The Department of Engineering at Western Kentucky University houses three exciting engineering programs in civil, electrical, and mechanical engineering. The mission of these programs revolves around our vision of Project Based Learning (PBL). The central focus of this vision is that the faculty engage the students in activities to support development of a clear understanding of engineering practice. The roles of students - as learners, as observers, as assistants, and as practitioners - should be supported by both the external project activities of the faculty as well as the implementation of the curriculum such that the practice of engineering is clearly demonstrated. Below we've provided further insight to our vision of Project Based Learning in Engineering Education.
The Roles of the Student
The Student as Learner
It is essential that students gain a solid foundation in the "language of the field", the principles, concepts, attitudes, and skills which define the field of engineering and its various disciplines. The essence of knowledge is contained in this language and one simply cannot become a practitioner of that he or she does not know. Of the "art of science of engineering", the role of "student as learner" is perhaps most focused on the "science" of engineering. Most importantly, acquisition of the "language of the field" provides the essential foundation for the "art" of engineering.
The Student as Observer
As the students gain the ability to learn in this environment, they are then prepared to observe those who possess the same knowledge and at the same time have experience in applying that knowledge. It is essential at this point that the activities beyond the classroom contain the kind and extent of experiences that they can observe and through that observation gain insight into the "art of engineering" and confirmation of its relevance. Design experiences intended to stimulate teamwork and creative problem solving can help build a bridge back to the engineering faculty. Focused tours to selected industrial sites may be of great value, for these students have moved beyond the "tourist" stage tour but still have little first hand knowledge of how engineers practice in daily life. They benefit greatly from simply "observing" professionals being professionals, in particular observing their own faculty being "engineers in education" rather than simply "engineering educators".
The Student as Assistant
The student has matured and grown in his or her ability to assist faculty with a wide range of projects. The "Assistant" is well suited to collecting engineering data or performing standardized experiments and tests. They have an increased understanding of professional practice, engineering ethics, and the role of engineers in society. Design projects utilizing the technical and analytical expertise gained in engineering courses, combined with teamwork and creative effort, can help avoid the early onset of "paralysis by analysis" which can limit their ability to grow to the next level. Student competitions are an ideal way to build professional confidence.The Student as Practitioner
Students at this level are involved in courses that synthesize material together from a wide variety of previous engineering courses. Common areas of study may include design methodologies, advanced system analysis courses, and experimental laboratory design courses. The Senior Capstone Design course is an integral part of the growth of the student practitioner. The successful completion of a substantial open-ended design and development project is the best indication that a student has reached the level of practitioner, someone who is ready for a successful start as an engineering professional. However, the capstone design course is not the only avenue for student professional development. Students entering this level are capable of independent practice under the supervision of an engineering professional. They may be entirely suited to work on collaborative projects with regional industries.
The Roles of the Faculty
Above all, the faculty must be a practicing engineer. Professional licensure obtained through the practice of engineering is required for all faculty members. The promotion and tenure requirements of the Engineering Department clearly reflect this. The impact on students of seeing, and helping, their professors on real engineering projects is immeasurable. In order for the students to progress through their role as a student, the faculty members must provide the experiences to allow them to do just that. Through the utilization of not just laboratory projects, but real engineering projects, the professors spend more time "doing" than "lecturing" and the students spend more time "learning" than just "listening".
In more traditional forms of engineering education, students are often involved in a lab setting working on mock projects or isolated activities carrying out tasks such as collecting data, performing tests, documenting observations, or making recommendations. In our PBL environment, working on real projects with their faculty "mentors", these same tasks actually result in the mobilization of equipment, expenditure of real money, erection of a structure, and/or the manufacture of a product. In doing so, the students senses are much more aware, they are forced to think critically about every step of both simple and complex tasks, and they learn to understand not only the process of what they are doing, but the impact of what they did on a much larger scale.
The faculty member must also learn to balance the line between being an engineer and being an engineering educator. The performance of engineering tasks takes time, and often means leaving the "building" where the traditional classroom is located. This does not mean that the faculty leaves the teaching environment. The type of projects that are selected must be such that if site visits are required, students are there. If lab tests are required, students are there. If reports are prepared, students are there. In all of these activities, the faculty member will use these visits in each stage of the development of the student.
The Roles of the University in a Project-Based Engineering Curriculum
For a program of this type to be successful, the support of the University is critical. The primary role of the University is to provide the necessary resources to deliver a program of this type. The "brick and mortar" teaching environment must be designed around teaching, not research. The labs must be teaching labs. The classroom space must be conducive to project and team activities in addition to the delivery of information in a more conventional "lecture" environment. Both of these spaces must be flexible to meet not only current, but future technologies.
The University must also recognize the type of activities that faculty in this program are engaged in. The "publish or perish" and theoretical research model often found in engineering education cannot be the model used in this environment. The actual practice of engineering must be recognized as scholarly work and utilized as one of the major criteria for promotion and tenure.
WKU has certainly fulfilled its role in all of these areas. A new facility (construction in 2002) was designed for the unique needs of these programs. Financial support has been obtained (and continues to be obtained) through the use of endowments for both faculty positions as well as the operating expenses of the programs. Also, the University has allowed the Engineering Department to construct promotion and tenure criteria that reflect the vision of Project Based Learning at WKU.
