Multidimensional comparison of project-based learning programs

In response to the nation-wide call for reform in STEM education, a number of universities are introducing non-traditional experiences in their engineering curricula as early as the freshman year. Although many of these experiences can be characterized as “project-based,” they vary widely in their implementation. These variations hamper meaningful research on the relative impact these pedagogies have on student learning outcomes. In this paper, we will describe a tool that allows a multidimensional comparison of disparate non-traditional pedagogies. The tool will be used to first characterize and then quantitatively compare and contrast five different freshman-level engineering classes. This tool could provide a common basis for discourse regarding the relative effectiveness of other non-traditional STEM pedagogies regardless of the “labels” that might be affixed to them.