Long-term Impacts of Project-Based Learning in Science and Engineering

Long-term impact of formal project work for science and engineering alumni from Worcester Polytechnic Institute was studied through an externally-conducted web-based survey. The survey included 39 Likert scale questions targeting impacts grounded in 1) institutional undergraduate learning outcomes and 2) areas of unanticipated impact that emerged from a pre-survey online ideation exercise. The survey was distributed to over 10,000 randomly-selected graduates and had a response rate of 25%. Results showed that project work had long-term positive impacts on alumni in terms of professional skills, world views, and personal lives. Mann-Whitney U tests revealed statistically significant differences: Project work had stronger positive impacts on engineering majors when compared to non-engineering majors and on alumni who completed off-campus projects when compared those who completed on-campus projects. Kruskal-Wallis tests identified areas where impact either changed or remained stable over time. Findings provide a unique perspective on the long-term impacts of project-based learning.

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