Monitoring questionnaires to ensure positive interdependence and individual accountability in a chemical process synthesis following collaborative PBL approach

Publication date: Available online 17 July 2018Source: Education for Chemical EngineersAuthor(s): A. Aranzabal, E. Epelde, M. ArtetxeAbstractTeammates in a Project Based Learning (PBL) methodology do not all start with the same motivation, expectations or self-commitment, which can lead to disappointing learning experiences. Thus, the main difficulties in cooperative learning are promoting positive interdependence and individual accountability. This work aims to analyze whether monitoring questionnaires (MQs) allow rating each teammate’s individual accountability in a chemical process design project. Students took MQs just after finishing each deliverable, in order to verify each one’s knowledge of the essential aspects of the team project. We assume that, if all the teammates work responsibly and cooperatively, they will be able to answer the MQs easily and correctly. The MQs were designed to be: 1) generic; 2) succinct; and, 3) quickly answered in the classroom. In addition, different rating methods were analyzed to incorporate MQs scores into each individual’s project grade. The best results were obtained when student’s individual grade was computed as the product of the team assignment grade and the weighting factor WF3, calculated as the individual average MQs rating divided by the highest MQs rating in the team. A compensation factor (0.75–0.85) was included to correct the excessive downgrading for students with intermediate project grade.
Source: Education for Chemical Engineers - Category: Chemistry Source Type: research