Aalborg University, Denmark: Presentation of the university and impressions of the problemoriented p

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Aalborg University, Denmark Presentation of
the university and impressions of the
problem-oriented project-organized learning
conceptbyOle Thybo Thomsen
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Where is Aalborg located ?
Mercators atlas of Europe - 1569
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Atlas of Denmark - Kort og Matrikelstyrelsen
1994
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Aalborg University

• Founded 1974
• 3 Faculties
• Humanities
• Social Sciences
• Engineering Science
• 18 departments/institutes
• 11000 students (students distributed almost
  evenly between faculties)
  
• Annual budget in excess of 750 Mkr. ( 100 M)

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Aalborg University Special pedagogical concepts

• Project-organized studies (all faculties)
• Problem Based Learning (PBL)
• Curriculum out-line for all faculties
• Year 1 Basis year
• Years 2-3 (undergraduate programmes)
  Design-oriented
  
• Years 4-5 (graduate programmes) Problem-oriented
  (PBL)
  
• Years 6-8 Ph.D.
• Design-oriented work Students deal with
  know-how problems which can be solved by theories
  and knowledge they have acquired in their
  lectures
• Problem-oriented work The students deal with
  unsolved problems (scientific/practical). The
  project-work has a know-why approach and is
  supported by lectures
• Students work in small groups throughout their
  stay at the university

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Principles of problem-organized project work
Literature
Lectures
Group Studies
Problem Solving
Problem Analysis
Solution/Report
Field Work
Experiments
Tutorials
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• The duration of each project is one semester
  (i.e. 10 projects over a Masters degree
  curriculum)
  
• Approx. 50 of time is used for project work
• Approx. 50 of the time is used for courses
  (incl. lab-work etc.)

Project-organized work requires

• A high degree of supervision (especially in the
  first year and in the undergraduate programme)
  
• Office space for the students Each project group
  (5-6 on undergraduate and 2-3 on graduate level)
  has an office with office equipment,
  intra-/internet access, computers)
• Each project group has one or two faculty members
  assigned as supervisors
  
• The ever changing perspective requires courses to
  be constantly changing, or renewed

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Modular Educational System - ExampleM-Study
Board/Faculty of Engineering and Science
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• Approx. 75-80 the student pass their
  examination within the time schedule specified in
  the curriculum
  
• Danish Parliaments state audits assessed Aalborg
  University to have the most effective educational
  system of the Danish engineering educational
  institutions
• Evaluation and comparison with engineering
  graduates from traditional educational
  institutions (carried out by external panels,
  alumni, employers, ...)
• No differences in quality
• Differences in profiles
• AAU candidates Stronger in problem-solving,
  communication and cooperation
  
• Traditional candidates Stronger in specialist
  knowledge and technical methodology.
  
  
• The graduates from AAU generally do not have
  difficulties finding jobs (in fact it seems to
  have become advantageous to be an AAU graduate)

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Project-oriented education (PBL) other places
than Aalborg ?

• Technical University of Denmark (DTU - main
  competitor of AAU in engineering education in
  Denmark) has decided to introduce
  project-oriented work (PBL) in the curriculum
• Project-oriented work has been or is being
  introduced at several universities in Europe (DK,
  NL, B, S, N, ) and in North America (Canada, )

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Is Project-Oriented Work (as practized in
Aalborg) the Holy Grale ?

• Probably not !
• The AAU-model is continuously changing and
  adapting
  
• The AAU-model as of year 2000 is much different
  from the AAU-model as of year 1974
  
• It cannot be copied

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Pros et Contras ?

• Advantages
• Highly motivated students (they exert significant
  influence on their own work)
  
• Strong problem-solving capabilities
• Strong communication skills
• Readily adaptable graduates
• Disadvantages
• Some students may hide behind the group
• Specialized knowledge level may be less
  solidly founded than for graduates from
  traditional universities

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Personal impressions ?

• Data
• M.Sc., Mechanical Engineering 1986
• Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, 1990
• Both degrees from AAU
• Personal beliefs (disregarding that I am
  biased)
  
• Strong believer in the project-organized
  working methodology
  
• Pragmatic approach to PBL
• Approach provides an environment where students
  depend heavily on each other and thereby
  motivate/encourage/push one another
  
• Very efficient method of attacking unknown
  problems
  
• Still plenty of room for improvements (highly
  specialized/in depth knowledge is extremely
  useful !)

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Publications

• The Aalborg Experiment - Project Innovation in
  University Education, Finn Kjersdam and Stig
  Enemark, Aalborg University Press, 1994, ISBN
  87-7307-480-2
• Profile of Aalborg University, Denmark, 25th
  Anniversary Special Print, Aalborg University
  Press, 1999
  
• Both publications can be requested from Aalborg
  University, e-mail alc_at_aua.auc.dk (head of
  information secratariat Allan Clausen) or me
  (thomsen_at_me.udel.edu or ott_at_ime.auc.dk)