ABSTRACT
The benefits of adopting an inductive, or problembased approach to teaching, have been widely dis cussed in the education literature. A review by Prince & Felder (2006) indicates the following benefits from adopting inductive approaches to teaching and learn ing: they enhance motivation to learn, they are more likely to lead to transfer of skills and knowledge to the workplace, they promote deeper approaches to learning and promote intellectual growth, they are con sistent with the constructivist model of learning, and they are consistent with many learning cycle instruc tional models. Prince & Felder (2006) summarise the benefits as follows, “they are supported by the best research on learning currently available, compat ible with the currently most widely accepted theories of learning, and promote problem-solving skills and attitudes to learning that most instructors would say they desire for their students”. Project-based teach ing is one of a variety of inductive methods that also include problem-based learning, case-based teaching, discovery learning, and just-in-time learning. Projectbased teaching is widely used in engineering education for laboratory courses, final year projects, and as part of introductory courses. In Australia the accred iting authority, Engineers Australia, has encouraged universities to increase the amount of project based teaching as this is seen to develop generic teamwork and communication skills. The reported disadvantages of project based teaching include for staff concerns that students may have a less rigorous understanding of engineering fundamentals, and for students the high
time demands of projects, and problems with members of groups who do not pull their weight (Mills & Treagust 2003).
