Role-based meets problem-based for software engineering learning

Abstract

Problem-based learning (PBL) has been proving its success in many areas of education that require experimental learning or " learning by doing,'· especially in engineering, medical, dental and veterinary education. In a typical PBL environment, students are assigned a real-world problem to explore and then work collaboratively in groups to seek solutions to that problem. ln PBL, problems are often tackled from a single perspective, e.g., from the perspective of a problem-solver. Therefore, less emphasis is given to the development of some other skills, such as communication skills, management skills, change management skills, negotiation skills. risk management skills, quality management skills, etc. These skills are, however, rather crucial in the context of the globalization of software development where the differences in culture and language must be resolved amongst a variety of roles and perspectives to reach a shared goal.