Applying PBL in project management education: A case study of an undergraduate course

Abstract

The Software Engineering sector has been demanding an education model that targets real market practices more and more exactly. This includes bearing in mind that, in the market, a software project is subject to numerous restrictions of time, budget and other resources required for its development. In this context, this article describes the application of a learning methodology based on problems, called xPBL. This methodology consists of elements that enable a learning environment to be built that in its essence is practical and contains real learning, and that ensure that this is supported by processes that make it possible to evaluate the effectiveness of the PBL approach from various perspectives: namely, the student's, the teacher's and that of the methodological approach itself. Based on this case study, evidence of the applicability of xPBL is demonstrated as is how the behavior should be understood of all stakeholders involved in the process of teaching and learning in one of the most complex disciplines of Software Engineering.