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The hard work of soft skills: augmenting the project-based learning experience with interdisciplinary teamwork

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Abstract

This two-year qualitative study explored the learning process alongside students’ perceived outcomes within an interdisciplinary project-based learning (PjBL) task. Students from three different undergraduate courses were assigned a project that spanned across all three classes and placed student teams in the roles of client and contractor. Content analysis of reflective journals and focus groups provided a rich view of the learning experience from the student perspective. Findings from Year 1 demonstrated ways in which students had employed soft skills (e.g., communication, collaboration), but also revealed the need for changes to the course design to fully realize the interdisciplinary vision of the project. Findings from Year 2 showed how students negotiated the realistic tensions of the client-contractor relationship while working to develop both soft skills and hard skills (e.g., programming, design, market research). Overall, this study reveals how the interdisciplinary nature of this project supported important aspects of student learning that might not have occurred through a more traditional class project. In addition, it sheds light on the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration among instructors when designing a PjBL experience that pushes students to crosses disciplinary boundaries.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Oklahoma State University, 424 Willard Hall, Stillwater, OK, 74078, USA

    Jane S. Vogler

  2. Oklahoma State University, 210 Willard Hall, Stillwater, OK, 74078, USA

    Penny Thompson

  3. Oklahoma State University, 365 Human Sciences West, Stillwater, OK, 74078, USA

    David W. Davis

  4. Oklahoma State University, 232 Math Sciences Building, Stillwater, OK, 74078, USA

    Blayne E. Mayfield

  5. Virginia Tech, 352A Henderson Hall, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA

    Patrick M. Finley

  6. Oklahoma State University, 365 Human Sciences, Stillwater, OK, 74078, USA

    Dar Yasseri

Authors
  1. Jane S. Vogler
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  2. Penny Thompson
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  3. David W. Davis
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  4. Blayne E. Mayfield
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  5. Patrick M. Finley
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  6. Dar Yasseri
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Penny Thompson.

Appendices

Appendix A

Journal prompts

Year 1—prompts for initial weeks

  1. 1.

    If you have a specific role as a part of your team please list the title in the space provided.

  2. 2.

    Of the twenty first century skills referenced above, which do you feel were most related to the activity you engaged in as part of our project-based learning experience in class? List, then explain the nature of this relationship in the space below.

  3. 3.

    In the coming weeks which skill(s) do you believe will be most crucial to your individual contribution as a team member? List, then explain your reasoning in the space provided.

  4. 4.

    What did specific things did you contribute to your team this week? (Remember, your specific response has no impact on your grade in the class. Responses are helpful to understanding workloads, delegation by leaders, and future adjustments to the class. Detailed truth is the aim of this question).

  5. 5.

    What, if anything, would you like to communicate to your instructor(s), regarding this project and/or project-based learning experience?

Year 1—prompts for final week

  1. 1.

    If you have a specific role as a part of your team please list the title in the space provided.

  2. 2.

    Of the twenty first century skills referenced above, which do you feel were most related to the activity you engaged in as part of our project-based learning experience in class? List, then explain the nature of this relationship in the space below.

  3. 3.

    What specific things did you contribute to your team for the final delivery of the project? (Remember, your specific response has no impact on your grade in the class. Responses are helpful to understanding workloads, delegation by leaders, and future adjustments to the class. Detailed truth is the aim of this question).

  4. 4.

    What was one thing you learned (about yourself, others, said topic, etc.)?

  5. 5.

    What is one experience you enjoyed/gained valued from during this PjBL initiative?

  6. 6.

    What is one experience you did not enjoy as a part of this PjBL initiative?

  7. 7.

    What was an obstacle you had to overcome while working on this project?

  8. 8.

    Share a story of something you had to learn on your own (research information or develop a technique) to succesfully complete this project.

  9. 9.

    What is one thing you may have wanted to learn/experience that you did not this semester?

  10. 10.

    In thinking of the future of this PjBL initiative what is your personal feedback regarding one thing to start.

  11. 11.

    In thinking of the future of this PjBL initiative what is your personal feedback regarding one thing to stop.

  12. 12.

    In thinking of the future of this PjBL initiative what is your personal feedback regarding one thing to continue.

  13. 13.

    What, if anything, would you like to communicate to your instructor(s), regarding this project and/or project-based learning experience?

Year 2—prompts for initial weeks

  1. 1.

    Of the twenty first Century Skills listed, which one(s) do you feel were most needed to make progress on the mobile app project during the past 2 weeks? (multiple-mark).

  2. 2.

    Pick the most important one and explain.

  3. 3.

    Of the twenty first Century Skills listed, which one(s) do you think WILL BE most important in order to continue making progress on the mobile app project during the NEXT 2 weeks?

  4. 4.

    Pick the most important one and explain.

  5. 5.

    In what way(s) do you think your team is united in trying to reach its goals for the mobile app project?

  6. 6.

    In what way(s) do you think your team has conflicting aspirations (if any) for the mobile app project?

  7. 7.

    Imagine someone offered you a job, starting tomorrow, involving tasks very similar to what you are doing on the mobile app project. On a scale of 1 to 10 (1 = not at all; 10 = very much), how confident would you be in your abilities to be successful at that job? Please explain your score.

  8. 8.

    What, if anything, would you like to communicate to your instructors about the mobile app project and/or the team learning experience?

Year 2—prompts for final week

  1. 1.

    What, if anything, did you feel excited or enthusiastic about in terms of this project-based learning experience?

  2. 2.

    What, if anything, did you feel anxious or concerned about in terms of this project-based learning experience?

  3. 3.

    Of the twenty first Century Skills listed, which one(s) do you feel were most needed to make progress on the mobile app project throughout the semester?

  4. 4.

    What do you feel was your greatest contribution to your team?

  5. 5.

    What was one thing you learned (about yourself, others, said topic, etc.)?

  6. 6.

    What was an obstacle you had to overcome while working on this project? How did you overcome that obstacle?

  7. 7.

    Share a story of something you had to learn on your own (research information or develop a technique) to successfully complete this project.

  8. 8.

    Imagine someone offered you a job, starting tomorrow, that involved tasks very similar to what you have done on this interdisciplinary project. On a scale of 1 to 10 (1 = not at all; 10 = very much), how confident would you be in your abilities to be successful at that job? Please explain your score.

  9. 9.

    Optional: What, if anything, would you like to communicate to your instructors about the mobile app project and/or the team learning experience?

Appendix B

Focus groups—guiding questions

  1. 1.

    In this class you’ve been work working in groups that included HRAD, CS, and GR students. Can you describe in general terms what this experience has been like so far?

  2. 2.

    How does this compare to other group learning experiences you’ve had in other classes?

  3. 3.

    What have you enjoyed most about this group experience?

  4. 4.

    What do you think you’ve learned that you wouldn’t have been able to learn without this group experience?

  5. 5.

    What has been the biggest challenge so far in this project? What strategies have you tried in order to deal with that challenge?

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Vogler, J.S., Thompson, P., Davis, D.W. et al. The hard work of soft skills: augmenting the project-based learning experience with interdisciplinary teamwork. Instr Sci 46, 457–488 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11251-017-9438-9

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