During NEBHE’s STEM PBL project, Co-Principal Investigators at Central Connecticut State University (CCSU) adapted pre- and in-service technology and engineering education courses to include pedagogical lessons in PBL. Students enrolled in the Professional Practices for Teachers (TE-400) pre-service undergraduate course and the Problem-Based Learning in STEM Education (TE-506) in-service graduate course experience PBL as a student in a STEM classroom in order to receive a hands-on education in how to implement PBL into their own classrooms.
Through participation in the CSSU courses, pre- and in-service technology and engineering education instructors:
- Learn how to incorporate problem-based learning in the
- Receive a comprehensive overview of teachers’ resources developed by the project.
- Learn field-tested assessment and implementation strategies for problem-based learning.
- Receive access to the PBL instructional materials
- Use the pedagogical strategies and technical skills they acquire throughout the semester to develop original multimedia PBL Challenges related to advanced manufacturing topics of their choosing.
What Pre- and In-service Educators Say About the CCSU Courses
PBL forces us to slow down our lesson and get a lot more quality into our lesson, to dig deeper into the materials rather than get this thing done and move on to the next.”
Graduate Student
PBL gives students a lot more responsibility for themselves, not relying on the teacher to give them responsibility, and it gives them an opportunity to learn from each other.”
Undergraduate Student
It makes the students think a little more critically about certain events or certain problems. They’re taking concepts they learned in other classes and bringing them all into one area.”
Undergraduate Student
It’s nice that there are assessments other than how students did on the PowerPoint or the concept as a group. The final technical report is something you can assess them on individually.”
Graduate Student
For more information on the CCSU PBL pedagogy courses, please contact James DeLaura, chair, Technology and Engineering Education Department, CCSU.
