The Contextual Learning Approach in Engineering Education

Abstract

[EN] This study presents a learning approach that educates Industrial Engineering and Management students to perform their future job more successful. This approach embeds a practical project within the learning program. The theoretical framework of our learning process is contextual learning, which claims that a learning process occurs when students link new formal knowledge with real-life experience. The project stimulates the student to implement the theoretical knowledge in a practical environment. This approach was applied in two important academic courses: project management and new service development. 129 engineering students, participants of this study, had to implement the academic know-how into the embedded project. The study utilizes a quantitative tool to measure the students’ response to the approach. This evaluation tool included ‘preferred’ and ‘actual’ questionnaire forms. The results indicate that the majority of the students were satisfied with their learning environment; their actual form rank was at least like the preferred form rank.