Project-based approach for electrical engineering education at ETH Zürich

This practice paper introduces the project-based approach of the Center for Project-Based Learning within the Department of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering of ETH Zürich. This center's approach to education is built around a three-stage education model that includes projects early on in the students' educational journeys, gradually increasing their complexity in alignment with their growing level of experience. This approach ensures students develop both technical expertise and essential professional skills necessary for their engineering careers, scaffolding course work, small scale group projects and interdisciplinary flagship projects. The center is further enhanced by an evidence-based approach to continued improvement, using regular surveys, reflective journals, and research findings to refine course design and supervision. Students have reported high satisfaction levels with the courses, expressing that the projects aided their understanding of future aspirations and helped develop crucial soft skills, notably in collaboration, communication, and presentation. Projects focus on real-world applicability, ensuring students are well-prepared to tackle real-world challenges, with many focusing on contemporary problems in areas such as sustainability.