today’s programme - aalborg universitetkom.aau.dk/~lpj/old-control/pol/handoutsmm105b.pdf2...
TRANSCRIPT
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E7-Intro, E05 1
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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Demo
• From E7-intro homepage to POL homepage• POL homepage
– Programme for a lesson– Handouts– Literature
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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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AAU students on team work
• ”I think that it becomes easier when you learntechnical matters in groups. Normally we use theblackboard to discuss things. … You gain more from the time you have to spend in the universityin this kind of education when you work in teams. We are getting energy in this way.”
• ”Working in groups we get mental support from each other; it is also a responsibility so that we won’t drop out easily.” (Xiangyun Du 2005)
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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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AAU students on problems
• ”We are engineers – our responsibility is to solve real technologicalproblems.”
• ”This is the first time we found a real problem ourselves ratherthan getting something from supervisors. It is really exciting. Itfits my way of learning. I learn better when I find the way myself. This way of learning is much better than only attending lectures, because I have to know why I need to learn this. When I know theobjective clearly, I learn much better.”
• ”When working on a problem, I am strongly motivated and attracted. We need to solve this problem.”
Xiangyun Du, 2005
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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 4th, 8:15 In A4-106 (here)
in preparation for the P0-proces analysis whichwe will talk more about next time.