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Project-related course (PE):

Project Organised Learning (POL)

Master of Science – Introductory Semester (E7 – Intro)

Lecturer: Lars Peter Jensen Ass. 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 of experience 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 questions encourages your learning process

• A person who points out the potentials in your work

• A person who gives loyal and constructive critic of your work

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

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What is a supervisor NOT?

• Not a teacher who is responsible for your learning 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 – educational frame 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 the individual 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 project

related 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 with problem orientation, project work and/or group work from previous education and/or work.

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

3. Discuss how you can draw upon your experience 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 learning in <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. The supervisor will give a short description of the initiating problem. The students will carry out an analysis, identify central areas of knowledge, and tackle the planning of the P1 project period. P0 will end with a common evaluation seminar, where the students present their work and receive appraisal from supervisors and fellow students. Following this seminar limited regrouping is allowed before the start of P1 (Theme)

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Problem analysis – WHAT?

• Looking at the problem from different perspectives/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 PostIt

stickers 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 the information collected and/or created by individual members of the group, to the other group members as well as to the supervisor

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Working papers – HOW?

If written text the working papers should contain the following four parts:

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 working papers should as a minimum contain:

• Header for identification• Explanatory text

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Working papers – HOW?

In the Contract of Cooperation you could include points on production of working papers:

• 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 important activities and decisions in the group

• The group has to decide upon a suitable format 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, after which 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 section putting 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 4th, 8:15

In A4-106 (here) 

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

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