A Case Study of Modular-Based Project Oriented Learning in ...

A Case Study of Modular-Based Project Oriented Learning in Electrical Engineering Damla G¨ urkan Kuntalp, G¨ uleser Kalaycı Demir, and Olcay Akay Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Dokuz Eyl¨ ul University, ˙ Buca / Izmir, 35160 Turkey

Abstract. Considering the worldwide acceptance of problem/projectbased learning methods, the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering at Dokuz Eyl¨ ul University replaced its curriculum with a modular-based problem/project oriented one in Fall 2002. Current education system consists of sequentially given two, three or four weeklong problem or project-based modules. Different from the conventional approach, in our system traditional courses are individually covered as independent modules given in sequential manner. While the first three years consist mainly of problem-based modules, senior year is purely project oriented. In this study, we present our experiences through the example of a senior year module. Our experience suggests that projectoriented learning in senior year is an effective method of teaching not only the theoretical or practical aspects of the subject matter but also the necessary qualities for real life experiences of soon-to-be engineers.

1

Introduction

Since real engineering problem solving often involves working from a starting point with less than perfect information, Project-Oriented Learning (POL) in later years of engineering education gives students a chance to experience a real life engineering application [1]. This involves not only the practical application of the theoretical knowledge students acquire but also realizing the additional information, tools, knowledge etc. they will need to solve the problem. In conventional teaching methods the concern is to teach the theoretical fundamentals of the subject matter thoroughly. Practical aspects and application experiences are not of concern until graduation. Dealing with an open-ended real life application which cover not only the complete content of the course but also some additional knowledge and skills is not usually a common practice in a course or in a course’s laboratory in conventional education system. Project-oriented approach provides a simulated work environment in which the student copes with a project/problem as an engineer would do either as an individual or as a group member [2], [3]. Considering the changing demands of industry and the requirements of revised accreditation criteria who look for engineers who not only possess a solid understanding of the fundamental science of engineering, but also have a practical and robust approach to problem solving, function well in a team and have M.D. Lytras et al. (Eds.): TECH-EDUCATION 2010, CCIS 73, pp. 164–169, 2010. c Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2010 

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excellent communication skills, Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering at Dokuz Eyl¨ ul University replaced its curriculum with a modular-based problem/project oriented one in Fall 2002 [4], [5]. Different from the conventional approach, in our system traditional courses are individually covered as independent modules given in sequential manner. First three years of the curriculum is mostly problem-based [6]. The senior year, on the other hand, is designed as purely project-oriented. The first semester of the senior year consists of mandatory modules one of which is the EE411 Digital Signal Processing (DSP) module. The second semester contains variety of modules of different subject areas and the students are free to choose four of them to complete the semester. Beside these project-oriented modules, during the senior year students are expected to complete their individual senior year project. In this study, we give a case study applied for the Digital Signal Processing course1 . In what follows we will present our experiences on project-based teaching through the example of a senior year module, EE411 Digital Signal Processing. Section 2 presents learning objectives of the module. Details of the methodology and feedback of students on POL are presented in Sections 3 and 4, respectively. Finally, Section 5 gives the concluding remarks.

2

Learning Outcomes of DSP Module

Each student must comply with the module learning outcomes where outcomes of all modules must adhere to the requirements of the program (for our program requirements see [8]). Learning outcomes that students should achieve in order to pass the module can be grouped in many different ways. We adopt the model of Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education - Engineering Benchmark Statement [9] to group module learning outcomes as follows: – Knowledge and Understanding : Fundamentals of Digital Signal Processing, transform domain representations of digital signals, filter elements and structures, Finite Impulse Response (FIR) and Infinite Impulse Response (IIR) digital filter design, applications to real-life problems, – Intellectual Abilities : Apply analytical thinking to digital signal processing related problems, select and develop appropriate signal processing method, employ computer software for simulation of DSP systems, – Practical Skills: Use computer for programming, presentation and working purposes, use Matlab Digital Signal Processing Toolbox, program Matlab Graphical User Interface (GUI), simulate mathematical models, gather, process and display/output data using appropriate tools, – Transferable Skills: Manage time and resources effectively, work in a team/group constructively and supportively, develop communication skills, utilize information and communication technology in the preparation, process and presentation of information. 1

A previous version of this study has appeared in a national congress in Turkish [7].

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3 3.1

D.G. Kuntalp, G.K. Demir, and O. Akay

Methodology Components of the Project-Based Module

Each semester consists of different number of modules which are arranged in a sequential order such that students focus on only one subject area as DSP, Digital Communication, Control Systems within each module. EE411 Digital Signal Processing module is the first module of the seventh semester of our curriculum and encompasses four weeks. The module consists of different components with different educational aims as given below: POL sessions: In these sessions, the project is introduced to the students of small groups and the progress of students is observed and guided by a tutor. Having a tutor in these sessions is important for tracking the progress, checking records, dealing with the problems and providing additional support and advice as needed. With the careful guidance of the tutor, problem in hand is discussed, and the provided information is analyzed. The ”should do” and ”should learn” lists are prepared by students as a group in each POL session. In a four-week project-based module such as EE411 there are five POL sessions two of which are in the first week. The first POL session aims to introduce the project. Students are presented with the short description and the goals of the project. The detailed description of specific tasks that should be completed during the module is also presented. In this first session, in light of provided information preliminary discussions are conducted and a coarse work plan is prepared. In the second session, each group presents their feasibility report which provides a detailed work plan and time table. Students have to prepare interim reports for the following POL sessions and the progress of each group is closely monitored by the tutor. A final project report including the details of the solution and project results is handed over at the last POL session. Presentations: There are 20-credit hour presentations in the module schedule. These lectures aim to fill the gap between theoretical concepts and their practical applications in the field. Consultation: Additional guidance and consultation can be provided for both on matters related to projects and concepts taught in lectures. Discussion: Module discussion takes place in the middle of the third week when module progress nears completion. Purpose of this activity is to discuss the progress of the module and the projects with the students. Students meet with module directors to share problems or difficulties they faced and receive guidance. This session provides groups with a chance for self evaluation of their progress and a comparison with other groups’ performances. Module Exam: Evaluation of the theoretical concepts is accomplished through a written exam at the end of the module. Exam Discussion: After the module exam there is a discussion session in which the students and module directors discuss the exam questions and their solutions.

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Laboratory Hours: There are both electronics engineering and computer laboratory hours in the module. In the first week’s lab sessions an introduction to the Matlab signal processing toolbox is provided by teaching assistants. During the remaining laboratory hours guidance is provided as needed. Engineering Orientation: The integration provided by projects, presentations and laboratories is strengthened by an orientation seminar. Its aim is to provide the students with real life aspects and applications of the subject matter. The orientation seminar takes place at the end of the third week. 3.2

Project Assignment

A very general description of the problem is introduced through a project brief. Students are expected to acquire the necessary background information through independent research. Lectures and other activities are used as resources to gather information and guidance by students. In the project brief which is handed out in the first POL session, in addition to a brief problem description, project goals, specific tasks, and details of evaluation of the module are presented. In specific tasks part we specify the reports to be prepared and their due dates and the requirements of the project presentation. Other than that students are free to build their own working plan and timetable. There are usually 3 or 4 different projects for the module and groups are randomly assigned with one of these projects. As an example, a project can consist of a design of digital stereo FM transmitter and receiver. This project involves analog to digital, digital to analog conversion, design of digital filters for different purposes such as preemphasis, deemphasis filters, pilot tone recovery etc., creation of a digital sinusoidal signal, frequency doubling, digital signal multiplexing, FM modulation and demodulation, simulating a white Gaussian noise signal in digital platform. Tasks included in the project basically cover almost all of the learning objectives of the EE411 Digital Signal Processing module. Encoding and decoding of telephone touch pad signals, QRS complex detection in ECG analysis, analyzing musical tones, design of a digital synthesizer, linear predictive coding of speech, and radar simulation are other examples of assigned projects. 3.3

Performance Evaluation

We evaluate the overall performance of the students by measuring four different skills. Namely, we evaluate their knowledge-based skills, process skills, teamworking skills and formal communication skills. For this purpose we identify five different elements to be graded individually. We then aggregate the grades according to the predefined weights to produce an overall score. The elements themselves, their weights and criteria for grading are defined as follows: i) POL Session (15%), ii) Oral/poster Presentation (15%), iii) Final Report (30%), iv) Written Examination (40%). While students are graded individually in POL sessions and written examinations, they are given group grades in other activities.

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D.G. Kuntalp, G.K. Demir, and O. Akay Table 1. Feedback of students on POL

Do you agree with the following? Dealing with only one subject area affects the learning positively Duration of module is sufficient Dealing with only one subject area increases permanency of acquired knowledge Duration of the module is sufficient to assimilate the content Presentation hours are enough POL contributes to the permanency of learning objectives Content of presentations contributes to implementation of projects Preparing a final report helps in reinforcing the information POL sessions contribute positively to the implementation of the project Regular reporting helps to monitor the progress of the project Increases ability for preparing a formal report Criteria for evaluation are appropriate and fairly weighted POL is an effective tool for gaining engineering skills I enjoyed working in a group I am satisfied with sharing of workload and responsibilities POL is a positive experience for engineering life Improves abilities for using time efficiently Strengthens written and oral communication skills Improves abilities for preparing a poster

4

5 4 3 2 1 8 48 19 19 6 8 25 6 44 17 6 4 2 50 20 12 17 8 19 8 55 29 33 47 15 19 19

25 13 17 44 55 25 43 63 58 33 37 51 40 45 42 52 67

17 12 29 4 12 18 26 12 15 23 6 12 17 4 31 13 9

35 40 44 2 12 27 6 12 4 27 0 8 8 2 12 12 5

17 31 8 0 2 18 8 6 4 10 2 0 2 2 0 4 0

Questionnaire

Right after the completion of the module, students are asked to fill out surveys which contained 19 questions. There are five possible answers for each survey question: Fully agree (5), agree (4), indecisive (3), disagree (2), and fully disagree (1). In the above table, the number in each cell is the percentage of students who selected that particular choice. The survey is filled out by 52 students in total. The purpose of the survey is to determine the opinion of students on the modular-based POL. The results in Table 1 show that students generally agree on the main aims of POL. At first look, we notice that students are not satisfied with the duration of the module (61%). In a similar vein, they think that the amount of presentation hours is insufficient (52%) and the duration of module is not long enough for assimilating the theoretical content (71%). However, considering the fact that four successive modules are covered in a fourteen-week semester, to increase neither the amount of presentation nor the duration of the module seem possible. On the other hand, we gladly observe that almost all of the students agree upon the positive contributions on the permanency of the learning objectives of POL (94%). Additionally, they also think that POL is a strongly beneficial experience for their future engineering life. The results show that students enjoy working in teams (80%), enjoy sharing workload and responsibilities (73%) and find POL sessions useful (60%). The results also indicate that written and oral communication skills of students are improved fairly well (71%).

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Furthermore, most of the students agree that their abilities for writing formal reports (77%) and preparing poster presentations (86%) are strengthened.

5

Conclusion

The combination of lectures, labs, and POL sessions within the umbrella of a project-based module turns out to be quite an effective way of preparing students for their engineering life by putting theory into practice. This way, students develop a better understanding of the value and limitations of theoretical knowledge by virtue of its application to practical problems. Beside achieving the learning objectives of the module students also gain some generic skills and abilities that will be useful in both work and the other aspects of their life. The results of the student survey and our experience attest that the duration of the module may be extended for a better assimilation of module content. In light of similar experiences also in other modules, a curriculum modification along these lines is under consideration.

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