Supporting college students’ learning transition in digital era: through a compulsory year 1 research-led learning PBL module

In the context of rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), traditional teaching and assessment methods have proven inadequate to meet societal demands for skilled talent. This shift has posed a significant challenge: facilitating the transition from examination-focused secondary education to independent, self-directed learning among university students. To address this challenge, our teaching team developed and implemented an innovative cross-disciplinary research- led learning module integrating project-based learning (PBL). This compulsory module serves all first-year students (N = 4599). The module cultivates students' self-directed learning abilities by guiding them in selecting topics of personal interest, conducting data collection and analysis, and developing solutions through the PBL framework. Instruction combines online and on-site delivery to provide personalized, one-to-one guidance tailored to individual student needs. To ensure continuous improvement and sustainability, this research employs a participatory action research methodology, focusing on iterative refinements of the module during its implementation while fostering ongoing teaching innovation. Student perspectives on the learning process were collected throughout the module. Findings highlight the effectiveness of PBL in enhancing students' self-directed learning skills and problem-solving competencies. Notably, 83.97% and 86.16% of respondents recognized the benefits of teamwork and interest-driven topic selection. However, only 53.56% and 55.61% appreciated the value of online learning and on-site one-to-one consultations for their learning experience. Key challenges included barriers to teamwork due to randomly assigned groups, insufficient disciplinary knowledge support, and inadequate communication within groups. For the upcoming academic year, the module has been restructured based on these findings to address identified issues. This study offers valuable insights into designing innovative educational programs that prepare students for future societal and professional challenges, emphasizing the importance of research-led learning and interdisciplinary collaboration in higher education.