The effect of project-based learning (PBL) on improving student learning outcomes in Transportation Engineering

This paper discusses the results of an ongoing study on the effect of project-based learning (PBL) on students' learning outcomes in Transportation Engineering, a required junior level course in the Civil Engineering curriculum. The course was taught in 2008, 2009, and 2010 by the same instructor. The course was transformed from a lecture-based course to a project-based course, integrating a semester-long project as a stimulus for students' learning. To evaluate and compare students' learning between the lecture-based and project-based teaching approaches, the LITEE survey instrument (http://www.litee.org/site) was used. The survey instrument includes five constructs to measure five different aspects of students learning: higherorder cognitive skills, self-efficacy, ease of learning subject matter, teamwork, and communication skills. The survey on pre-assessment and post-assessment of student learning outcomes was conducted to determine the effectiveness of the project-based approach on enhancing students' learning outcomes. The results show that the use of the project-based approach significantly improved students' ease of learning the subject matter. Project based learning could be used as an effective teaching and learning strategy by educators to facilitate students' learning.