Problem Based Learning in Engineering Free-Samples for Students

Question: Examines the relationship between test anxiety in University Students and their Performance in Examinations. Answer: Educational Institutes have been providing education to students from long time now. It is near to impossible to track down the first one of them. However, the way teaching has seen major changes every now and then. Earlier, the focus was on getting the students mugged up with all the theory. Later, the practical scenarios came into existence. The lecture started to have some examples from real world. The time has come when the way of lecture based teaching is getting revamped into more learner centric approaches. These are thought to be providing more insights to students than the traditional; methods. The teachers are also emphasizing on the same. The practical problem solving approaches are now seen as the regular way of teaching in most of the reputed institutes. These help the student to gain knowledge which they can actually use in the real world. The theoretical knowledge is less useful when it comes to real world scenarios (Hung, 2008). Problem Based Learning (PBL) Problem Based Learning is a methodology in which the students themselves create goals and learn by trying to achieve them by solving the issues at hand. They learn through their own experiences. The man idea behind PBL is not to achieve a certain goal but to inculcate the skills in the learner by way of making them achieve the goals. The approach helps in improvisation of communication skills of the learner a lot. The leaner can feel the difference after he / she attends a particular session and then work on his / her own. Most of the time, the PBL helps in grooming the learner to work in a Team Environment which is much more essential in todays fast paced life. Wood (2003) thinks of the PBL as a process which make use of the known issues within a model which helps in the development of understanding and knowledge. As per him, the process is a continuous one and starts with the self-identification of goals by the learners. Students will perform independent studies and then present themselves in a group where they can discuss the topics. These help the students to learn in a PBL manner and they also learn to work in a team. The group size need not be large. It can be a small group of 9-10 people. The members of the group have their individual roles to play within the group. Problem Based Learning is a great way for learners to showcase their talent in front of a group at a very early age. Many people face issues in their prime time working in a team environment (Lundeberg, 2009). Thus, PBL from starting of educational career is good for the learners. Problem Based Learning in Engineering Education PBL was first started in Medical stream but now it has seen wide acceptance in all kinds of streams. The PBL helps the learner to develop skills which they will practice in future to solve life issues. It helps learners choosing any career. The students in an Engineering Institute can be asked to deal with any kind of uncertain situation (Felder, 2004). They might have to solve complex issues in their work floor that too without much details about the task. They have to figure out on their own. The engineers also have to work in a team environment in all the job scenarios. They cannot work alone and achieve the targets. If we look at the current people who are already employed for last decade after undergoing engineering education, they are reluctant to work in a team environment. Also, they lack problem solving skills when they are up against any issue out of the blue. The addition of engineering students in top white collar jobs decreased and attrition rate increased because of lac k of skills in the folks. The main problem with the engineering student before was the traditional way of teaching in a passive classroom environment. Currently, the students are being taught in field by giving them real life issues which they have resolve by working in a team. One of the main aim of having Engineering as a stream is to groom learners into a problem solver who can think intensively on any given problem at any point in time. He will be a life-long learner and will try to resolve everything which come his way. Thus, having a problem based learning in Engineering is very much critical at this juncture and all institutes should focus towards the same. Problem Based Learning promoting Critical Thinking in Engineering Students As discussed in the above sections, the future Engineers should be ready to tackle any kind of situation. For this, they need to be active and become a critical thinker. A critical thinker is a one who understands the problem from all facets and try to find out alternative solutions to the problem. Out of the alternatives which have been found out, the people will find out the appropriate solution and resolve the issue. The Problem Based Learning approaches focuses on the learners soft skills development as well as providing them the option to choose their own research to come up with the solution (Ary, 2010). The research promotes the critical thinking within the learner. The learner goes through extensive research by reading many new things and then analyze those with the help of tools. This develop a sense of self-confidence within them. As a result, critical think is promoted. The Engineering learners needs a critical thinking approach whether a learner is a Computer Science bachelor or a mechanical. Everyone needs to have thinking and delivering abilities to excel in their career. The country needs people who can get up in their feet and solve complex issues thereby helping others. PBL helps the learner in achieving the same. The engineers also undergo programmatic implementations within the PBL method. These helps the learners to become confident that they can go through any kind of situations and can try to resolve it. The people within the engineering curriculum are handed over the problem sheet which they have to discuss as a group and then come up with the best approach to work towards that issue. This is the best way to teach a learner and groom him / her to excel in the future (Savin-Baden, 2000). Conclusion In the above section, we discussed that the practical problem solving approaches are now seen as the regular way of teaching in most of the reputed institutes. The way of teaching will again get better few years down the line. The Problem Based Learning is at present the best way in which critical thinking can be promoted in Engineering Students. These help the student to gain knowledge which they can actually use in the real world. The theoretical knowledge is less useful when it comes to real world scenarios. The students in an Engineering Institute can be asked to deal with any kind of uncertain situation. They might have to solve complex issues in their work floor that too without much details about the task. Thus, having a problem based learning in Engineering is very much critical at this juncture and all institutes should focus towards the same. References Ary, D., Jacobs, L. C., Sorensen, C. (2010). Introduction to research in education (8th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wardsworth Felder, R. M., Brent, R. (2004). The intellectual development of science and engineering students. Part 2: Teaching to promote growth. Journal of Engineering Education, 93(4), 279291 Hung, W., Jonassen, D., Liu, R. (2008). Problem-based learning. In J. M. Spector, M. D. Merrill, J. V. Merrinboer M. P. Driscoll (Eds.), Handbook of research on educational communications and technology (pp. 485506). New York, NY: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Lundeberg, M. A., Mohan, L. (2009). Gender and cross-cultural differences in confidence. In A. Graesser, J. Dunlosky D. Hacker (Eds.), Handbook of metacognition in education (pp. 221239). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Savin-Baden, M. (2000). Problem-based learning in higher education: Untold stories. Philadelphia, PA: SRHE and Open University Press Yadav, A., Subedi, D., Lundeberg, M. A., Bunting, C. F. (2011). Problem?based Learning: Influence on Students' Learning in an Electrical Engineering Course.Journal of Engineering Education,100(2), 253-280. Wood, Diana (2003). "ABC of learning and teaching in medicine". British Medical Journal. 326: 328330 Yadav, A., Subedi, D., Lundeberg, M. A., Bunting, C. F. (2011). Problem?based Learning: Influence on Students' Learning in an Electrical Engineering Course.Journal of Engineering Education,100(2), 253-280.