Die implementering van projekgebaseerde leer deur eerstejaar-ingenieurstudente om selfgerigte leer te bevorder

Abstract

The constant changes and challenges in the professional practice of engineering for today require specialised engineering training in South Africa and the world. Students experience problems with the transition from the secondary to tertiary level in terms of their cognitive development, which affect their performance in engineering. The adoption of the social constructivist teaching approach for the training of engineering students implies that the beliefs of teachers and students, as well as their role in the teaching–learning process must change. Engineering students should be prepared to be lifelong learners and to keep abreast of changes in technology, applications thereof and to deal with the challenges of the new century, and to develop various 21st-century skills. Structured training for first-year engineering students needs to take place to empower them for the requirements as set by tertiary institutions, Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) and the industry. In order to answer these question "to what extent can the implementation of project-based learning by first-year engineering students in the module FIAP 172-module their self-directed learning, a literature review and an empirical study were conducted to answer the research question. Self-directed learning is a process that involves the development of different 21st-century skills, such as lifelong learning and support, which could contribute to the development of engineering students if project-based learning is included as teaching-learning strategy. The lecturer acts as facilitator and guides the learning process whereas students need to be actively involved in team participation where they are responsible for the project. A suitable teaching and learning strategy can be used in the preparation module for engineering students, which may also serve as a channel to promote self-directed learning as part of the engineering curriculum in project-based learning. A combined qualitative and quantitative approach was used. Specifically, a QUAL-quan methodology was used to investigate how project-based learning can be used as a teaching and learning strategy to promote self-directed learning in a module that prepares engineering students for the profession. It was found that project-based learning development of various skills, including planning, time management, communication, practical and collaborative skills promoted the process. Recommendations are made regarding the training of engineering students, as well as for the effective structuring of projects and project-based learning in the FIAP 172 module. Die voortdurende verandering en uitdagings in die professionele praktyk van die ingenieur van vandag verg gespesialiseerde ingenieursopleiding in Suid-Afrika en die wêreld. Studente ervaar probleme met die oorgang vanaf sekondêre tot tersiêre opleiding wat betref hulle kognitiewe ontwikkeling, wat hulle prestasie in ingenieurswese beïnvloed. Die aanvaarding van die sosiaal-konstruktivistiese onderrig-benadering vir die opleiding van ingenieurstudente impliseer dat die oortuigings van dosente en studente, asook die dosente se rol in die onderrig-leerproses, moet verander. Ingenieurstudente moet voorberei word om lewenslange leerders te word en op die hoogte te bly van veranderinge in die tegnologie en die toepassings daarvan, en hulle moet die uitdagings van die nuwe eeu kan hanteer, asook verskeie 21ste-eeuse vaardighede ontwikkel. Gestruktureerde opleiding moet vir eerstejaar-ingenieurstudente aangebied word om hulle te bemagtig vir die vereistes wat gestel word deur tersiêre instellings, die Ingenieursvereniging van Suid-Afrika (ECSA) en die bedryf. Ten einde die studie te beantwoord “tot watter mate kan die implementering van projekgebaseerde leer deur eerstejaar-ingenieurstudente in die module FIAP 172 hulle selfgerigte leer bevorder”, is ’n literatuurondersoek sowel as ’n empiriese ondersoek uitgevoer om die navorsingsvrae te beantwoord. Selfgerigte leer is ʼn proses wat die ontwikkeling van verskillende 21ste-eeuse vaardighede insluit, soos lewenslange leer en ondersteuning, en dit kan bydra tot die ontwikkeling van ingenieurstudente waar projekgebaseerde as onderrig-leerstrategie toegepas word. Die dosent tree op as fasiliteerder en begeleier en die studente moet aktiewe en deelnemende spanlede wees wat verantwoordelikheid vir die projek aanvaar. ʼn Geskikte onderrig-leerstrategie wat aangewend kan word in die voorbereidingsmodule vir ingenieurstudente en wat ook kan dien as ’n kanaal om selfgerigte leer te bevorder as deel van ingenieursopleiding is projekgebaseerde leer. 'n Gekombineerde kwalitatiewe en kwantitatiewe benadering is tydens hierdie navorsing gebruik. ʼn KWAL-kwan-metodologie is spesifiek gebruik om ondersoek in te stel oor hoe projekgebaseerde leer as onderrig-leerstrategie aangewend kan word om selfgerigte leer te bevorder in ʼn module wat ingenieurstudente vir die professie voorberei. Daar is bevind dat projekgebaseerde leer die ontwikkeling van verskeie vaardighede, met inbegrip van vaardighede met betrekking tot beplanning, tydsbestuur, kommunikasie, praktyk en samewerking bevorder. Aanbevelings is gemaak ten opsigte van die opleiding van ingenieurstudente, sowel as vir die effektiewe strukturering van projekgebaseerde leer in die FIAP 172-module om SGL te bevorder.