A Project Oriented, Team Based Learning Approach
Edgar An, Manhar Dhanak · 2020
This paper presents our outreach efforts in the Department of Ocean Engineering at Florida Atlantic University.The main theme of the outreach effort is "project-oriented, team-based" learning philosophy, which goes beyond the typical "cookie-cutter hands-on" ideas in that there is an overall goal for learning to take place.This is drastically different the traditional "tool-based" learning where the students have to learn all the tools first before they can solve a particular problem.By promoting project-oriented, team-based education, students can appreciate better why they are learning what they are learning, how they can work together as a team, and apply their skills to solving interesting and relevant problems.Over the past four pasts, we have hosted a Model Submarine Design Workshop for high-school students in 2004, and a teacher training workshop in 2007.In addition, we have been offering a yearly dual-enrollment summer class for high school students since 2005.The main goals of these outreach effort are to stimulate high school students' interests in pursuing science and engineering as their fields of study and careers, and to enhance the research experiences for the in-service high school teachers in science and technology areas so they can bring the knowledge and experiences back into their classrooms.