNESCO Centre for Problem Based Learning in Engineering Science and Sustainability, Department of Planning, Aalborg University, Denmark
Anette Kolmos
Aalborg UNESCO Centre for Problem Based Learning in Engineering Science and Sustainability, Department of Planning, Aalborg University, Denmark
Aida Guerra
Aalborg UNESCO Centre for Problem Based Learning in Engineering Science and Sustainability, Department of Planning, Aalborg University, Denmark
Chunfang Zhou
Techno-Anthropology and Participation, Department of Planning, Aalborg University, Denmark

Abstract


Problem- and project-based learning (PBL) has been widely adopted in engineering education during the last 40 years because of its effectiveness in improving students' academic knowledge, teamwork skills, communication skills and leadership. However, in a PBL environment, not only students, but engineering staff, too, have faced the challenge of transferring their learning/teaching practice from traditional methods to innovative PBL strategies. In order to improve PBL implementation and promote curriculum change processes, it is important to provide PBL pedagogical training opportunities for engineering staff. In collaboration with the Northeastern University, China, the Aalborg UNESCO Centre set up a half-year certificate programme on the Basics of PBL and Curriculum Change for Academic Staff Development. Using a qualitative method, this research reports engineering staff’s reflections, learning outcomes and challenges through the PBL pedagogical training programme. Suggestions are proposed to optimize PBL training programmes for engineering staff and promote curriculum change processes.

Keywords


PBL, Staff Training and Development, Challenges, Curriculum Change.

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.16920/jeet%2F2019%2Fv33i1%2F149002