DOI: 10.5176/2251-2195_CSEIT18.114
Authors: Zhaohui Tang, Peter Loh, Forest Tan and Caleb Wee
Abstract: Project-based learning (PBL) has been proposed a few decades ago and have shown several advantages over the traditional education model (i.e., classroom lecture-based). Students benefit from PBL because it empowers them with autonomy and more control over the learning process. However, it was also pointed out that students are required to take more responsibility for their PBL learning. Student take the main responsibility throughout the PBL learning process, including a special case, that is, when they face new or unexpected challenges. PBL students may face challenges such as changing project requirements, a dynamic working environment, new skills required, new problems resulting from solved problems, etc.. While students are taking the main responsibility towards implementing and completing the project, the role of a facilitator does impact the progression especially when new or unexpected challenges come out. This work studies how a facilitator can help students overcome newly emerging challenges yet still achieve the project goals as expected. We propose a LEARN model (Listen, Encourage, Assess accordingly, Respond, Notify) which can be used to describe the role a facilitator can play in supervising students facing new or unexpected difficulties in PBL. The LEARN Model consists of five (5) components, which are elaborated as follows. Notify: the facilitator should notify the students in advance on the possible new challenges ahead. Experiment shows students are more receptive and thus devote more effort and time to solve problems when they are given prior notice. Listen: the facilitator should spend some time listening to students about their vexations and motivations when new or unexpected challenges emerge. Respond: the facilitator should respond to the students on their queries related to these new or unexpected challenges. Encourage: students are more confident in overcoming new or unexpected obstacles when they are encouraged and motivated by the facilitator. Assess accordingly: if applicable, the assessment of the students’ performance should take the newly emerging challenges into consideration, especially if only some (but not all) students encounter those challenges. To the best of our knowledge, our work is the first to study how a facilitator can better help students cope with new or unexpected challenges in the context of PBL learning. Our LEARN model can be taken as a general guide on the special role (apart from the general role) of a PBL facilitator who is supervising students with new or unexpected challenges.
Keywords:project-based learning; education model; new or unexpected challenges; facilitator
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