| This paper is a report of the
experiences of a small School of Engineering in the use
of group projects as a teaching methodology.
Burnie College of TAFE in North Western Tasmania has for
the last five years undertaken projects as part of it's
teaching in the School of Engineering. The first project
was initiated in 1984 when the author and his students
built a car and competed in the Shell Mileage Marathon in
Sydney.
Since then, the school has built cars, pedal boats and is
currently engrossed in the latest project, a human
powered aircraft. This craft, described as a
"push-bike with wings" is a low cost,
ultra-light, flying machine which is powered by
pedalling. It has become known as a SKYCYCLE.
The main aim of this project, as with it's predecessors
is to improve the learning process for Engineering
students. Engineering is a demanding and relatively rigid
course of study and the SKYCYCLE project introduces an
element of challenge, camaraderie and fun into learning.
While projects as such may be difficult to define and
distinguish from other teaching methodologies, a few
characteristics seem to emerge. A project is a planned,
medium to long term, activity which aims to enhance
student learning beyond that capable in a normal
classroom setting. It's objectives are related to those
of specific courses but may well include significant
additional objectives. The activities are student
oriented and are based on group work. This latter point,
while not usually regarded as essential to projects, is
to those being considered in this paper. Individual
projects, while being extremely valuable, are not the
focus of this discussion. Projects aim at
production of a product, either a tangible object such as
a piece of machinery, art work, text or performance such
as a play, dance etc.
The nature of the project is crucial. There are certain
guide-lines which may identify suitable projects,
particularly in the field of Engineering.
Ideally it should result in a tangible product.
Because Engineering is largely an academic study,
the project provides students with their only
opportunity to produce tangible results. It was
suggested by mature-age students in the project
team that many younger students these days appear
to lack experience of the satisfaction which
comes with creative construction. "A lot of
students are just discovering making", he
said.
It must appeal to the students and capture their
imagination. They need to see it as challenging,
achievable, exciting and fun. As Keith Sherwin
said (1975) when writing on "Man-Powered
aircraft as students projects", suggests:
clearly for anyone to get involved in such a
project the 'fun' element must be sufficiently
attractive to make work worthwhile' (147).
The project must have an identifiable end point
which is achievable within the appropriate
time-frame. What that appropriate time-frame is
will depend on many factors such as the nature of
the student group, the resources available, the
experience of the project leader. The SKYCYCLE
project will in fact run into it's third year by
completion
day of May, 1990. This has not caused a problem,
with students entering and leaving the project
according to current students. New ones are
quickly initiated into the project and exciting
students (those leaving the College) are
encouraged to continue their input.
While a project may be quite complex and lengthy
such as the SKYCYCLE, it is important that it can
be broken into more discrete, shorter time-frame
tasks which students can perceive as being
readily achievable. This is important not only
for the motivation of the students but also for
the organisation of the work load. Some of the
potentially major learning outcomes of project
work are those associated with group work, such
as sharing, leadership etc.
For this to happen there need to be many small
groups working at any one time. The SKYCYCLE
project has had numerous such sub-groups working
on specific tasks such as computer design of the
craft, testing of exotic fabrics, building the
cockpit, design and construction of the propeller
etc.
The project should relate to the course(s) of
study which it aims to enhance and also to the
industry for which study is preparing students.
On this latter point Sherwin suggests "The
complexity of the design and the required
organisation should be comparable with projects
found in industry. (p.145)
The project must be seen by the students to be
relevant to their studies, in a broad rather than
narrow sense. They need to perceive it as being
"real" Engineering in this case, and
the relevance may relate to future industry
employment as much as to current studies. The
SKYCYCLE directly relates to students' courses in
the areas of materials,
materials testing, CAD and mechanical technology.
References by teachers are often made between
classroom and project room.
One of the advantages of the SKYCYCLE project,
and it's predecessors, has been it's ability to
involve students in a very wide range of learning
experiences. These include planning and design,
computer aided drafting, research, organisation
of resources, scheduling, construction, testing,
re-design, public relations as well as very
detailed technical skills specific to
Engineering. Thus, a project should provide
breadth of experience and an opportunity for
students to experiment with many learning
situations.
A real plus for the Burnie College projects has
been their ability to enthuse the local populous.
This is no doubt due partly to the personalities
of the people involved but also due to the nature
of the projects. The construction of a very
different type of vehicle: a pedal boat, a
minimum fuel car and a human powered aeroplane
are projects likely to catch the attention of the
community, particularly when the production is
linked to public competition. Both the car and
the boat were entered in contests and the
SKYCYCLE will attempt to break a flying record.
While such involvement in very public competition
is not necessary, it may be of benefit to
consider possible public involvement or at least
enthusiasm when considering a project.- .
Sherwin suggests another characteristic which may
be desirable in a project, namely, the lack of
ready-made answers. Not only should a project
provide a challenge to students but it should
provide an opportunity for creativity. As he put
it in regard to man-powered flight: "There
was, and still is, no standard solution to the
design of a man-powered aircraft, so it was
argued that the students would have to use their
initiative and could not simply copy existing
designs" (p. 145). This is suggesting that a
project should never consist solely of following
someone else's instructions on how something is
to be done. There must be problems inherent in
the project which require creative solutions.
The nature of the student body needs to be considered
when selecting a project. The latter must not be gender
specific if a mixed class is involved and it must provide
tasks for the full range of experience and abilities. It
must be able to be completed with the limited knowledge
and skills of the teacher and students. However complex
the building of a man-powered aircraft may sound, no-one
involved in the SKYCYCLE project had any previous
expertise in aerodynamics or aircraft construction.
The advantages to students taking part in project work
would need a thorough research project to identify and
quantify and this paper makes no claim to attempt such.
Observation and anecdotal evidence would suggest that
benefits can be roughly divided into three categories:
the development of knowledge and skills which will assist
students in their studies, knowledge, attitudes and
perhaps skills which will assist students in later
employment in the field of Engineering, and personal
development attributes.
The development of knowledge and skills relating to
courses has been mentioned previously. Those relating to
a career in the vocation are very important. It is here
the value of group work is particularly relevant.
Through working in various groups the students come to
learn to share knowledge, assign tasks, communicate,
assume leadership roles, delegate, accept responsibility
and share ownership.
A crucial attitude in the field of Engineering and
perhaps in many Sciences, is trial and error. Failure,
re-design and development is central to the SKYCYCLE
project.. Apparently many young students find the concept
of first time failure very difficult to accept. A
commonly held mistaken assumption of beginning
Engineering students is that if something is built to
specifications, it will work the first time. Such
students need to learn that success usually results after
numerous modifications. Some students have a real fear of
failure; "What if it doesn't work!". An
achievable project may very well teach these students
tenacity in the face of apparent failure. Project work
needs to be an exploratory process for students. They
need to not only accept mistakes, but regard them as
crucial to ultimate success. To this purpose, the teacher
must allow mistakes to happen. An essential attitude
amongst both project teachers and students is an
acceptance of failure. Thus, students are discouraged
from being critical of each other.
Personal development is encouraged in project work in the
form of satisfaction with completion of a task, in having
achieved an objective, in being part of a team. There may
be growth of self esteem and confidence through the
encouragement of initiative, creativity, group and
individual enterprise.
The mode of arranging project work would vary from one
situation to another but that practised at Burnie may be
of relevance to others.
Students who participate in the SKYCYCLE project range
from, Preparatory Engineering students to those enrolled
in the two Associate Diplomas Mechanical and Civil
Engineering. The age range is from 15 to 45 and on these
there are around 15 students in the group.
In previous years several projects have been conducted
concurrently but the SKYCYCLE project is large enough to
involve everyone. Participation in the project is
voluntary but almost all eligible full-time students
choose to be involved. Three hours per week are
timetabled, plus students spend much of their own time
working on the project.
Because the project vision and overall objectives are
agreed upon, the teacher locates students to groups and
groups to tasks. A group leader is nominated either by
the group or the teacher but the leadership may change
several times. In the initial stages of the project
students are discouraged from drifting in and out of
groups. Activities may range over various tasks such as
computer work, design drawing, workshop activities,
library research, and will be physically spread over
various locations. After the initial stages, students may
elect to work independently for a period of time. If a
student becomes tired of the one task he/she may move on
to another. There is no doubt that the success of a
project as a learning experience is largely dependent
upon the staff. As well as the mountain of preliminary
planning which is involved there is the exhausting
requirement of maintaining the commitment and enthusiasm
of everyone: staff, students, college administration,
industry and teachers. If a group of teachers is involved
there must be genuine commitment to the project, a team
approach to managing the work and a total lack of
jealousy. It is vital that the project leader be
fascinated by the project and has a vision about
Engineering. He/she should be engrossed in the challenge
of the task, the creative art of Engineering, the
involvement of the students and the ultimate success of
the project. Perhaps no other teaching methodology allows
the value of such a teacher to be fully utilised.
A perhaps unanticipated consequence of the SKYCYCLE
project and it's predecessors, is the high public profile
it has brought to the College and the School of
Engineering. Numerous community groups have come to hear
of the project and to express support for it in one way
or another. The list of sponsors is in excess of a dozen
and includes a wide range of Companies, Organisations and
Individuals. Some of these sponsors have provided
substantial cash grants and others materials and
equipment. What is particularly encouraging is that
several of these donations have been totally unsolicited.
The degree of public enthusiasm for the project is
apparently extensive. Part of the reason for this may
well be that the project leader, the School and the
College have developed a reputation for involvement
through past projects. All of those, namely the building
of cars and pedal-powered boats, have involved the School
and the students in public competition. In 1986 the car
was entered in the Shell Mileage Marathon, in 1987 the
group competed in Sydney, in 1986 and 1987 the pedal boat
built by the students competed successfully in local
regattas. Plans for the SKYCYCLE include a very public
attempt to break the Australian man-powered flight
records.
As well, projects feature often in both local and
national newspaper, magazines and television articles.
(Panorama, September, 1988)
This capacity to sell the project to the public may not
be essential, but is appears to add a sense of purpose
and achievement for the students and attract sponsorship.
The College receives valuable publicity and Engineering
attains a level of awareness in the eyes of the college
which it is unlikely to have otherwise. It is hoped that
this will attract more students to the School. Generating
public awareness and enthusiasm is integral to this
projects end, the project group develops and maintains
contact with individuals and organisations which can
assist the project. A professional standard publication
keeps interested up with the progress of the project, the
personalities involved (students), the assistance
received and the expected outcomes. The newsletter is
published by the College and distributed not only within
the campus but also to interstate contacts.
A feature of the project is the exchange of ideas
between colleagues in different parts of the world. The
project group has made contact with people in various
aspects of aviation all around the world, such as Dr.
Paul MaCready, the American who designed the first
aircraft to be powered by humans and flown across the
English Channel. The students have been drawn in to
academic exchange of ideas which often only happens at
post graduate level.
It is no doubt that the value of a teaching institution
running successful projects such as this is immense.
There is also no doubt that the risks associated with it
are high and the cost in human energy is enormous.
Bibliography
Sherwin K. (1975) Man Powered Flight. Argus Books.
Skycycle Newsletter: School engineering, Burnie
College of TAFE.
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