1. Enhancing Student Learning Experience and
Diversity of Learning Styles Through Project
Based Learning (PBL) and Continuous
Assessment (CA)
A Qualitative Study
Kevin Furlong - DIT

2. Description of the Research
 Action Research Methodology
 Ran over a One-Year Period – 48 Level 6 Participants

3. Description of the Research Methods
 Start of term questionnaires
 Observational diaries
 Reflective diaries
 End of term questionnaires
 Focus groups & Individual Interviews
 Exam results

4. Description of the Research Data Coding
and Analysis
 Continuous Process over Three Action Research Cyclical Phases

5. Main Aim of the Research
The main aim of the research project was to
establish if a deeper understanding and
application of Building Services (BS) Applied
Calculations could be achieved through the
implementation of Project-Based Learning (PBL)
with continuous and formative assessment.

6. Previous Mathematical Experiences
 Leaving Certificate – 83%
 Junior Certificate – 17%
 Research Literature - The „Maths Problem‟
 Applied Calculations and Mathematics –
Fundamental to Engineering
 Less than 5% of Participants would use
calculations to design part of a BS System!

7. Current Programme Assessment Strategy:
 Summative Closed Book Time Constrained Examination
Research Assessment Strategy:
 Construction Project issued to Students at start of term
 Project Brief Issued Weekly
 Implementation of Real-World Mathematical Design Tasks
 Evaluation of other Options to Complete the Tasks
 Solutions to Tasks adjusted to changing circumstances
 Discussion of Final Design Submissions
 Self and Peer Assessment
 Continuous and High Quality Formative Assessment / Feedback
Assessment within project-based learning must involve methods
that focus on understanding rather than just „memory recall‟, „right
answers‟ and „surface learning‟.

8. Typical Design Project

9. Typical Weekly Design Tasks Project Brief
Building Services Project – Sheet No. 1
Using recommended Design Calculations for Area, Volume and Capacity within the project building; determine the
following:
Area: (m2)
1. The living room, hall and kitchen are to be heated using underfloor heating pipework, find the following;
2. The amount of pipe to be ordered if you need 5m of pipe per m2 of floor area.
3. The total amount of heat emitted into the room if the output from the underfloor heating installation is 100W/m2.
4. The areas of all the walls, floors and ceilings upstairs will need to be known to work out the radiator sizes for these
rooms later on – number all of these fabrics and get the areas of them.
Volume: (m3)
1. The concrete covering the underfloor heating pipework is required to 120mm thick. How much concrete will need to be
ordered for this job.
2. The volume of all the rooms upstairs will need to be known in order to work out the radiator sizes for these rooms later
on – name all of these rooms and get the volume of each of them.
3. An extract fan is required for the downstairs toilet. In order to select the correct fan the volume of air in the room is
needed. Calculate the total volume of air in this room.
Capacity: (Litres)
1. The cold water storage cistern is to be situated within the attic space. The recommended storage capacity is 100 litres
per bedroom; calculate the size of the cistern required. An allowance of 150mm should be made for the actual
capacity.
2. Calculate the weight of the cold water storage cistern when it is full.
3. A cylindrical oil storage tank is installed outside the house to feed the oil fired boiler. It measures 3.15m long and
1800mm in diameter. How much oil will need to be ordered to fill this tank.
4. If the oil tanker is delivering oil at a rate of 4 litres per second, how long will it take to fill the oil tank.
5. An indirect hot water storage cylinder is to be fitted under the stairs. It measures 900mm in diameter and 1.2m in
height; what is the capacity of the cylinder if the heating coil within takes up 0.2m3 of space.
This self assessment worksheet comprises just a few of the Building Services calculations that can be worked out by using
the simple formulas for area, volume and capacity.
More Building Services self-assessment tasks will follow on the next self assessment sheet.

10. Typical Weekly Design Tasks Project Brief
Building Services Project – Sheet No. 3
A complete LPHW heating system is to be designed for the project building:
Use the following information for your design:
All internal room temperatures are 210C
The external design temperature is -3oC
U-Values – W/m2oC
Solid Floors – 1.01 W/m2oC
Timber Floors – 2.14 W/m2oC
External Walls – 3.50 W/m2oC
Internal walls – 3.65 W/m2oC
Windows – 4.12 W/m2oC
Upstairs Ceilings – 3.5 W/m2oC
Internal Doors – 3.65 W/m2oC
External Doors – 3.50 W/m2oC
Air Change Rates
Bedrooms – 1 AC / h
Living Room – 1.5 AC /h
Kitchen – 2.5 AC / h
Bathrooms – 3.0 AC / h
Hall – 1.5 AC / h
Cylinder Capacity – 200 litres

11. Findings:
Qualitative Data gathered from – Questionnaires (Start and
End of Term), Focus Groups, Interviews, Observation &
Reflective Diaries, Student Presentations and Submissions
Significant Improvement the following;
 Mathematical Competence
 Applied BS Calculations and Mathematical Understanding
 Mathematical Confidence
 Motivation
 Learning Responsibility
Noticeable Improvements in the following;
 Group Participation
 Communication
 Reflective Learning
 Critical Thinking
 Self and Peer Assessment
 Attendance

12. Findings:
Quantitative Data gathered from – Questionnaires,
Summative Examination Results.
Quantitative Data determining the following;
 Initial Level of Mathematical Experience
 End of Term Summary
 Final Summative Examination Results
 Final Summative Examination Results Comparison with Previous Years
 Number of Students Attempting Mathematical Questions
 Number of Students answering Mathematical Questions correctly

13. Typical Qualitative / Quantitative Analysis:
Q 2. Having done this course do you now feel more confident about
using Building Services Applied Calculations;
This question while linking back to question No. 9 in the initial
questionnaire also seeks to find out if students would be now more
likely to use applied calculations in the future

14. Typical Qualitative / Quantitative Analysis:
Q 3. Would you consider your current understanding of applied
calculations and mathematics has improved since doing this course;
This question while linking back to question No‟s. 3, 11, & 12 in the
initial questionnaire also seeks to establish the effect that PBL may be
having with these students

15. Findings in Terms of PBL:
 Measured through weekly submissions of solutions to
tasks and problems
 Large degree of independent learning and self-
assessment built into the projects.
 Project-work in turn acted as a test and a presentation of
students learning and understanding.
 Formative and Summative
 Informative
 Constructing a concrete artefact

16. Findings in Terms of PBL:
 Thinking through the steps of the construction process
and complete tasks in a logical sequence (Real-World).
 Sequential, logical and reflective path to be followed in
this process, and where an understanding had to be
achieved in order to progress through the design.
 The reason for Rote learning was practically removed.

17. Qualitative Analysis:
 Throughout the research the attitude of the students
was, with very few exceptions, very positive.
 Among the contributing factors, was the awareness that they
were in charge of their own learning.
 The feeling of freedom in planning and carrying out the
project-work / learning.
 Genuine willingness and interest in learning among the
students where they see a relationship to their discipline, and
a means of applying this knowledge to real-life practical
situations.
 The highest motivational aspect to learning that emerged
from the findings came from the authenticity of the
projects, and their relevance to real world design work and
problems.

18. Qualitative Analysis:
 Analysis of the data showed that although their mathematical
ability was sufficient to learn mathematics and applied
calculations for previous summative assessments, the
relationship between these calculations and real-world
industry tasks was not evident to most students.
Student Comments:
“I always had the ability to do maths in my exams, but I didn’t
know why I was doing them”
“I didn’t know where in industry these calculations could be
used, they were just written on the board and we were told to
follow them for the exam”.
“I could now see what the calculations were doing in the project
building”;

19. Student Comments:
“when I did heat-loss calculations before I finished with a number
that meant nothing, this time I had to go and find a heat-emitter
to match and also make sure it would fit in the space, now it
means something to me”
“if we were assessed on this it would be much better and we
would learn far more than trying to remember questions”
“it would be great to see how all the different systems join up
with each other in a building, at the moment we just do
everything separately for examinations, it is just read out and I
can never see how they all link together”.

20. Comments & Findings aligning to Literature
 Often the words „deep‟ and „surface‟ are used to describe
approaches to learning, but more precisely they are approaches
to „assessment‟.
 Most students can adopt either surface or deep approaches to
their learning and one of the most important influences on which
approach they take is course design and assessment.
 It is assessment that frames learning, creates learning activity
and is the driving force for motivation, types of learning and
teaching, and understanding.
 In many cases it is assessment that has more impact on
learning than does teaching.
 Preparing engineering students for real-life work should involve
engaging them in tasks to make complex judgements about their
own work and for making decisions in uncertain and
unpredictable circumstances in which they will find themselves
in the future.

21. Comments & Findings aligning to Literature
 PBL and CA involves removing assessment from the domain of the
assessors into the hands of the learners.
 With very few exceptions, the students who participated in this study
agreed that they found the PBL method of learning, teaching and
assessment more productive to their learning needs, more engaging
through challenging real-life design work, and more resourceful in
providing them with the competencies they need to work within their
chosen discipline.
 Society now demands more than passive graduates who have complied
with a rigid regime, and employers and professional groups are placing
expectations on institutions to deliver graduates who are prepared for
and can cope with the real world of work.
 Student-centred learning can foster knowledgeable, competent, reflective
and committed learners, that are more prepared for the unorthodox type
of real work problems that are associated with engineering disciplines.

22. Final Comments:
Students may escape from poor teaching through their
own activities, but they are trapped by the
consequences of poor assessment, as it is something
they are required to endure if they want to graduate
(Boud, 2006).
It is with one of these student participants that I leave
the final remark.
“I remember every project that I have ever
done, I sat an exam last Friday and I can’t
remember what was in it.”

23. Thank you for listening
Questions?
Kevin Furlong – DIT