The Impact of Project and Problem Based Learning Approach on Entrepreneurship and Innovation among Engineering Students

Abstract

Development of engineering students demand the application of technical knowledge in projects to meet standards of competitive market. Along with this basic requirements, some other prerequisites which must be cemented in personality of engineering students are communication with interdisciplinary teams, conflicts resolution, project management and leadership skills. Mostly, up to limited degree, practical skills are applied by engineering students in final year project. To improve technical and management skills of students, focus should be diverted towards project and problem based learning approach. Along with development of technical knowledge in engineering students, both type of approaches can contribute towards entrepreneurship and innovation. In these approaches, students are trained to face certain type of projects/problems which enhances the potential thinking among students and ultimately injects entrepreneurship and innovative skills. Thus, the purpose of current study is to find the impact of project base and problem base learning approach on entrepreneurship and innovation. For this purpose a sample of 283 students participated in this research. It is found that application of project and problem based learning approaches enable students to take initiative, be creative, polish decision making, improve communication and establish leadership skills. In Pakistan, project and problem based learning approach at university is not being utilized effectively like in developed countries and many students lack practical as well as transversal skills even after graduation. Therefore, this study shed light towards the effective utilization of project and problem based learning methodologies at university level in future.