The dynamics of project work in natural science at RUC

The purpose of the present project is to research the development of RUC projects in an open and explicit way by studying how student direction plays out in practice: What choices do natural science project groups make, in particular with regard to the problem formulation and the method, during their project work in second semester projects? How are these choices facilitated by the supervisor and the mandatory evaluations? These questions are answered by following two project groups at NatBach closely and filming their supervisor meetings, interviewing the students about the evaluations as well as collecting written material produced by the groups, including report drafts and meetings minutes. With its scope of describing and analyzing the dynamics of project work in natural science at RUC, the project is likely to markedly increase our understanding of the how PPL at RUC plays out in practice. This understanding in particular concerns the interplay between four of the fundamental principles, namely project work, problem orientation and participant control. Moreover, the study is a case study of how participants exert control over problem-oriented project work done in groups and as such it could play an important role in facilitating the ongoing discussions among supervisors and students about potentials and challenges of project work.