Abstract
While some failures or inadequate operations have been pointed out for a final research project done by senior students of undergraduate engineering education, the possibility of PBL (problem-based learning) programs in the curricula set in HEI has attracted prospects to nurture problem-solving skill and attitude among future engineers. The authors have been in charge of directing college students to tackle PBL projects as a regular and obligatory subject in the newly implemented program. At the opening of the curriculum, it was considered that differences between the technological or scientific fields of collaborating firms or organizations and the students’ majors or interests could be of the biggest barrier to successful PBL, however, we observed some cases the students rather acquired problem-solving skill based on the interdisciplinary point of view so effectively even with these gaps as a result. This paper compares PBL cases with the “well-matched goal” and the “ill-defined problem” of the project presented to the student, and shows the hopeful perspective of PBL in undergraduate engineering programs reflecting on problem-set research projects that might not raise students’ independency and/or interdisciplinarity.
