Learning and collaboration in project

Summary

This course addresses the theoretical and practical basis of learning and how to facilitate learning through projects. Active exploration of models, contexts and tools used in project-based learning will help you to develop cognitive and collaboration skills applicable to any project-based context.

Content

Keywords

Teaching, Learning, projects, teamwork, communication, project management, project-based learning, collaboration, cognition, transversal skills

Learning Prerequisites

Required courses

None

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, the student must be able to:

• Explain theories of learning and their application in learning through projects
• Apply 'expertise' as a model to analyze the skills and experiences that will support learning in project contexts
• Anticipate methodological, social, emotional and logistical obstacles to excel in collaborative projects
• Propose facilitation strategies or tools to effectively address current team or project challenges
• Implement effective teaching strategies for experiential learning situations such as teaching with questions, process-level feedback, and explaining

Transversal skills

• Communicate effectively, being understood, including across different languages and cultures.
• Access and evaluate appropriate sources of information.
• Take account of the social and human dimensions of the engineering profession.
• Assess one's own level of skill acquisition, and plan their on-going learning goals.
• Evaluate one's own performance in the team, receive and respond appropriately to feedback.
• Continue to work through difficulties or initial failure to find optimal solutions.

Teaching methods

This course is structured around a series of open-ended project-based learning "cases" that require students to work collaboratively to explore the theoretical concepts and employ group facilitation skills. Teaching methods will include preparatory activities or readings, in-class activities and follow up readings or 'process analysis' reports. Peer collaboration and open-ended assignments allow for diversity and individualization of the learning experience.

Expected student activities

Students will practice facilitation skills as they work together in a problem-based learning approach, structured around specific project-based learning scenarios. This will involve preparation readings, in-class activities and observations of learning. Students will complete metacognitive assignments (self and team-based process analysis) to reinforce their acquisition of knowledge and skills.

Assessment methods

Students' learning is assessed through

• continuous assessment (60% of the final grade): 3 'process analysis' reports in which students document, analyze, and propose how alternative strategies could have affected the team's experience and output. The first report is an individual 'process analysis' report that each student completes and submits independently and the final two are team reports.
• written exam (40% of the final grade) serves to assess the understanding of the theoretical and practical frameworks of project-based learning through the application of concepts and approaches to case studies.

In addition to these formal assessments, many activities in this course are collaborative and create opportunities for formative feedback (such as peer feedback) that help students improve their work.

Resources

Bibliography

Tormey, R and Isaac, S. with Hardebolle, C. and LeDuc, I. (2021) Facilitating Experiential Learning in Higher Education; Teaching and Supervising in Labs, Fieldwork, Studios, and Projects. London: Routledge

Moodle Link

• https://go.epfl.ch/HUM-279