Veranstaltungsprogramm

Sitzung

Designing Problem-Based Learning (PBL) Cases to Foster Student Engagement in MINT

Zeit:

Donnerstag, 18.09.2025:

15:00 - 16:00

Ort: KA.102

freier Beitrag

Kurzbeschreibung

Designing Problem-Based Learning (PBL) Cases to Foster Student Engagement in MINT

Dr. Koojana Kuladinithi¹, Aliyu Makama¹, Musab Ahmed¹, Shashini Wanniarachchi², Teresa Algarra Ulierte¹, Yevhenii Shudrenko¹, Siska Simon³, Andreas Timm-Giel¹

¹Institute of Communication Networks, Hamburg University of Technology; ²Institute of Telematics, Hamburg University of Technology; ³Center for Teaching and Learning, Hamburg University of Technology

We all recognize the effectiveness of problem-based learning (PBL) in engaging everyone and helping students develop critical thinking skills and teamwork. While numerous PBL cases exist in medicine, there are few in MINT subjects, which is quite unfortunate. Therefore, we have chosen to share how we implement PBL to teach Communication Networks to master's level students.

The course comprises first-semester international students from various programs with a range of knowledge, soft skills, and cultural backgrounds, making it an exciting environment in which to apply PBL. It's an excellent way for both students and teachers to work together to understand things better. We integrate four PBL exercises with the lecture content to help students develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork skills. Then, in the final six weeks of the semester, we dive into a special PBL case called “Selected Topics in Communication Networks". We're always looking for new topics to explore and fresh ideas to make our PBLs relevant to today's world.

During winter semester 2024/25, 48 students engaged in four PBL projects focused on reliable communication for smart factories, space applications, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) mobility, and indoor localization. Designing these PBLs is challenging, as it requires the incorporation of current research trends while maintaining alignment with the lecture content. That’s why we are eager to share our experiences with you.

75% of the exam grade is determined based on these PBL projects. This is followed by a poster presentation session for all students and an oral examination on the PBL learning objectives. A team of three students researches and presents the learning objective based on a research paper selected by the students.

In our session, we will share our experiences in designing new PBL cases in a workshop, alongside with feedback from our center for teaching and learning. These cases reflect current trends in key topics related to communication networks, our engagement strategies, and the student feedback we have received. We will start with a 30-minute presentation to share this knowledge. Then, for the following 20 minutes, we will hold an interactive session to gather feedback on two key issues we have identified:

How can we motivate students to interact with the subjects of other teams' PBLs? (e.g., during the poster walk)
How can we ensure equitable grading for team-based assignments in PBL settings?

We will summarize the results of the group discussion, and there will be 10 minutes for questions.