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On-Line Role Playing In a New Problem Based Learning Curriculum in Electrical Engineering

Abstract

Role playing has been used as a teaching tool across various disciplines for a very long time1-4. This paper presents on-line role playing simulations in support of the e-learning components of the problem based learning (PBL) programs in the School of Electrical Engineering, Victoria University (VU) that commenced in 2006. There are many challenges in PBL such as the design problems that will allow students to explore many facets of a problem and eventually learn what is needed to solve it. Another challenge is to try and make the problems constructively aligned with the desired learning outcomes of the unit of study. Nonetheless, students will be working in teams on different aspects of the problems. The issue we are faced with in regards to team work is trying to engage students in the problems and to make the problem exciting. As these problems will mimic industry problems, role playing has brought the problems to life. The results indicated a positive outcome.

1. PBL in Electrical Engineering at Victoria University

VU has always liaised with its stakeholders whom consist of community, university staff and students and industry to determine the competencies a professional engineering graduate should possess. Recent feedback from VU’s industry stakeholder expressed that ‘soft/generic skills’ were competencies that the university engineering graduates needed to develop further. Based in this feedback, senior management at VU reviewed many teaching and learning Figure 1: Electrical Engineering PBL year 1 program styles that have strong emphasis on generic/soft skills. A final decision by senior management concluded that PBL will be the teaching and learning style for all engineering programs in the University and initiated a top down approach to change all engineering curriculum. This top down push was similar to that of Aalborg University’s chance process. The decision to change to PBL was made by Aalborg’s senior management and the engineering college5. Reflecting on VU’s change process, there were clear similarities with organisational literature on change based on Kotter’s model6 and the eight steps to transformation. In semester 1 of 2006, all electrical engineering undergraduate programs were launched with a PBL teaching and learning style. Prior to the launch, intensive curriculum design took place as well as infrastructure development. During the initial phases of the curriculum development, many PBL models were analysed and evaluated. The electrical engineering team

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Veljanovski, R., & Stojcevski, A. (2007, June), Online Role Playing In A New Problem Based Learning Curriculum In Electrical Engineering Paper presented at 2007 Annual Conference & Exposition, Honolulu, Hawaii. 10.18260/1-2--2269