A Study on Project-Based Learning in a Boat Design and Building University Course

The main purpose of this study was to develop interdisciplinary project-based learning and investigate the process and effectiveness of project-based learning involving undergraduate students in the Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering in a college in Taiwan. The theme of this research project was “boat design and building.” This study used the revised PIPER (PIPER; Preparation / Implementation / Presentation / Evaluation / Revision) model to design the project activities and integrated the learning of the following three courses: “Operation and application of 3D boat mold design software,” “Boat building,” and “Boat parts design and building practices.” In teaching and research, the students carried out via the learning by doing and experimental courses, the final completion of the boat design and construction. This study selected a total of 97 students as the subjects and conducted text analysis, a questionnaire survey to collect data. The research results showed that project-based learning in combination with hands-on learning could guide students in completing the design and building of a real boat. This learning method provided students with brand-new experiences, enabled them to experience the pleasure of boat design, and effectively elicited a positive attitude toward boat-building engineering and learning effectiveness. Moreover, this study proposed suggestions for the project process that could inform future interdisciplinary project-based learning in colleges.