A reflection on constructivism and
recent reforming efforts in
engineering education
[CDIO UTILIZATION] [PERSONAL OBSERVTION] [TANDT| BA VÌ | 12.APR.2015
]

STEM ‘Wave’
21st century skills
Science
Technology
Engineering
Mathematics

CDIO Initiative: Need for Reforming Education
“Engineering education and real-world demands on engineers have in
recent years drifted apart. Realizing that this widening gap must be
closed, leading engineering schools in the USA, Europe, Canada, UK,
Africa, Asia, and New Zealand formed the CDIO Initiative: A worldwide
collaborative to conceive and develop a new vision of engineering
education.”
Not only for Engineering education anymore

CDIO is constructivist
An education that stresses the fundamentals, set in the context of Conceiving
– Designing – Implementing – Operating systems and products:
• A curriculum organized around mutually supporting courses, but with CDIO
activities highly interwoven
• Rich with student design-build-test projects
• Integrating learning of professional skills such as teamwork and
communication
• Featuring active and experiential learning
• Constantly improved through quality assurance process with higher aims
than accreditation

Multi-disciplined Integrated Project-Based
Experiential Learning

CDIO Standards
The 12 CDIO Standards address program philosophy (Standard 1),
curriculum development (Standards 2, 3 and 4),
design-build experiences and workspaces (Standards
5 and 6),
new methods of teaching and learning (Standards 7 and 8),
faculty development (Standards 9 and 10),
and assessment and evaluation (Standards 11 and 12).

Design-build experiences and workspaces
• A curriculum that includes two or
more design-implement experiences,
including one at a basic level and one
at an advanced level
• Engineering workspaces and
laboratories that support and
encourage hands-on learning of
product, process, and system
building, disciplinary knowledge, and
social learning

FPT University settings
• FTICO
• FSOFT
• Innovation Lab
• Capstone Project
• Other project-based courses

Constructivist Teaching & Learning
• Integrated learning experiences that
lead to the acquisition of
disciplinary knowledge, as well as
personal and interpersonal skills,
and product, process, and system
building skills
• Teaching and learning based on
active experiential learning methods

Active Learning levels

What does a constructivist [book] look like?

Active learning activities
Learning-by-doing Group discussion Field trip
Creating togetherResearch
Dialog/Debate

Example
A concrete framework:
Teaching Excellence Program from CMU
http://icarnegie.com/program/teaching-excellence-program/

Outcome-based education
Implementation Kit
Curriculum
Goals
Conceptual
Design of
Curriculum
Learning
Outcomes
Curriculum
Architecture
Courses
Matrix
Syllabus
Course
Materials
Course
Materials
Lesson PlansLesson Plans
Assessment KitAssessment Kit
1.1
1.2
2.1
2.1.1
…

Action!
If we are tired
and unable to
walk anymore,
let’s run!
Grade 10 PLTW CS Curriculumn

Thank you!
Give me comments & questions 