In 2004, Chalmers University of Technology in Göteborg, Sweden, decided to develop a project-based course for third-year students enrolled in its five-year engineering programmes. The motives were (a) that many of these programmes lacked a project course aimed at developing skills in project planning, teamwork and communication prior to the fifthyear master thesis project, and (b) that the introduction of a Bologna framework-style 3+2 education required the introduction of a bachelor thesis project. The project course was offered for the first time in spring 2007.
The aims of the Chalmers project course are that the students should integrate, deepen and develop knowledge and competency acquired during the first three study years. The course also aims to give the students good competencies to participate in project teams, using a critical and reflecting way of addressing and solving the project task. The project course is a large-scale endeavour: The course is compulsory for the students of fourteen “Civilingenjör” (MSc in Engineering) programmes and the Architecture programme. Each year, around 900 students are enrolled, working on 200 projects in many different areas, ranging from fundamental physics to architecture. The course size is 15 ECTS credits. A large number of faculty and staff are involved – teachers, administrative staff, librarians, linguistic staff etc. The course is very complex with all its different course elements that need to be coordinated.
The aim of the paper is to describe the development process of the project course, account for the course design, including the intended learning outcomes, the teaching approach and the assessment schema and to evaluate the experience from running the courses focusing on challenges deriving from the scale of the course, and from assessment of team-based project courses.
The project course has been carefully evaluated during its first two years. The evaluation results show that there have been problems with to provide clear and consistent information to students and staff and to clarify roles and responsibilities. Despite these information issues the students have a highly positive attitude towards the project course. Also the teachers are very satisfied with the quality and conduct of the students project work.