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Project-related course (PE):

Project Organised Learning (POL)

Master of Science – Introductory Semester (E7 – Intro)

Lecturer: Lars Peter JensenAss. teacher: Xiangyun Du

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Today’s Programme

• Presentation of the POL course

• Mm 1: Introduction to the study form

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The POL course”Purpose:• To introduce the students to project organized problem based

learning • To give the students knowledge about group work/conflicts

and ways to solve conflicts • To give the students knowledge about planning a project and

structure the documentation of it • To make the students capable of applying the project

organized learning to actual problem related work in groups of 5-7 persons” (Study regulations, App., page 20)

Duration: 1.4 ECTS, i.e. 7 mini-modules, 2 in P0, 5 in P1.

• http://esn.aau.dk/Kurser/en/Intro_7_8.pdf

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The POL course (cont.)

Preliminary course plan:

P0-period (5 weeks)Mm 1: Introduction to the study formMm 2: Exchange of experience from the

P0-project

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The POL course (cont.)Preliminary course plan:

P1-period (10 weeks)Mm 3: Cross-cultural teambuildingMm 4: Project managementMm 5: Learning – individually and in the teamMm 6: Conflict handlingMm 7: Communication, presentation and

review

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Foundation for the POL course

• Theoretical: Theories of learning, organisations and communication

• Practical: More than 25 years ofexperience with the ’AAU-model’

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Mm 1: Introduction to the study form

Learning outcome:After this mm you should have• Knowledge of the study form at Aalborg

University,• Knowledge of a few of the simple tools

which can be used during the study.

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Mm 1: Introduction to the study form

Content:

1) Group play: Survival in the desert2) Lecture 1: About the ’Aalborg-model’3) Group task: Experience with group work4) Lecture 2: About the P0-project

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Lecture 1: About the ’Aalborg-model’

1. Physical and structural frame work2. Educational frame work3. The study form

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The Aalborg-model – physical and organisational frame work

• project groups á 6 - 8 students • each group has a group room• one project per semester (except 7. semester

which has two, P0 and P1)• each group has 1 – 2 supervisors

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What is a supervisor?

• A person who through facilitating questionsencourages your learning process

• A person who points out the potentials in your work

• A person who gives loyal and constructivecritic of your work

• A person who at the project exam is one ofthe examinors

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What is a supervisor NOT?

• Not a teacher who is responsible for yourlearning process

• Not a person who tells you what to do• Not a person who decides what should be

the content of your project• Not a member of your project group• Not an inexhaustible resource – therefore:

Use your supervisor hours carefully

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The Aalborg-model – educationalframe work

Project

Project related coursesGeneral courses

Own exam

Project exam

50%

50%

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The Aalborg-model – the study form

The key words are:

• Problem orientation• Project organisation• Group work

Let’s take the last first!

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Group work – WHAT?

• 6 - 8 students co-operating on the same project (at later semesters 1 - 3 students per group)

• They have to carry out the project and document the results

• An oral group exam based on the documentation is held at the end of the project period. Individual marks are given.

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Group work – WHY?

• A survey carried out in 1997 showed that 75 % of companies wanted new employees to have good skills in group work.

• The individual student in the group learns from the others (i.e. a synergy effect)

• Responsibility towards the group makes theindividual student work hard

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Group work – HOW?

• Students are in charge of forming their own groups• Project groups choose their own project

It is important! to be aware of different roles in the group and ! to learn how to use strengths in a constructive way

while improving on weaknesses

A Contract of Cooperation (CoC) is a useful tool in making mutual expectations explicit.

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Project organisation – WHAT?

A project is characterised by being• A unique task which includes• Many, complex activities and therefore

requests• Many project group members with

different skills and competencies;• The project is goal oriented, • Limited in time and resources and has to• produce a final result, i.e. the goal.

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Project organisation – WHY?

• A survey carried out in 1997 showed that 75 % of companies wanted new employees to have good skills in project work.

• Working with realistic projects is motivating for students.

• It increases student activity and thereby increases the learning.

• Develops transferable skills, incl. project management, documentation etc.

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Project organisation – HOW?

• The project is supported by projectrelated courses

• Students have to look for relevant information beyond the PE courses

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Project organisation – HOW?Timing of a semester

Project courses

Project

Study courses

Weekly time

Project time

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Problem orientation - WHAT?

• The project group unpicks and formulates the problem embedded in the project

• The problem has to be analyzed within a relevant context before it can be solved

• The problem determines the choice of methods and theories to be used in the analysis as well as in the solution

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Problem orientation – WHY?

• ‘Real life’ problems are interdisciplinary and complex

• Working with ‘real life’ problems meets the learners' interests and enhances motivation

• It emphasizes development of transferable skills, i.e. analytical, problem solving and information processing skills

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Problem orientation- HOW?

You are working problem oriented when you

– Ask questions– Point out contradictions– Scrutinize sources of information– Wonder upon given information– Observe the lack of information– Problematise the obvious

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Group task: Experience and expectations

1. Make a round to present experience withproblem orientation, project work and/orgroup work from previous educationand/or work.

2. Compare your experience with theAalborg model – what are similarities and what are differences?

3. Discuss how you can draw upon yourexperience in the P0-project.

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Lecture 2: About the P0-project

1. P0 in the Study guidelines2. Problem analysis3. Documentation4. Exchange of P0-experience

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Intro – Theme

• Problem-based project-organised learningin <Master programme>

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Intro – Purpose

• To give the students an introduction to the concepts and give them an understanding of the problem-based learning method, used at Aalborg University.

• To give the students experience with project work dealing with problems within the areas of Energy Engineering/Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, coupled with the process of writing reports as documentation of the project work. More info: http://www.iet.aau.dk/education/ , click ’Theme’

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P0 - content

• P0: (1. period, 5 weeks)• Preparation of a problem formulation, project

limits and time schedule for the P1 project. Thesupervisor will give a short description of theinitiating problem. The students will carry out an analysis, identify central areas of knowledge, and tackle the planning of the P1 project period. P0 willend with a common evaluation seminar, where thestudents present their work and receive appraisalfrom supervisors and fellow students. Followingthis seminar limited regrouping is allowed beforethe start of P1 (Theme)

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Problem analysis – WHAT?

• Looking at the problem from differentperspectives/angles

• Dividing into different aspects/elements• Examining all the aspects/elements one by

one

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Problem analysis - WHY?

Me My wife

Water

What to do to get to my wife?

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Problem analysis – HOW?

1) Post It brain storm

• 1) All group members write key words on PostItstickers and place the stickers on the board.

• 2) All group members read the stickers and participate in (re-)structuring them into a relevant structure

• 3) All group members participate in assessing and choosing project activities, based on the structure

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Problem analysis – HOW?

2) The 6 W model

ProblemWhom?

Why? What?

Where?

When?How?

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Documentation

4 types of project documentation:• Working papers• Project diary• Project report• Proces analysis

The last 2 have to be handed in by the end of the P0-project period

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Working papers – WHAT?

All types of written documentation, whether on paper or as an electronic file, which is related to

• the project task, • the project management • the group work

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Working papers – WHY?

• To capture, coordinate and distribute theinformation collected and/or created by individual members of the group, to theother group members as well as to thesupervisor

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Working papers – HOW?If written text the working papersshould contain the following fourparts:

1. Header for identification2. Introduction (What? Why?)3. The main text4. Summary (What did we learn?)

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Working papers – HOW?

• If diagrams, drawings etc. the workingpapers should as a minimum contain:

• Header for identification• Explanatory text

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Working papers – HOW?

In the Contract of Cooperation you couldinclude points on production of workingpapers:

• How to distribute the work tasks• How many persons write in a sub-group• How to give response to working papers• How and when to get response from the

supervisor

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Diary

• A diary documents the most importantactivities and decisions in the group

• The group has to decide upon a suitableformat for and content of the diary

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How is the structure of a project report?

• FrontPage – often with a picture/illustration• Title page – with all relevant information• Preface – guidance, acknowledge• Contents – to get an overview of the project• Chapter 1 – remember references• :• Chapter n – remember references• Literature• Appendix – what you have accomplished• Enclosure – ”copies” from others

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Project report

A project report will normally contain the following parts:

• Synopsis • Foreword• List of contents• Chapter 1: Introduction, incl. initial problemPart I: Problem analysis• Chapter 2…• Chapter 3…

The Problem analysis is concluded by a precise problem formulation and possibly a project delimitation, afterwhich follows

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Project report (cont.)Part II: Problem solution• Chapter x…• Chapter x+1..

The problem solution is concluded by a discussion and an assessment of the solution, a conclusion and a sectionputting the solution into perspective.

There should be a clear relationship between the problem formulation, the project delimitation and the conclusion

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How to make references

1. The Harvard method (Jensen, 2001a:21) http://www.library.uq.edu.au/training/citation/harvard.html

2. By numbers [2]

Literature is the listed alphabetic (1) or numbered (2). We have to know all possible information's to be able to find the quoted source:

Books: Author(s), year, title, publisher, ISBN or ISSN no.Journals: As above + name of journal, number and dateInternet: URL and date for downloadingPersons: Name, title, company

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POL – mm. 2

Exchange of experience from the P0-project will take place in the next POL-mm on

Tuesday, October 5th, 8:15

in preparation for the P0-proces analysis whichwe will talk more about next time.

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This was all for today – good luck with your P0-project!