Purdue Associate Professor Dr. Jesiek holds “Project-Based Learning & Effective Assessment” Seminar

Project-based learning (PBL) is a student-centered teaching method that can motivate students and help students learn more effectively compared to the traditional teacher-centered teaching method. International School of Technology and Management (ISTM) and Center for Teaching and Learning Resource invited Dr. Brent K. Jesiek, Associate Professor of Purdue University, to Feng Chia University (FCU) to hold “Project-Based Learning and Effective Assessment” seminar on May 23rd to 25th. This seminar included speeches, teaching demonstrations and Q&A sessions and was well-received by all participants.

• Dr. Jesiek has many years of experience in engineering education. He is also the National Science Foundation CAREER award winner. Dr. Jesiek explained, “PBL deals with real challenges and problems, and it does not provide standardized answers. It is open-ended and it encourages students to learn actively. Students at Purdue School of Engineering made their first contact with PBL in Freshman Project class, acquiring new learning techniques and, at the same time, having more fun and depth in learning. “He also presented two assessment methods, Innovative Assessment and Learning Outcome Assessment, the first of which applies to PBL and the latter applies to traditional learning.  At Purdue University, PBL is used for 50% of pedagogy while the other 50% is still traditional mode of learning.
• “Innovation Project” is one of the featured courses at ISTM.  Dr. Jesiek spent some time with the class and led students in the process of boundary spanning thinking. Peko Hu, a student in the class, described, “Dr. Jesiek used games and activities to make learning much more fun. We were able to concentrate and have a lot of interaction with our peers. It’s a whole new experience.” The class also made an impression on Dr. Jesiek, saying, “The students were excellent. They were active in the class, expressed themselves fully, and displayed their soft skills.” He further commented that compared to the ethnic Chinese students at Purdue University who, on average, needed more time to adapt to PBL, the students here at ISTM are well-trained in this type of learning and are competitive compared to Purdue students.
• Furthermore, Dr. Jesiek offered some valuable advices to the Freshman Project conducted at Feng Chia University (FCU). He suggested dividing a team of 10 students into 3 smaller teams, each of which is responsible for different aspects of a project, to enhance the level of engagement in students. Senior students and recent graduates could also be incorporated into the advisory team to help freshmen make decisions regarding the feasibility of the projects and become freshmen’s role models. “The teachers are well-prepared and there are a wide variety of class activities,” said Dr. Jesiek, in praise of FCU Freshman Project. “I see the spirit of PBL in it and I am excited about its future development.”
• ISTM partners with School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Purdue University in developing the “Purdue-FCU Dual-Degree Program in Electrical and Computer Engineering.” Program director, Dr. Shaw-Jyh Shin, was also positive about project-based learning that leads to more enthusiasm and better understanding in learning.  The teaching method adopted in Innovation Project course at ISTM is 80% similar to PBL, making it a good starting point for students. Dr. Jesiek’s 3-day visit at Feng Chia University sparked some new ideas in teachers and students alike and once again strengthened the partnership between the two universities, paving way for more collaboration and interaction in the future.