Integration of three instructional design models within the organization of PBL activities

Abstract

This work is aimed at defining a method to design courses based on Project Based Learning methodology. This proposal is specially focused on those academic contexts in which instructors are starting to use this methodology and students are not used to dealing with illstructured projects, and consequently they could find important difficulties in its implementation. To reach this goal, this method is based on several instructional design models, learning theories and PBL principles. In particular, the method faces three fundamental issues in active learning and especially in PBL: Students’ Motivation, Supporting Students’ Work and Autonomous Working. Engaging instructors to follow these models when they are designing the course facilitates the subsequent success during the course implementation. The method has been put into practice in three courses, where first results seem to be satisfactory according to a survey conducted by the University. Results of this survey over for the last six years have been analysed. Besides the description of the method, we present a collaborative online tool that supports it