# Effectiveness and Design of PBL-Based Project Approach for Non-Major University Computing Courses
## 3 Methodology
### Participants and PBL-Based Project Course Design  
This case study was conducted with students enrolled in an introductory computing course. The course was part of the liberal arts curriculum for non-majors at a national university in Seoul, Korea, during the first semester of 2024. The course aimed to teach students the fundamental concepts of computational thinking (CT), algorithms, and programming, enabling non-major students to develop problem-solving skills and apply them to real-world challenges. To analyze the impact of the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) project approach, the learning outcomes of students from the first semester of 2024 were compared with those of students from the second semester of 2023. At the beginning of both semesters, students were surveyed about their prior experience with Python programming, data structures, and algorithms. The majority of students demonstrated basic exposure to Python programming, typically acquired through high school informatics classes or introductory university courses. However, their experience was limited to fundamental concepts including syntax, basic operations, and simple problem-solving. They had not been exposed to advanced concepts, such as object-oriented programming or structured approaches to data structures and algorithms. The study was conducted with two groups of students within the scope of the case study: a control group of 30 students and an experimental group of 31 students. Both groups received identical theoretical instruction, covering foundational Python programming, data structures, and algorithms. The key difference lay in their final assessments. The control group followed a traditional assessment model, culminating in an algorithm coding exam that evaluated the application of concepts learned throughout the semester. In contrast, the experimental group participated in the proposed PBL project approach, which emphasized collaborative problem-solving and code analysis. Students in the experimental group were tasked with identifying algorithmic problems, proposing their own problems, and extending the solutions provided by peers. Finally, they engaged in peer feedback, systematically reviewing and critiquing the extended code submitted by their classmates. This iterative process emphasized collaboration and enabled students to practice critical coding and communication skills. This iterative process of problem creation, extension, and feedback enabled students to deepen their understanding of data structures and algorithms while practicing collaborative coding and communication skills. This design facilitated a direct comparison of the educational outcomes of the proposed approach with traditional methods, particularly in enhancing practical problem-solving abilities and fostering teamwork. As shown in Table 1, the two groups followed identical weekly programming assignments, ensuring consistency in learning activities. However, the final evaluation methods diverged significantly. Table 1 highlights the primary distinctions between the control and experimental groups, particularly in the format of the final evaluation. While both groups received identical theoretical and practical instruction, the control group completed a programming proficiency test, whereas the experimental group engaged in a problem-based project evaluation. Additionally, the table includes the number of students in each group, emphasizing the balanced distribution of participants. The iterative process of problem creation, extension, and peer feedback in the experimental group enabled students to deepen their understanding of data structures and algorithms while practicing collaborative coding and communication skills. This comparison framework facilitated an analysis of how these differing evaluation methods impacted learning outcomes, problem-solving abilities, and teamwork experiences. The number of participants, and the distribution of academic years and departments, were consistent across the two semesters.