Revising a design course from a lecture approach to a project-based learning approach

In order to develop the evaluative skills necessary for successful performance of design, a senior, Geotechnical Engineering course was revised to immerse students in the complexity of the design process utilising a project-based learning (PBL) approach to instruction. The student-centred approach stresses self-directed group learning, which focuses on the process rather than the result and underscores not only the theoretical but also the practical constraints of a problem. The shift in course emphasis, to skills over concepts, results in reduced content coverage but increased student ability to independently acquire a breadth of knowledge.