WPI’s global and off-campus IQPs, rich with real-world sponsors/projects and increasingly diverse teams, require that both faculty and students navigate a network of ambiguous situations and relationships. Despite the increasing adoption of project-based learning as a preferred educational model across higher education, and the prevalence of project-based work in STEM careers, research on how to best prepare students and faculty to identify and navigate ambiguity inherent to project-based learning is limited. Seeking to fill this important gap, this graduate thesis advances a pilot qualitative study focused on how students in domestic and off campus IQPs experience and navigate ambiguity in their IQPs. The thesis presents preliminary grounded theory regarding the types of ambiguity experienced by students, how students navigate through the ambiguity, and elements that appear to impact a student’s success in that navigation.

The dominant pedagogy for engineering educations still remains chalk and talk despite the large body of education research that demonstrates its ineffectiveness. Traditional approaches to structural engineering education place a heavy emphasis on lecture-based delivery of the theories of structural analysis and the behaviour of common constructions materials. Design projects are given varying emphasis at different institutions, but are frequently left to the final year of the course. Assessment weighting often heavily favours examinations over project work. In recent years, the engineering profession and the bodies responsible for accrediting engineering programs have called for change in assessment and teaching practices.This study proposed that the use of design projects in structural engineering is an effective method of learning that models industrial practice. Projects enable students to understand the synthesis of structural analysis, material behaviour and availability, constructability and economic reality that occurs in the professional practice of structural engineering. To examine effectiveness of project-based learning in structural engineering a case study was undertaken in a third year undergraduate course of a civil engineering program in South Australia.This thesis first provides some background to structural engineering and current practice in structural engineering education. Project-based learning as applied to engineering is also examined. The case study design and data collection are then discussed. The study was developed around a conceptual framework for educational evaluation that differentiates between the intended, implemented, perceived and achieved curriculum. The intended curriculum, defined as the original vision underlying a curriculum, was developed through a literature review that considered the requirements of industry and ++ / engineering accreditation bodies. The degree to which the intended curriculum was successfully implemented in the course was evaluated through video-tapes of lessons, journal records and interviews. The actual learning experiences as perceived or experienced by the students, was evaluated through student journals, interviews and two questionnaires, one of which was also administered to a senior structural engineering industry group to enable a comparison between the student and industry groups perceptions of the importance of certain skills in the engineering profession. The achieved curriculum, defined as the resulting learning outcomes of the students, was also examined. The thesis concludes with a discussion of the findings of the study as well as their significance and limitations and then considers the possible extensions of project-based learning to other areas of engineering and some of the issues that will need to be addressed for this to occur.

The purposes of the research which is based on the framework of knowledge management whose five dimensions are knowledge gaining, depositing, sharing, applying and innovating are divided into two parts. First, under the framework of knowledge management, evalueate how junior school students perform towards each dimension. Second, discuss the reasons and effects from the information of questionnaires. And, from five dimensions of the framework of knowledge management, analyze different behaviors on blogs of junior school students and various factors of influences in this survey. The method is mainly by qualitative research and auxiliarily by quantitative research. The study subjects consist of 59 students in the weekend project-based learning class of academic year of 2006 in Guo-Guang Laboratory School,NSYSU. The research time was from September in 2006 to August in 2007. Based on the five dimensions of the framework of knowledge management, we can draw conclusions as follows. First, the gaining of knowledge was mostly from the internet and also others¡¦ blogs. If it was from academic books, we would surely gain knowledge of higher levels. Second, it was easy to deposit gained knowledge on blogs. However, it would be a better deposition after systematically sorting. Also, blogs which kept tracks of learning struggles efficiently could produce metacognitions. Third, on blogs, students were looking forward to others¡¦ responses. However, the course was limited in excessively close relationships and some factors. As a result, sharing behaviors were not quite frequent. Blogs made distance closer and turned one way construction of knowledge into mutual. Building internet groups on blogs tended to produce the common languages and impelled us to apply knowledge. It took more psychology levels to innovate knowledge and needed higher spontaneous motivations to learn.

This study aims at integrating Big6 skill with the project-based learning in social studies. To understand how students make Big6 skill as learning Scaffolding of the project-based learning. The researcher takes thirty-two fifth graders of an elementary in kaohsiung as research object, using action research to progress the lessons with Big6 skills and Project-based Learning. Analyze the data rebased from the following: lesson plans, questionnaires, worksheets, teaching journals, learning journals, interview, assessments from teachers¡¦ and students¡¦ self-evaluation to understand the learning of the students and to be the adjusting basis of instruction. The conclusions of this study are as follows: (1) the two-staged teaching experiment which is the integration of Big6 skill and project-based learning is effective and practicable. (2) Teachers, parents and students are all approval. (3) The integration of Big6 and project-based learning in social studies is helpful in promoting the student¡¦s communication and technology abilities. (4) Team Co-learning is workable in the integration of Big6 and project-based learning in social studies. (5) Big6 is helpful in project-based learning. (6) Project-based learning is suitable for the instruction of social studies. (7) The homeroom teacher who applies project-based learning in teaching can effectively control the learning pacing of the students.(8) The critical thinking abilities of the students are not evidently promoted. (9) The teacher who practices this way of teaching may encounter some difficulties such as the students¡¦ abilities of making projects, normal course pressure, time and classroom limitation and computer disorder. (10) The students who join this way of learning may also encounter some difficulties ¡V how to successfully work together, improve the ways of the data searching capability, reading and language deficiency, computer disorder and the respect of intelligence property right.(11) Library education should be brought into the elementary curricula to reinforce the students¡¦ communication and technology abilities. According to the way of conclusion research, there proposals as follows: (1) Make an intact project-based learning plan in an overall way. (2) Students with certain communication and technology abilities will be better for practicing the project-based learning. (3) Only the most profound Big6 skill can the best result be presented. (4) Library education should be brought into the formal curricula.(5) Cultivate students¡¦ reading and language proficiency. And also some suggestion of related studies is included for the reference of the future study.

The purpose of this study is to devise a teaching program integrating Big6 skills into project-based learning of social studies. Applying Big6 skills as a learning scaffold, the teaching program helps students to enjoy project-based teaching modes, to cultivate basic information literacy and to promote abilities to learn better in social studies. The research object is 34 students from the 4th grade of elementary school, and the action research is a two-stage and two-circle one. The researcher tried to understand the students¡¦learning status and get the whole picture of the teaching activity by means of collecting and analyzing data such as information literacy questionnaire, the scale for critical thinking test made by Chiu-Ching Chen, activity learning sheets, student inter-evaluations, student self-evaluations, teacher observations, teaching diaries and interview records. The results of the study are as follows: 1. Big6 skills, integrated into the social project-based learning applying two-stage teaching, is suitable for grade four of elementary school. 2. The students who have experienced Big6 skills integrated into the social project-based learning do promote in information literacy, group learning, expression, listening and the ability of using Big6 skills. 3. Due to the shortage of the study time or the not suitable for study tools, the students¡¦critical thinking is not promoted after experiencing Big6 skills integrated into the social project-based learning. 4. The students consider the integration of information and the evaluation as the most difficult steps in the Big6 method. 5. Teachers and students both identify with Big6 skills integrated into the social project-based learning. Finally, integrating the mentioned findings, the researcher offers some suggestions on the future teaching plan as follows: 1. Supply learning scaffold to promote students¡¦learning effects. 2. Integrate information course into language course can save time for learning. 3.Cultivate students¡¦abilities of reading, summarizing and integrating reading materials. 4. Help students to collect information from varied sources. 5. Extend teaching time and carry out each teaching steps.

In view of international digitalization and information trend, and to cope with the New 1-9 Curriculum education policy, the Taiwanese increasingly value information technology education development and methods. The researcher integrates Big6 information skills to school base curriculum with topic study process. A new teaching plan consisting two cycles is developed to test on a sample of 35 fourth graders. The researcher demonstrates the first cycle, and the students actively process the second cycle. The two-cycle teaching plan is to train students to utilize Big6 information skills in researches and promote students¡¦ capabilities of team work, demonstration, presentation, and critique. The researcher conducted and analyzed the data based on three sources consisting quantitative measuring tools, records, and reflections. Quantitative measuring tools include information technology usage investigation, information skill level self-check list, and deliberated comment tables. Records involve students¡¦ learning diaries, teacher¡¦s observant diaries and the teams¡¦ self-checked lists. Reflections engage teacher¡¦s and students¡¦ self reflections. The results of this research are as follows: 1. Big6 skills suit to harmoniously utilize in the two-cycle senior topic instruction program. 2. Applying Big6 skills in project-based learning promotes most students¡¦ learning in five areas including Big6 skills in research processes and study methods, topic-related information, research team work skills, information skills, and critically deliberating behavior. 3. Tested sample showed higher motivation in this process. 4. The researcher could acquire the growing expertise, which includes grasping the value of research, promoting the abilities of designing and compiling instruction program, enhancing the skill of applying and integrating the information technology, utilizing ¡§divided teams project-base¡¨ instruction model for research, and creating the students¡¦ accomplishment with accessing diversificately.

The goal of this work is to modify an existing course module on engineering better medicines to produce a more engaging physiologically realistic and pedagogically sound curriculum. The original module explored drug delivery using a one-compartment model, which examined only the dissolution of medicine; the module relied on a traditional teacher lead pedagogy. The curriculum modifications include engineering a two-compartment model students use to test the medicines they design, incorporating both dissolution and transfer to the blood and project based learning strategies have been added to produce a student centered project. The purpose of these modifications is to produce a curriculum successful in providing a diverse group of students, both male and female, of all socioeconomic backgrounds as well as ethnic and cultural groups with a positive engineering experience. / text

There has been a continuous push among industry, educators, and accreditation organizations to infiltrate all levels of engineering education with design skills development instruments. At Texas A&M University there was the unique opportunity to modify a manufacturing and materials laboratory with this ideal in mind. Prior to 2001 the materials and manufacturing laboratories were independent initiatives. Recently, these courses have been combined into one entity. It was proposed that if these two courses integrated fully under the umbrella of one project, that the students would better understand the nature of product development in design and that this simple change would result in a higher level of learning. The proposed manufacturing and materials selection project was a 1/8th scale replica of a 12 lb. Civil War Napoleon Cannon in a field mount. The product was selected due to its ease of manufacture and potential for addressing a sufficient variety of materials during development. The development of the product followed a simple timeline. Initially, students took an existing model and used it to develop working drawings. Next the barrel material was selected by examining the performance of two materials using common testing methods. Selected materials were then subjected to heat treatment. Once the material processing was complete; Manual Machining, CNC Machining, Welding and a novel Rapid Manufacturing approach were used to produce the cannons. The cannons were then tested and destroyed for metallographic examination. A quasi-experimental two by two factorial design was used to evaluate the effects of the innovative laboratory treatment compared with the effects of standard laboratory treatment. Assessment was performed using two instruments. These instruments consisted of three student surveys and two open-ended qualitative essays graded for depth of learning using analytic rubrics. Preliminary results indicate that the students are highly enthused by the new class. Analysis of the open-ended qualitative essays indicate that the students in the treatment, or project-based, laboratory performed at an equal level to those in the non-treatment, or control group.

Knowledge is increasingly seen as the organization’s most important asset. The knowledge-based view dictates that by understanding the importance of knowledge as a competitive advantage, and leveraging it, organizations can compete in a differentiated and sustainably advantageous way. In project-based organizations where individuals with different specialized knowledge meet and create new knowledge together, this might be seen as especially valuable. Despite having a big impact on both the academic and managerial world, organizations seem struggle when actually faced with the practical implications of integrating knowledge in the firms.This problem has been highlighted both in research, as well as in an empirical pre-study. Understanding where this problem stems from is an important step in finding a way to solve it. Following the idea that the use of incentive systems has long been an effective way of steering behavior in organizational members, we wonder what the role of incentive systems is in the context of knowledge integration in project-based organizations.   Thus, the aim of this study is to investigate and analyze if missing or deficient incentive systems is the reason why project-based organizations struggle with knowledge integration.

This practice-led, project-based research charts, simultaneously, my disenchantment and re-engagement with graphic design. By it's dissemination I hope to articulate: 1. How an evolving understanding of my sense disenchantment emerged from the research, and enabled the process of re-engagement. 2. The role, and importance, of provocation and doubt in creative practice generally, but specifically in practice-led research. The difficulty of provoking one's self, and the strategies through which I have tried to enact a disruptive reframing of my practice. 3. That through the highly reflective nature of practice-led research and the greater sense of self-awareness that inevitable comes from that I have been able to re-engage with graphic design. That this re-engagement has, for me specifically, had much to do with my ability to begin to negotiate my own personal terms of reference, so as to be able to locate myself within a community of practice, and to begin to take part in a discourse that has a certain resonance for me. Central to this research are questions about professional practice, dislocation/disinterest, research, resonance and reinvention. As disenchantment is common, perhaps pervasive, within professional practice, my account of this research will propose that a more general understanding of practice-led research-highly reflective, self-initiated work-is essential if graphic design is to support and sustain imaginative, innovative, and inventive practitioners. Rather than target graphic design's inability to support provocative practices (the studio, or the industry), my research focuses on the potential of the individual practitioner to motivate and design a more generative and engaged practice. As such any observations and/or discoveries are not presented as quantitative 'findings', but should be seen rather as generative understandings that promote future possibility and potential for the practice.