Browsing by Author "Wan Muhd Zin, Wan H."
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Item Challenges of Introducing PBL in Engineering: Lecturers’ and Students’ Perspectives(2015-01-01) Sher, Willy; Williams, Anthony; Wan Muhd Zin, Wan H.Problem-based learning (PBL) has become widely used across the professional education sector and is now emerging in engineering education as a viable teaching and learning strategy. PBL originated some 45 years ago in medical education at universities in McMaster (Canada), Maastricht (Netherlands) and Newcastle (Australia), and since then has gain popularity worldwide in many fields.
The PBL approach as presented in literature supports a shift from teacher-directed learning to facilitation of students’ learning. Facilitation involves a different style of teaching compared to traditionally accepted styles, and from the experience of both students and lecturers, brings several challenges. A skilled PBL facilitator who is secure in his/her role can contribute significantly to the effectiveness of PBL groups’ work and thus to students’ learning.
This paper reports on a qualitative study of the experiences of academic staff and students at one institution, the German Malaysian Institute (GMI), in Malaysia. During interviews and focus groups, lecturers and students identified the challenges that lecturers face in effectively facilitating PBL. Analyses revealed two major themes that inhibit success: lecturers’ and students’ adaptation to PBL. These findings provide interesting insights into what is required to adapt to this mode of delivery.
Item Crafting Challenging PBL Problems in Engineering Curricula(2015-07-01) Williams, Anthony; Sher, William; Wan Muhd Zin, Wan H.Problem Based Learning (PBL) is becoming widely used in engineering education. PBL, as a teaching approach, is claimed to stimulate students in higher order thinking, encourage discussion and exploration, enhance problem solving skills and encourage the interest of learners. Crafting challenging and engaging problems is critical in PBL. Educators need to acknowledge the strategies which support the development of effective PBL problems. Studies have found that crafting problems for PBL courses in engineering is considered a challenging task, especially in environments where the only method of imparting technical education has been through a combination of traditional lectures, tutorials and practical exercises.
This paper documents the results of an on-going study of the experiences of academic staff implementing PBL at one institution in Malaysia, the German Malaysian Institute (GMI). Interviews were conducted with twenty PBL facilitators to explore lecturers’ challenges and support needs in PBL. Their responses revealed that crafting engineering problems and gauging their effectiveness is a major challenge. This paper provides an overview of the features of effective problems, the principles associated with crafting such problems, and a checklist to guide those involved in the crafting process.
Item Students’ Perceptions of their Initial PBL Experiences in Engineering Education in Malaysia(2013-01-01) Sher, Willy; Williams, Anthony; Wan Muhd Zin, Wan H.BACKGROUND Higher education in engineering and technical fields should prepare graduates to take on the increasingly challenging roles required of the engineering profession. Engineering graduates are expected to be responsible for their own personal and professional development. In view of this, the German Malaysian Institute (GMI), an established technical education provider in Malaysia, has adopted Problem-based learning (PBL) as its innovative approach. The main objective is to prepare technologists and industrial workers who are well-grounded with soft skills and abilities. These include abilities to apply knowledge, higher order thinking skills, and personal values, alongside strong handson and technical skills.
PURPOSE This paper describes the implementation of Problem Based Learning (PBL) as a new approach in the context of engineering education at GMI. It provides an analysis of the first cohort of students’ feedback of their initial experiences of PBL after its implementation in January 2010. The paper focuses the first years’ student experiences specifically looking to better understand the ways in which they engage with PBL.
DESIGN/METHOD A questionnaire survey was administered to 115 first year students in the Department of Industrial Electronic, after four weeks of PBL implementation in the first semester of their studies. The survey addressed the students’ perspectives on PBL course content, course delivery, self-motivation and PBL assessment. Section A required students to answer using a Likert scale of 1-5 (where 1 meant Strongly Disagree to 5 which meant Strongly Agree). Section B requested open-ended feedback on PBL implementation and difficulties students experienced with PBL. The survey was conducted to evaluate and refine the process of PBL implementation at a very early stage.
RESULTS Overall, students’ initial feedback was positive and provides encouragement to continue with the PBL approach. This is despite the typical problems that student face including the challenges of working in groups, insufficient resources or insufficient time to complete the problem given. The survey results provide insights into what the majority of students recognise as the benefits of PBL especially in enhancing their critical thinking, problem-solving skills and team-working skills.
CONCLUSIONS The findings of the survey indicated that it is clear much can still be done to make PBL a success. The Department of Industrial Electronics have taken immediate measures to address the issues raised by students. Our findings support the notion that PBL is suited to be adopted in engineering disciplines because it nurtures critical thinking and problem-solving skills which are central to a graduate’s career in engineering.