Enhancement of traditional mode of teaching based on the experience of project-based learning
Project based learning (PBL) has become more popular due to its student centered nature of learning compared to traditional modes of learning. However, it is not always feasible to implement it due to several reasons. At the University of New South Wales, the PBL mode was trialled on an introductory Digital Signal Processing course for two consecutive years and the evaluation was previously reported. After that, based on the experience of PBL implementation, some elements of PBL have been incorporated with traditional mode of teaching to enhance the traditional mode and that enhanced traditional mode have been continued. The experience of enhancing the traditional mode with components derived from PBL, particularly the inclusion of conceptual design presentation and laboratory tests, are promising. This paper presents the task description of PBL and experience of how some of the components of PBL can be utilized to enhance the traditional mode of teaching.
Project-based learning in digital signal processing: Development and experiences
Attempts to develop the mode of course delivery towards a more student-centred approach face several difficulties for analytically complex disciplines like digital signal processing. One of these is trading off the benefits of student-focused learning with ensuring that fundamental knowledge is acquired and that students have been exposed to the key content on which later courses are built. In this paper, experiences with the development, implementation and evaluation of project-based learning in an introductory digital signal processing course over two years are discussed in detail. The approach described herein achieves aims of understanding signal processing in a self-directed manner through a project, rather than a series of isolated principles, in addition to maintaining coverage of the core curriculum. Informal evaluation has shown that students are able to gain a deeper understanding of the principles of DSP, while formal evaluation shows that many students prefer the learning style, despite the increased effort required. Our work also demonstrates that educational technology can play an important enabling role in providing targeted, syllabusspecific lecture and tutorial content that students can access in a self-directed manner and that supports a project-based approach to teaching.
Case Study of the Introduction of Problem-Based Learning in Electronic Engineering
This paper reports on the implementation of problem-based learning (PBL) in an undergraduate electronic engineering degree programme. Initially, there is a review of literature to explore the claims made about the benefits of PBL and how these informed the development of our PBL course. This is followed by a description of the course and an explanation of our case study approach. We detail and discuss our findings in relation to theory and the development process, and conclude that from our experience PBL performs well as an adjunct to traditional teaching when considered in the context of the teaching of electronic engineering.