Problem based Learning for Engineering

Abstract

The role of Problem Based Learning (PBL) is relative clear in domains such as medicine but its efficacy in bio-medical engineering and engineering in general is as yet less certain. To clarify the role of PBL in engineering, a 3 day workshop was conducted for senior Brazilian engineering academics where they were given the theory and then an immersive PBL experience. One major purpose for running this workshop was for them to identify suitable courses where PBL could be considered. During this workshop, they were split in teams and given a diverse range of problems. At the conclusion of the workshop, a quantifiable survey was conducted and the results show that PBL can deliver superior educational outcomes providing the student group is drawn from the top 5% of the year 12 students, and that significantly higher resources are made available. Thus, any proposed PBL program in engineering must be able to demonstrate that it can meet these requirements before it can move forward to implementation.