CHALLENGE BASED LEARNING IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION

Antti Piironen, Anssi Ikonen, Kimmo Saurén, Pasi LankinenHelsinki Metropolia University of Applied SciencesFINLAND

Case: What Information Technology

Students can Do?

Copyright: Teemu Partanen, 2009

Metropolia - The largest University of Applied Sciences in Finland• 14 000 students• 61 bachelor and master level degree

programmes• 4 fields of study:• Culture• Business and Administration• Health Care and Social Services• Technology and Transport

• Helsinki, Espoo and Vantaa

Bachelor of Engineering in Information Technology Curriculum

• Basic studies (79 ECTS credits)• Common Professional Studies (70)• Professional Orientation Studies (30)• Elective Studies• Final Year Thesis (15)• Maturity exam• Language studies• ____________________________________• Total 240 ECTS credits in 4 years

Four Specialization Options,30 ECTS each

1. Telecommunications• Computer Networks 1• Computer Networks 2 / Personal Communications

2. Software Engineering• Software Engineering• Real-Time and Embedded Systems / Mobile

Programming3. Embedded Engineering

• Computer Engineering• Measurement Systems / Digital Signal Processing

4. Information Systems • Software Engineering• Information Systems

What did we do?

• Integrating project combining learnings of three courses:• Electronic Components and Systems• Embedded Systems Programming • Finnish language for Information

Technology

• In future: - Business Studies for Engineers- Multicultural Project Teams

Problem Based Learning Principle

• Realistic problem is used. • Teaching Tutoring.• Teacher does not know the only

correct answer.• Students learn by doing: a lot of

trial and error involved!• Learning happens outside of

lectures.• But still, lectures are needed!

• Problem based learning is well suited method to teach applied engineering, communication, and group work skills.

Challenge instead of problem: 1. Variety of valid solutions2. Goal orientation3. Process learning

How?

T0161Electronic Systems

T0162Electronic

Components and Circuits

T0192Microprocessors

T0022Embedded

System Programming

KIELT0164Finnish for Information Technology

CombinedProject

Circuit theory

etc.

Digital Circuits

T0189Programming

Competition

Learning resources: no changes to traditional curriculum!

• Electronic Components and Circuits• 20 h project• 2 home exercises• 6 h extra supervised laboratory sessions

• Embedded Systems Programming• 20 h project• 5 laboratory exercises

• Finnish for Information Technology• 10 h project• 7 h group meetings• Oral presentations• Documentation exercises

Extra Teachers Resources to Keep it Going• Planning starts 3 months before the project

• Selecting a topic: ~10 work hours• Validating the topic: >20 work hours• Forming the groups and modifying project rules: ~10

work hours• Extra supervision

• 14 hours of electronics laboratory to advice on hard to solve problems

• Daily “quick answers” on hallways and classrooms• Three electronic component group-orders

• The competition• Organizing: 12 work hours• Grading requires a teachers meeting: 4 work hours

• ________________________________________________

• TOTAL >70 hours of teachers work extra

FIRST TIME: AT LEAST DOUBLE THE TIME

>140 hours/teacher

Project Topics• 2005: • Groups formed freely some groups

never finished• Topic selected freely some topics were

way too hard• 2006:• Groups assigned by teacher works very

well• Topic: IR remote control transmitter or

receiver too easy • 2007 - 2009: • Groups assigned by teacher• Topic: Remotely Controlled Robot• Works DON’T MESS IT UP NOW!!!

Challenge 2009: Robot Wars

• Competition Classes1. Speed: Two trials on 400cm long

acceleration track.2. Tuning: Coolest looking car is voted. 3. Robot Wars: The last robot in circuit wins.

4. In future: 1. Slalom2. Obstacle track3. Anti-speed race

Assessment

• Dirty trick to get everyone involved: students can make a group decision on how to redistribute the points: for example, group of three and grade of 3 can be divided in (4,3,2), or (5,2,2), or even (5,4,0).

Time Table (Students)Theory

Combined project

Supervising sessionsOrientation

January February March April May

Kickoff

Groupmeeting

Feedback onProject Plan

2. Review of Project Plan

TechnicalDocument

ProjectReport

Grading

CompetitionCustomermeeting

Learning Spiral

Challenge

Appropriation FormulatingQuestions

Tutoring Session

SearchingSolution ExperimentsSolution

Intro

RefiningSolution

AppropriationClient

Meeting

PracticalWork

TestingSolution

Contruction of Knowledge

Closure

Students comments:

• Multidisciplinary project is a motivating method for learning.

• Students learned project and team working skills and gained knowledge and experiences on embedded systems design process.

• "we found out that designing embedded systems is 5% of planning and implementation and 95% of testing and debugging“.

• Senior Students comment: “one of the best courses ever during my studies”.

Teachers observations

• Supervision takes much more time than in “normal” project, but the outcome is very rewarding.

• We learn to know students more as persons than just student “ID numbers”.

• Hidden competence of silent students will blossom.

Recommendations… Please take these seriously!!!

• Get enough planning resources. • Our project could not have been possible

without an extra 100 hours of teachers vocational studies project work of Mr. Anssi Ikonen.

• Planning the combined project requires substantial amount of meeting hours.

• Keep the meetings casual, since this project cannot be forced to happen. • In our case, we had pizza, beverages, and sauna.

Recommendations…

• Co-operation means that everybody participates. • Not just only students, but especially

teachers’ real co-operation is crucial.

• Learn from your own successes and mistakes• All groups will not deliver end product but

they still are successful.• Do not evaluate only the end product but

also the learning process.

Recommendations…

• Get project maintance tools. • NetPro-system was in use until 2008. The

system was turned down during the fusion. Big mistake!

• A paper folder was used as a project diary. • Some teams made their own electronic

project management systems, which evidently gave them (well earned) advantage.

Recommendations…

• Select project topic carefully. • Active involvement in guidance is

crucial during first weeks of project. • Do not allow students to form teams by

themselves. • Eliminate extra variables to simplify

project maintenance. • Get enough implementation resources.

Recommendations…

• Get enough resources: • This is not a miracle cure for a budget

deficit!!!

Copyright: Erika Julku, 2009

Few pictures

Copyright: Harry Sileoni, 2009

Copyright: Antti Piironen, 2009

Copyright: Erika Julku, 2009

Thank you!