IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v14y2022i5p2988-d763785.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Effects of Online Problem-Based Learning to Increase Global Competencies for First-Year Undergraduate Students Majoring in Science and Engineering in Japan

Author

Listed:
  • Eri Ota

    (Center for International Education, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan)

  • Rie Murakami-Suzuki

    (Center for International Education, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan)

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to assess learning outcomes and the process of developing skill sets of online problem-based learning (PBL) for students majoring in science and engineering at a technical university in Japan. PBL course for first-year undergraduate students was organized with international students as teaching assistants (TAs) to find issues and solutions of the target countries. Due to the effects of COVID-19, the course was completely shifted online in the 2020 academic year. Topics selected by group members were all in line with sustainable development goals (SDGs). Three skill sets to be developed through this PBL course are global awareness, problem-solving and finding, and multicultural communication and understanding. A series of analyses on text mining and content analysis was conducted of essays and reports submitted by students registered for the course. This paper summarizes the structure and pedagogy of the course, research methods, research results and reasons for findings. Research results indicated that all three skill sets were well developed in students through this online PBL course by conducting a study of selected countries with group members, carefully listening to other groups’ presentations in the class, conducting data analysis and online interviews, and communicating with TAs in English. Based on the findings, efforts to maintain quality education in conducting online PBL are also discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Eri Ota & Rie Murakami-Suzuki, 2022. "Effects of Online Problem-Based Learning to Increase Global Competencies for First-Year Undergraduate Students Majoring in Science and Engineering in Japan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-19, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:5:p:2988-:d:763785
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/5/2988/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/5/2988/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sanita Baranova & Dita Nīmante & Daiga Kalniņa & Alise Oļesika, 2021. "Students’ Perspective on Remote On-Line Teaching and Learning at the University of Latvia in the First and Second COVID-19 Period," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-14, October.
    2. Radovan Madleňák & Stephen P. D’Alessandro & Agostino Marengo & Jenny Pange & György Iván Neszmélyi, 2021. "Building on Strategic eLearning Initiatives of Hybrid Graduate Education a Case Study Approach: MHEI-ME Erasmus+ Project," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-13, July.
    3. José M. Coronado & Amparo Moyano & Vicente Romero & Rita Ruiz & Javier Rodríguez, 2021. "Student Long-Term Perception of Project-Based Learning in Civil Engineering Education: An 18-Year Ex-Post Assessment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-16, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Jing Zhang & Zengzhao Chen & Jingjing Ma & Zhi Liu, 2021. "Investigating the Influencing Factors of Teachers’ Information and Communications Technology-Integrated Teaching Behaviors toward “Learner-Centered” Reform Using Structural Equation Modeling," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-17, November.
    2. Renato Martins Neves & Rui M. Lima & Diana Mesquita, 2021. "Teacher Competences for Active Learning in Engineering Education," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-22, August.
    3. Chin-Sung Chen & Jing-Wen Lin, 2021. "An Action Research on the Long-Term Implementation of an Engineering-Centered PjBL of Sustainable Energy in a Rural Middle School," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-25, September.
    4. Irantzu Álvarez & Paulo Etxeberria & Elisabete Alberdi & Heriberto Pérez-Acebo & Isabel Eguia & María José García, 2021. "Sustainable Civil Engineering: Incorporating Sustainable Development Goals in Higher Education Curricula," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-16, August.
    5. Paola Adinolfi & Fernando Giancotti, 2021. "Pedagogical Triage and Emergent Strategies: A Management Educational Program in Pandemic Times," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-18, March.
    6. Maisa Mielikäinen & Essi Viippola, 2023. "ICT Engineering Students’ Perceptions on Project-Based Online Learning in Community of Inquiry (CoI)," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(3), pages 21582440231, July.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:5:p:2988-:d:763785. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.