Abstract
Educational institutions in the Middle East are often criticized for using outdated teaching strategies such as lecturing that promote rote learning and memorization skills rather than life skills such as critical thinking, creativity and innovation which are important for students’ education and their future careers. This applied research paper presents an example of using Project-Based Learning (PBL) in Higher Education as a supplement to traditional lecturing and the benefits of using this approach for teaching and learning. A group of 62 female Arab students studying Emirati Studies at a federal higher institution in the UAE were involved in this classroom-based inquiry which took place over a 14-week semester. Data were collected using quantitative and qualitative methods to examine how effective the PBL approach was in engaging learners, in improving their skills and in helping them achieve the course learning outcomes. The results of the study showed that PBL was useful in helping students develop essential 21st century skills such as critical thinking, team work, problem solving, research skills, presentation skills, interpersonal communication skills, negotiation skills, creativity, and innovation. This research project helps to illustrate and provide evidence of how using PBL as a supplement to traditional lecturing can be a catalyst for an effective and efficient process-oriented quality education where students are active individuals managing their own learning and having fun in the process.
Citation
Mohammed, N. (2017), "Project-based learning in higher education in the UAE: a case study of Arab students in Emirati Studies", Learning and Teaching in Higher Education: Gulf Perspectives, Vol. 14 No. 2, pp. 73-86. https://doi.org/10.18538/lthe.v14.n2.294
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2017 Noorah Mohammed
License
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) licence. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this licence may be seen at http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode
Acknowledgements
Publisher's note: The Publisher would like to inform the reader that the article “Project-based learning in higher education in the UAE: a case study of Arab students in Emirati Studies” has changed pagination. Previous pagination was pp. 1-14. The updated pagination for the article is now pp. 73-86. The Publisher apologises for any inconvenience caused.