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Project and practice centered learning: A...
Journal article

Project and practice centered learning: A systematic methodology and strategy to cultivate future full stack artificial intelligence engineers

Abstract

Aiming at solving the current pain points of artificial intelligence (AI) education, a new AI course at W Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology, McMaster University, was designed and delivered based on a paradigm called Project and Practice Centered Learning (PPCL). The overall teaching philosophy behind PPCL is: students should be systematically trained as future full stack artificial intelligence engineers who are capable to understand and implement feasible AI methods to solve real-world problems by building up systems which function completely to address practical issues in industry, business and daily life. Based on more interactive and practical training in hands-on activities, mini-projects, mid-term project, workshop, and capstone-like course final project, students learn to: (a) how to integrate AI sub topics to address issues raised from real-life, (b) how to create and analysis their own training and testing datasets, and (c) how to compare performance of different AI models, (d) inspire students’ innovation ability, (e) cultivate their comprehensive ability to design and implement a sophisticated system individually, etc. Based on feedbacks from students and peers, the proposed PPCL based AI teaching and learning was effective. This pedagogy can also be applied to AI related courses and other technical engineering courses.

Authors

Gao Z; Wanyama T; Singh I

Journal

International Journal of Engineering Education, Vol. 36, No. 6, pp. 1760–1772

Publication Date

January 1, 2020

ISSN

0949-149X

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Fields of Research (FoR)

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