A Method for Analyzing Learning Outcomes in Project Courses

Wiggberg, M. and Daniels, M.

ncluding projects in courses is widely recognized as important in preparing students for their profession. Typical examples are capstone courses, where the students are supposed to use their previous knowledge and skills to show mastery of their craft. What this actually amounts to in terms of learning objectives is however often quite fuzzy, resulting in contradictory ideas about how to actually run them in order to reach these learning objectives. This paper presents a method for analyzing learning in project courses, based on the combination of the theory of communities of practice and an identification of key features in project work. The method can be used to gain an understanding of project courses in order to set up a learning environment suitable for its learning objectives. The focus is on the students’ experiences and how they are mapped on desirable learning outcomes. The results are stories related to key features of project work expressed in the theory of communities of practice that capture the strengths and weaknesses of the studied project course.

Cite as: Wiggberg, M. and Daniels, M. (2011). A Method for Analyzing Learning Outcomes in Project Courses. In Proc. Australasian Computing Education Conference (ACE 2011) Perth, Australia. CRPIT, 114. John Hamer and Michael de Raadt Eds., ACS. 73-78

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