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Case Study to Analyze the Impact of Multi-Course Project-Based Learning Approach on Education for Sustainable Development

Author

Listed:
  • Amith Khandakar

    (Department of Electrical Engineering, College of Engineering, Qatar University, Doha 2713, Qatar)

  • Muhammad Enamul Hoque Chowdhury

    (Department of Electrical Engineering, College of Engineering, Qatar University, Doha 2713, Qatar)

  • Antonio Jr. San Pedro Gonzales

    (Department of Electrical Engineering, College of Engineering, Qatar University, Doha 2713, Qatar)

  • Farid Touati

    (Department of Electrical Engineering, College of Engineering, Qatar University, Doha 2713, Qatar)

  • Nasser Al Emadi

    (Department of Electrical Engineering, College of Engineering, Qatar University, Doha 2713, Qatar)

  • Mohamed Arselene Ayari

    (Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL), Qatar University, Doha 2713, Qatar)

Abstract

This work presents a multi-course project-based learning (MPL) approach implemented using two electrical engineering (EE) interdisciplinary undergraduate courses at Qatar University. Implementing an MPL approach helps in the development of critical thinking and collaborative decision-making skills. The attainment of these skills is also the outcome of education for sustainable development (ESD); the skills help students acquire the knowledge, attitudes, and values necessary to shape a sustainable future. The participating students’ worked on a design project, which was used to assess the fulfillment of a set of student learning outcomes (SLOs), focusing on engineering soft skills and project management skills. The skills include the ability to communicate effectively, to work collaboratively in a team, to think both critically and creatively, and to manage projects efficiently with realistic constraints and standards. The challenges of implementing the MPL method are the organization of pedagogical activities that are planned for each of the courses involved, the coordination of the materials delivered by each course, and the supervision of around 90 students per year performing the MPL method. The experience of MPL deployment in the EE program was rated using student surveys. It was assumed that the MPL approach would be beneficial to the students based on the instructors’ and students’ feedback from the same courses in previous years. This was verified using chi-square statistics of the survey results. The implementation of the MPL also helped in increasing the average marks scored by the students in the design project. Some interesting feedback, statistical analyses, and improvement actions are reported for future upgrades. This work also contributes to the MPL pragmatic body of knowledge by exploring a successful initiative and its outcomes, which can help in attaining the skills needed for ESD.

Suggested Citation

  • Amith Khandakar & Muhammad Enamul Hoque Chowdhury & Antonio Jr. San Pedro Gonzales & Farid Touati & Nasser Al Emadi & Mohamed Arselene Ayari, 2020. "Case Study to Analyze the Impact of Multi-Course Project-Based Learning Approach on Education for Sustainable Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-21, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:2:p:480-:d:306544
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Rodrigo Lozano & Maria Barreiro-Gen & Francisco J. Lozano & Kaisu Sammalisto, 2019. "Teaching Sustainability in European Higher Education Institutions: Assessing the Connections between Competences and Pedagogical Approaches," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-17, March.
    2. Taina Ruuskanen & Hanna Vehkamäki & Laura Riuttanen & Antti Lauri, 2018. "An Exploratory Study of the Learning of Transferable Skills in a Research-Oriented Intensive Course in Atmospheric Sciences," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-20, May.
    3. Michaela Maurer & Franz Xaver Bogner, 2019. "How freshmen perceive Environmental Education (EE) and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(1), pages 1-16, January.
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    Cited by:

    1. Mirjam Braßler & Martin Schultze, 2021. "Students’ Innovation in Education for Sustainable Development—A Longitudinal Study on Interdisciplinary vs. Monodisciplinary Learning," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-17, January.
    2. Seyoung Kim & Naya Choi, 2020. "The Relationships between Children’s Ego Function and Fear of Negative Evaluation Affecting Academic Failure Tolerance in Early School Age: Analysis by Grade Level Considering Sustainability of Academ," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-12, March.
    3. Taha Farid & Sara Ali & Muhammad Sajid & Khalid Akhtar, 2021. "Sustainability of Project-Based Learning by Incorporating Transdisciplinary Design in Fabrication of Hydraulic Robot Arm," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-17, July.

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