A Case Study of Modular-Based Project

Oriented Learning in Electrical Engineering

Damla Gürkan Kuntalp, Güleser Kalaycı Demir, and Olcay Akay

Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Dokuz Eylül University,

Buca / İzmir, 35160 Turkey

Abstract. Considering the worldwide acceptance of problem/project-

based learning methods, the Department of Electrical and Electronics
Engineering at Dokuz Eylül University replaced its curriculum with a
modular-based problem/project oriented one in Fall 2002. Current ed-
ucation system consists of sequentially given two, three or four week-
long problem or project-based modules. Different from the conventional
approach, in our system traditional courses are individually covered as
independent modules given in sequential manner. While the first three
years consist mainly of problem-based modules, senior year is purely
project oriented. In this study, we present our experiences through the
example of a senior year module. Our experience suggests that project-
oriented learning in senior year is an effective method of teaching not
only the theoretical or practical aspects of the subject matter but also
the necessary qualities for real life experiences of soon-to-be engineers.

1 Introduction
Since real engineering problem solving often involves working from a starting
point with less than perfect information, Project-Oriented Learning (POL) in
later years of engineering education gives students a chance to experience a real
life engineering application [1]. This involves not only the practical application
of the theoretical knowledge students acquire but also realizing the additional
information, tools, knowledge etc. they will need to solve the problem. In con-
ventional teaching methods the concern is to teach the theoretical fundamentals
of the subject matter thoroughly. Practical aspects and application experiences
are not of concern until graduation. Dealing with an open-ended real life appli-
cation which cover not only the complete content of the course but also some
additional knowledge and skills is not usually a common practice in a course or
in a course’s laboratory in conventional education system. Project-oriented ap-
proach provides a simulated work environment in which the student copes with
a project/problem as an engineer would do either as an individual or as a group
member [2], [3].
Considering the changing demands of industry and the requirements of re-
vised accreditation criteria who look for engineers who not only possess a solid
understanding of the fundamental science of engineering, but also have a prac-
tical and robust approach to problem solving, function well in a team and have

M.D. Lytras et al. (Eds.): TECH-EDUCATION 2010, CCIS 73, pp. 164–169, 2010.
c Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2010

 A Case Study of Modular-Based Project Oriented Learning 165

excellent communication skills, Department of Electrical and Electronics Engi-

neering at Dokuz Eylül University replaced its curriculum with a modular-based
problem/project oriented one in Fall 2002 [4], [5]. Different from the conventional
approach, in our system traditional courses are individually covered as indepen-
dent modules given in sequential manner. First three years of the curriculum
is mostly problem-based [6]. The senior year, on the other hand, is designed as
purely project-oriented. The first semester of the senior year consists of manda-
tory modules one of which is the EE411 Digital Signal Processing (DSP) module.
The second semester contains variety of modules of different subject areas and
the students are free to choose four of them to complete the semester. Beside
these project-oriented modules, during the senior year students are expected to
complete their individual senior year project.
In this study, we give a case study applied for the Digital Signal Process-
ing course1 . In what follows we will present our experiences on project-based
teaching through the example of a senior year module, EE411 Digital Signal
Processing. Section 2 presents learning objectives of the module. Details of the
methodology and feedback of students on POL are presented in Sections 3 and
4, respectively. Finally, Section 5 gives the concluding remarks.

2 Learning Outcomes of DSP Module

Each student must comply with the module learning outcomes where outcomes
of all modules must adhere to the requirements of the program (for our program
requirements see [8]). Learning outcomes that students should achieve in order
to pass the module can be grouped in many different ways. We adopt the model
of Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education - Engineering Benchmark
Statement [9] to group module learning outcomes as follows:

– Knowledge and Understanding : Fundamentals of Digital Signal Processing,

transform domain representations of digital signals, filter elements and struc-
tures, Finite Impulse Response (FIR) and Infinite Impulse Response (IIR)
digital filter design, applications to real-life problems,
– Intellectual Abilities : Apply analytical thinking to digital signal processing
related problems, select and develop appropriate signal processing method,
employ computer software for simulation of DSP systems,
– Practical Skills: Use computer for programming, presentation and working
purposes, use Matlab Digital Signal Processing Toolbox, program Matlab
Graphical User Interface (GUI), simulate mathematical models, gather, pro-
cess and display/output data using appropriate tools,
– Transferable Skills: Manage time and resources effectively, work in a
team/group constructively and supportively, develop communication skills,
utilize information and communication technology in the preparation, pro-
cess and presentation of information.
1
A previous version of this study has appeared in a national congress in Turkish [7].
166 D.G. Kuntalp, G.K. Demir, and O. Akay

3 Methodology

3.1 Components of the Project-Based Module

Each semester consists of different number of modules which are arranged in a
sequential order such that students focus on only one subject area as DSP, Digital
Communication, Control Systems within each module. EE411 Digital Signal
Processing module is the first module of the seventh semester of our curriculum
and encompasses four weeks. The module consists of different components with
different educational aims as given below:
POL sessions: In these sessions, the project is introduced to the students
of small groups and the progress of students is observed and guided by a tutor.
Having a tutor in these sessions is important for tracking the progress, checking
records, dealing with the problems and providing additional support and advice
as needed. With the careful guidance of the tutor, problem in hand is discussed,
and the provided information is analyzed. The ”should do” and ”should learn”
lists are prepared by students as a group in each POL session.
In a four-week project-based module such as EE411 there are five POL sessions
two of which are in the first week. The first POL session aims to introduce
the project. Students are presented with the short description and the goals of
the project. The detailed description of specific tasks that should be completed
during the module is also presented. In this first session, in light of provided
information preliminary discussions are conducted and a coarse work plan is
prepared. In the second session, each group presents their feasibility report which
provides a detailed work plan and time table. Students have to prepare interim
reports for the following POL sessions and the progress of each group is closely
monitored by the tutor. A final project report including the details of the solution
and project results is handed over at the last POL session.
Presentations: There are 20-credit hour presentations in the module sched-
ule. These lectures aim to fill the gap between theoretical concepts and their
practical applications in the field.
Consultation: Additional guidance and consultation can be provided for
both on matters related to projects and concepts taught in lectures.
Discussion: Module discussion takes place in the middle of the third week
when module progress nears completion. Purpose of this activity is to discuss
the progress of the module and the projects with the students. Students meet
with module directors to share problems or difficulties they faced and receive
guidance. This session provides groups with a chance for self evaluation of their
progress and a comparison with other groups’ performances.
Module Exam: Evaluation of the theoretical concepts is accomplished
through a written exam at the end of the module.
Exam Discussion: After the module exam there is a discussion session in
which the students and module directors discuss the exam questions and their
solutions.
 A Case Study of Modular-Based Project Oriented Learning 167

Laboratory Hours: There are both electronics engineering and computer

laboratory hours in the module. In the first week’s lab sessions an introduction to
the Matlab signal processing toolbox is provided by teaching assistants. During
the remaining laboratory hours guidance is provided as needed.
Engineering Orientation: The integration provided by projects, presenta-
tions and laboratories is strengthened by an orientation seminar. Its aim is to
provide the students with real life aspects and applications of the subject matter.
The orientation seminar takes place at the end of the third week.

3.2 Project Assignment

A very general description of the problem is introduced through a project brief.

Students are expected to acquire the necessary background information through
independent research. Lectures and other activities are used as resources to
gather information and guidance by students. In the project brief which is handed
out in the first POL session, in addition to a brief problem description, project
goals, specific tasks, and details of evaluation of the module are presented. In
specific tasks part we specify the reports to be prepared and their due dates
and the requirements of the project presentation. Other than that students are
free to build their own working plan and timetable. There are usually 3 or 4
different projects for the module and groups are randomly assigned with one of
these projects.
As an example, a project can consist of a design of digital stereo FM trans-
mitter and receiver. This project involves analog to digital, digital to analog
conversion, design of digital filters for different purposes such as preemphasis,
deemphasis filters, pilot tone recovery etc., creation of a digital sinusoidal signal,
frequency doubling, digital signal multiplexing, FM modulation and demodula-
tion, simulating a white Gaussian noise signal in digital platform. Tasks included
in the project basically cover almost all of the learning objectives of the EE411
Digital Signal Processing module. Encoding and decoding of telephone touch pad
signals, QRS complex detection in ECG analysis, analyzing musical tones, design
of a digital synthesizer, linear predictive coding of speech, and radar simulation
are other examples of assigned projects.

3.3 Performance Evaluation

We evaluate the overall performance of the students by measuring four different

skills. Namely, we evaluate their knowledge-based skills, process skills, team-
working skills and formal communication skills. For this purpose we identify
five different elements to be graded individually. We then aggregate the grades
according to the predefined weights to produce an overall score. The elements
themselves, their weights and criteria for grading are defined as follows: i) POL
Session (15%), ii) Oral/poster Presentation (15%), iii) Final Report (30%), iv)
Written Examination (40%). While students are graded individually in POL ses-
sions and written examinations, they are given group grades in other activities.
168 D.G. Kuntalp, G.K. Demir, and O. Akay

Table 1. Feedback of students on POL

Do you agree with the following? 5 4 3 2 1

Dealing with only one subject area affects the learning positively 8 48 19 19 6
Duration of module is sufficient 8 25 6 44 17
Dealing with only one subject area increases
permanency of acquired knowledge 6 25 17 35 17
Duration of the module is sufficient to assimilate the content 4 13 12 40 31
Presentation hours are enough 2 17 29 44 8
POL contributes to the permanency of learning objectives 50 44 4 2 0
Content of presentations contributes to implementation of projects 20 55 12 12 2
Preparing a final report helps in reinforcing the information 12 25 18 27 18
POL sessions contribute positively to the implementation of the project 17 43 26 6 8
Regular reporting helps to monitor the progress of the project 8 63 12 12 6
Increases ability for preparing a formal report 19 58 15 4 4
Criteria for evaluation are appropriate and fairly weighted 8 33 23 27 10
POL is an effective tool for gaining engineering skills 55 37 6 0 2
I enjoyed working in a group 29 51 12 8 0
I am satisfied with sharing of workload and responsibilities 33 40 17 8 2
POL is a positive experience for engineering life 47 45 4 2 2
Improves abilities for using time efficiently 15 42 31 12 0
Strengthens written and oral communication skills 19 52 13 12 4
Improves abilities for preparing a poster 19 67 9 5 0

4 Questionnaire
Right after the completion of the module, students are asked to fill out surveys
which contained 19 questions. There are five possible answers for each survey
question: Fully agree (5), agree (4), indecisive (3), disagree (2), and fully disagree
(1). In the above table, the number in each cell is the percentage of students who
selected that particular choice. The survey is filled out by 52 students in total.
The purpose of the survey is to determine the opinion of students on the
modular-based POL. The results in Table 1 show that students generally agree
on the main aims of POL. At first look, we notice that students are not satisfied
with the duration of the module (61%). In a similar vein, they think that the
amount of presentation hours is insufficient (52%) and the duration of module
is not long enough for assimilating the theoretical content (71%). However, con-
sidering the fact that four successive modules are covered in a fourteen-week
semester, to increase neither the amount of presentation nor the duration of the
module seem possible. On the other hand, we gladly observe that almost all of
the students agree upon the positive contributions on the permanency of the
learning objectives of POL (94%). Additionally, they also think that POL is a
strongly beneficial experience for their future engineering life. The results show
that students enjoy working in teams (80%), enjoy sharing workload and respon-
sibilities (73%) and find POL sessions useful (60%). The results also indicate that
written and oral communication skills of students are improved fairly well (71%).
 A Case Study of Modular-Based Project Oriented Learning 169

Furthermore, most of the students agree that their abilities for writing formal
reports (77%) and preparing poster presentations (86%) are strengthened.

5 Conclusion
The combination of lectures, labs, and POL sessions within the umbrella of a
project-based module turns out to be quite an effective way of preparing stu-
dents for their engineering life by putting theory into practice. This way, stu-
dents develop a better understanding of the value and limitations of theoretical
knowledge by virtue of its application to practical problems. Beside achieving
the learning objectives of the module students also gain some generic skills and
abilities that will be useful in both work and the other aspects of their life. The
results of the student survey and our experience attest that the duration of the
module may be extended for a better assimilation of module content. In light of
similar experiences also in other modules, a curriculum modification along these
lines is under consideration.

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