Educating Engineering Undergraduates: Effects of Scaffolding in a Problem-Based Learning Environment

Abstract

This paper presents a study in the methods of problem-based learning (PBL) in the engineering classroom, where students work in small groups to explore specific problems under the guidance of an instructor. PBL has proven to be highly-effective in engineering education, but there is still room to improve. Studies by Schmidt et al. (2007) suggest that the use of “scaffolds,” structures that support the conceptual learning process early-on but are gradually removed later, can greatly help when students first engage in PBL.

A total of 19 students participated in the study. A detailed lab handout was designed to act as a hard scaffold for the experimental group while the control group used the current materials. After preparing a full lab report, students were given a post-lab examination. The results of this examination indicate that the scaffold was effective, but they also hint that students enter the lab with incorrect mental models which hinder the learning process. Further study is needed to validate this hypothesis.