Learning in project-organized teams is considered as a promising strategy for postgraduate level education. By this strategy, students have opportunities to participate projects supported by government or company. Usually, the project teams consist of supervisors and their students from different levels and diverse backgrounds. However, there are always some new recruits to enter teams and the graduates leave at every semester, so high personnel turnover rate exists, while most projects are at least one-year-long with aims of solving real engineering problems needed in society. The supervisors are professors in universities with responsibilities of leaders in these teams, as well the experts in some fields of engineering education. Therefore, for the STEM students, learning is organized through practical problems and in collaborations among group members, which may develop skills of creative thinking along with problem solving process.
Published in Chapter:
Developing Engineering Creativity in STEM Programs in Chinese Universities
Copyright: © 2019
|Pages: 21
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-5225-9961-6.ch010
Abstract
This chapter aims to formulate a proposal of developing engineering creativity by problem- and project-based pedagogies in STEM programs in university education in China. It will introduce the increasing needs of engineering creativity in China, deepen understanding of the concept of creativity and engineering creativity, and provide a review of diverse models of problem- and project-based pedagogies in STEM programs. This further brings a discussion on how to develop engineering creativity in STEM programs in Chinese universities in order to overcome the barriers caused by traditional education system and culture. A series of strategies will be proposed including supporting student group work, designing interdisciplinary project, facilitating staff development, and developing creative communities, etc. Briefly, this chapter has the significance of developing engineering creativity in China both theoretically and practically, and also implies how to develop problem- and project-based pedagogies in STEM programs in other cultures around the world.