The power of feedback.

by J. Biggs and C. Tang, Maidenhead, England,
Open University Press, 2007, 360 pp., £29.99, ISBN-13: 978-0-335-22126-4

Teaching for quality learning at university

Although the literature on university–industry links has begun to uncover the reasons for, and types of, collaboration between universities and businesses, it offers relatively little explanation of ways to reduce the barriers in these collaborations. This paper seeks to unpack the nature of the obstacles to collaborations between universities and industry, exploring influence of different mechanisms in lowering barriers related to the orientation of universities and to the transactions involved in working with university partners. Drawing on a large-scale survey and public records, this paper explores the effects of collaboration experience, breadth of interaction, and inter-organizational trust on lowering different types of barriers. The analysis shows that prior experience of collaborative research lowers orientation-related barriers and that greater levels of trust reduce both types of barriers studied. It also indicates that breadth of interaction diminishes the orientation-related, but increases transaction-related barriers. The paper explores the implications of these findings for policies aimed at facilitating university–industry collaboration.

Investigating the factors that diminish the barriers to university-industry collaboration

Aditya Johri and Barbara M Olds, eds, Cambridge Handbook of Engineering Education Research, Cambridge University Press, 2014, ISBN: 978-1-107-01410-7

Cambridge Handbook of Engineering Education Research

This book uses meta-analysis to synthesize research on scaffolding and scaffolding-related interventions in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education. Specifically, the volume examines the extent to which study quality, assessment type, and scaffolding characteristics (strategy, intended outcome, fading schedule, scaffolding intervention, and paired intervention) influence cognitive student outcomes. It includes detailed descriptions of the theoretical foundations of scaffolding, scaffolding strategies that have been proposed to meet different intended learning outcomes in STEM, and associated efficacy information. Furthermore, the book describes assessment strategies and study designs which can be used to evaluate the influence of scaffolding, and suggests new fields in which scaffolding strategies that have proven efficacious may be used.

Instructional Scaffolding in STEM Education: Strategies and Efficacy Evidence

This paper focuses on the alignment of students' views on project-oriented design-based learning (PODBL) with today's industrial needs. A Collaborative relationship between academic institutions and industrial expectations is a significant process towards analytical thinking (linking the theory and practice). Improving students' knowledge as well as the students' transition into industry, requires efficient joint ventures by both learning institutions and industry partners. Project-based learning (PBL) is well developed and implemented in most engineering schools and departments around the world. What requires closer attention is the focus on design within this project-based learning framework. Today design projects have been used to motivate and teach science in elementary, middle, and high school classrooms. They are also used to assist students with possible science and engineering careers. For these reasons, design-based learning (DBL) is intended to be an effective approach to learning that is centered on a design problem-solving structure adopted for a problem-oriented project-based education. Based on an industry design forum, which the authors conducted in Melbourne, Australia in 2012, a research study was performed to investigate the industry and academic requirements for students focusing on achieving design skills. To transform the present situation in the academic teaching and learning environment and to fulfill industry needs, this research study also investigated the students' views on design skills.

http://dro.deakin.edu.au/eserv/DU:30056843/chandrsekaran-projectorienteddesign-2013.pdf

Project-Oriented Design-Based Learning: Aligning Students' Views With Industry Needs*

/pdf/learning-through-projects-in-engineering-education-1xtz5a2zja.pdf

Learning through projects in engineering education

This paper focuses on accreditation inspired project oriented design based learning (PODBL) curriculum for engineering education. To be an accredited curriculum, education programs must incorporate graduate attributes mentioned by program accrediting professional bodies. This paper firstly looks at the program educational objectives, student outcomes, assessment methods and evaluation of different undergraduate engineering programs that shows how design is practiced and incorporated as an important element of the graduate attributes through project oriented design based learning curriculum inspired by professional accreditation requirements. It describes a detailed outcomes based category mapping of the Deakin University Engineering programs to the Engineers Australia, Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, and the European Accreditation of Engineering Programmes. The paper also describes a detailed outcomes based mapping matrix, which could be used to evidence the alignment of accreditation requirements with engineering learning outcomes.

/pdf/accreditation-inspired-project-oriented-design-based-1ivgm6ay5r.pdf

Accreditation inspired project oriented design based learning curriculum for engineering education

Background: Deakin engineering has used Design Based Learning (DBL) as one of its engineering learning principles for further development in teaching and learning. Whilst the students are surveyed after every unit, this data only provides a generic overview of the process and does not help the academic staff determine if DBL is a preferable learning and teaching approach. What is required to improve the process is a holistic approach from the students' perspective over the entire degree program. Purpose: Do students see any value in DBL and should it be is further developed for teaching and learning? This study examines students' perceptions of DBL in their curriculum, DBL in final year project, DBL in engineering career. Design/Method: A survey dedicated to DBL from the students' point of view has been designed and given to 30 fulltime students in 3rd year in engineering at Deakin. A qualitative and quantitative analysis of this survey will give students' perspective of DBL as they progress through their degree studies. Results: The full time students' surveyed indicated that they believed that DBL was a useful tool and was of value to their career. Also that it would be helpful as part of their final project and that it helps teamwork although they would like to see it used for both team and individual work. Conclusions: The full time students' surveyed displayed a basic understanding of DBL and an eagerness to use it. Students' perceived that DBL approach got an important value in their learning curriculum and it is a positive sign for the Deakin engineering to use it as one of its engineering learning principle.

The process of design based learning: A students' perspective

The focus of this paper is to get staff perception on design based learning in their respective disciplines and how they could be aligned to the newly proposed model, in project oriented design based learning (PODBL). In academia, students and staff are supposed to work together in order to achieve a balanced learning and teaching process. By using different teaching and learning approaches, teachers are aware of escalating the student knowledge to fulfill current technology needs. This paper is part of a continuing process of a research project, which analyses better teaching and learning approaches in engineering. As part of this research, face-to-face interviews with staff members of the school of engineering in Deakin University who are teaching engineering design were conducted. The interview questions are based on qualitative analysis. The questions covered here are designed to determine the staff level of experience from teaching engineering using design based learning approach as an educational model. From the analysed results, this research encourages the school to practice a unique pedagogy that will accomplish the students learning outcomes.

/pdf/project-oriented-design-based-learning-staff-perspectives-3v4exw06de.pdf

Sivachandran Chandrasekaran

Papers

Project-Oriented Design-Based Learning: Aligning Students' Views With Industry Needs*

Learning through projects in engineering education

Accreditation inspired project oriented design based learning curriculum for engineering education

The process of design based learning: A students' perspective

Project oriented design based learning - staff perspectives