Trans-disciplinary Project Based Learning Models for Community Service
Manju G. Nair, Abhilash Suryan
Abstract
For technological advancements to trickle down to the downtrodden and differently abled sections of society, it is necessary that academic institutions take up socially relevant projects directly impacting the community around them. Getting to know the needs of the community around them and attempting the solutions for the problems, presents the engineering students with the opportunity for project based learning. Many of the problems require inter disciplinary and Trans disciplinary skill sets across various branches of study. Local self-government institutions have to tap into the technological advancements to provide better service to the people. This often calls for the expertise of people with strong technical knowledge from different branches of technical education. The two, engineering colleges and local self-government institutions, can engage in mutually beneficial collaborative projects for the benefit of the society. This paper reports two such successful projects, the students have completed with the guidance of the faculty members and in association with Government departments and local self-government institutions.