By Laura McNeill
How can we help students develop not just technical knowledge, but also self-awareness and empathy? A recent study by Paul et al. (2023) in IEEE Transactions on Education explores how an integrated project-based learning curriculum fostered significant personal growth and interpersonal skills in engineering students.
Key Insights
- Learning Communities Matter: Students formed stronger bonds and support networks when working in consistent teams throughout the semester. One student noted: “I’m now good friends with everyone in my learning community … This will provide me with support for the rest of my university career and beyond.”
- Self-Discovery Through Teaching: When students taught topics to peers, they gained new appreciation for both learning and teaching. They developed deeper understanding of themselves as learners and greater empathy for their instructors.
- Human-Centered Design: Project work, focused on real users, helped students develop empathy and consider human impacts of their technical solutions. Students learned to “make sure products are not selfishly made” and became “extremely empathetic with users.”
Quick Strategies to Implement
- Foster Learning Communities: Create stable student teams that work together across multiple assignments or projects.
- Incorporate Peer Teaching: Have students research and teach topics to classmates, followed by reflection on the experience.
- Include Human-Centered Design: Frame projects around real human needs and users. Have students create user profiles and empathy maps.
- Build in Reflection: Regular reflection activities help students process their learning and personal growth.
- Focus on Team Development: Include team-building exercises and workshops on collaboration skills.
The study found that these approaches helped students develop stronger self-awareness, empathy, and interpersonal skills — without sacrificing technical content. Why not try incorporating one of these strategies in your next course? Small changes in course design can have significant effects on students’ personal and professional development.
Reference: Paul, R. M., Jazayeri, Y., Behjat, L., & Potter, M. (2023). Design of an integrated project-based learning curriculum: Analysis through Fink’s taxonomy of significant learning. IEEE Transactions on Education, 66(5), 457-467. https://doi.org/10.1109/TE.2023.3307974