Developing a high capacity for engineering system thinking (CEST) in an active learning environment

This paper presents an implementation of the Project Based Learning approach in the new curriculum of industrial engineering and systems engineering in the Israeli high schools and colleges. Project-based learning (PBL) is an approach for classroom activity that emphasizes learning activities that are long-term, interdisciplinary and student-centered. The student needs to implement his theoretical knowledge by performing a practical project in a substantial organization, such as an industrial plant or a service organization. The student has to find an appropriate organization, present the process that was examined, analyze the organization's performance, examine the quality and operations layout and to recommend an improvement in the present layout. An equivalent process of Project Based Learning is conducted in the faculties of industrial engineering and systems engineering at Israeli colleges and universities. According to various research studies, a significant part of learning should be carried out within authentic environments relevant to students (Fosnot, 1995; Verner and Hershko, 2003). Building the structure of knowledge ("in the mind") goes especially well when the learner is engaged in building material structures ("in the real world") as students do in Project Based Learning environment. In order to examine this environment we checked students from high schools and colleges. The population of this research included 42 college students and 111 high school pupils, all of them took part in a team project in the area of industrial engineering and systems engineering. During this research we characterized the Project Based Learning environment and investigated its contribution to effective and qualitative studying. An additional part of the research was an examination of engineering system thinking development during the student's working on his project. Engineering Systems Thinking is a major high-order thinking skill that enables individuals to successfully perform integrated tasks. A "systems view" or a high Capacity for Engineering Systems Thinking (CEST) is a combination of knowledge, professional skills, and behavioral competencies. The main characteristic of CEST is the ability to see the "whole picture" and all relevant aspects without getting stuck on details (Frank, 2006). The main assumption underlying the Project Based Learning environment is that developed CEST might enable students to deal with systems without getting stuck on details. The research combined the use of quantitative and qualitative methods. The first stage of the research involved a pilot study in which several in-depth, semistructured interviews were held with students and instructors. In the second and main stage we preformed 16 semi-structured interviews with senior managers and academic leaders in Israel. The interviewees were asked questions about the advantages, disadvantages and difficulties of Project Based Learning environment. We also run an achievement test and a tool for assessing students' CEST. The original tool for assessing students' CEST was developed by Frank (2007). This tool was updated for the current study. The tool was repeatedly used to track the development of the students CEST. First, we used the tool at the beginning of the process while the students had to find a suitable organization for performing their project. Then, we used the tool at the end of the academic year, after the students submitted their final reports. The tool's reliability was measured by calculating the Alpha coefficient (The result was 0.706). In addition, three types of validity were checked - content validity, contrasted group validity and construct validity. By comparing the tool's scores before and after the process, it was found that all of the students achieved higher scores in the post test and this implies that they improved their CEST (p<0.001). CEST is comprised of four components (Frank, 2006) - cognitive characteristics, abilities, personal traits and knowledge. Paired sample t test was used to compare those components before and after completion of the final project. It was used for checking the statistical significance between two points in time: T1 - at the beginning of the project and T2 - at the end of the process, after the final report had been submitted. To the extent that an individual's marks across the two points of time are related, the paired t tests provided a more powerful statistical analysis (greater probability of finding true effects) than the independent sample t test. As it is shown in Table 1, there was a significant difference between the pre scores (T1) and the post scores (T2) in these components: cognitive characteristics, personal traits and knowledge. There was no evidence of a significant difference between the two time points in the abilities component (p= 0.743).