Adoption-Ready Project-Based Learning for Computing Education: The FORAP Framework and a Multi-Scale Project Portfolio

Jul 16, 2026

FORAP (Framework for Organizing Reusable and Adaptable PjBL Projects) and a multi-scale portfolio of 14 adoption-ready project-based learning packages for computing education address limited adoption caused by heavy instructor workload and persistent student technical barriers. Each package centers on aligned learning objectives expressed through project attributes, supported by coordinated instructor, student, and assessment materials. The framework is evaluated over four years across 44 classroom trials at seven universities. Structured packaging enables feasible adoption with limited modification while targeted support materials reduce barriers that impede student engagement.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages9

Reading Time23 min

Introduction

Project adoption barriers

Student technical barriers

Contributions and framework overview

Related work

Evaluation approach

Adoption-Ready Project-Based Learning for Computing Education: The FORAP Framework and a Multi-Scale Project Portfolio Ahmad D. Suleiman Computing and Information Sciences Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester, NY, USA [as4300@rit.edu](as4300@rit.edu) Faraz Hussain Electrical & Computer Engineering Clarkson University Potsdam, NY, USA[fhussain@clarkson.edu](fhussain@clarkson.edu) Jan DeWaters David C Shepherd Turgay Korkmaz Institute for STEM Education Computer Science Computer Science Clarkson University Louisiana State University UT San Antonio Potsdam, NY, USA Baton Rouge, LA, USA San Antonio, TX, USA [jdewater@clarkson.edu](jdewater@clarkson.edu) [dshepherd@lsu.edu](dshepherd@lsu.edu) [Turgay.Korkmaz@utsa.edu](Turgay.Korkmaz@utsa.edu) Yu Liu Electrical & Computer Engineering Clarkson University Potsdam, NY, USA [yuliu@clarkson.edu](yuliu@clarkson.edu) Daqing Hou Software Engineering Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester, NY, USA [dqvse@rit.edu](dqvse@rit.edu) arXiv :2607 . 11129v1 [ cs .CY] 13 Jul 2026 Abstract—This innovative practice full paper presents FORAP (Framework for Organizing Reusable and Adaptable PjBL Projects) and a portfolio of 14 adoption-ready project-based learning (PjBL) project packages built with the framework. PjBL in computing education offers strong educational benefits, yet its adoption remains limited by high instructor workload and recurring student technical challenges. FORAP addresses these barriers by organizing each package around a project designed with aligned learning objectives and described through project attributes, along with coordinated instructor, student, and assessment materials that support adoption and adaptation across diverse computing courses. We report on four years of deployment across 44 classroom trials at seven universities, drawing on feedback from students, instructors, and advisory board members. Results suggest that structured project packaging supports feasible adoption with limited modification effort and that targeted support materials help reduce the technical barriers that commonly hinder student engagement. The contributions of this work include FORAP and a multi-scale portfolio that demonstrates its use across diverse computing domains and project scopes, offering practical guidance for instructors who wish to design, adopt, or adapt reusable PjBL projects in computing education. Index Terms—Project based learning, Course design, adoption I. INTRODUCTION Project-based Learning (PjBL) is widely used in computing education to provide authentic, hands-on learning experiences, but implementing and sustaining it in practice remains challenging for both instructors and students [1], [2] . For instructors, substantial barriers arise when adopting and maintaining PjBL projects, including the time and effort required to design new projects or adapt existing ones, align them with course objectives, scope them appropriately, manage project organization in class, support student teams, and assess open-ended project work fairly [1] . These barriers are often exacerbated by limited institutional support, such as insufficient time, training, teaching assistants, funding, and reusable project resources. For students, recurring technical barriers arise during project work, including installation and configuration of tools, lack of prerequisite knowledge, and difficulties while completing project tasks such as debugging, implementation, testing, deployment, version control, and documentation [2] . When students perceive these challenges as insurmountable, their motivation and confidence can weaken, especially when they feel stuck and cannot move forward. This paper addresses these barriers through two contributions: FORAP (Framework for Organizing Reusable and Adaptable PjBL Projects) and a multi-scale portfolio of 14 adoption-ready computing PjBL project packages. FORAP organizes each project as a coordinated package center

FAQs

What problem does FORAP target in computing education project-based learning?

FORAP targets limited adoption caused by instructor workload and recurring student technical challenges during project work such as tooling setup, prerequisite gaps, and debugging or deployment difficulties.

How does FORAP structure each adoption-ready PjBL project package?

FORAP organizes each project as a coordinated package anchored on aligned learning objectives, described through project attributes, and supported by instructor, student, and assessment materials.

What evidence is used to evaluate FORAP?

The evaluation uses evidence collected over four years, including advisory board review feedback, student beta testing, post-implementation feedback, pre- and post-surveys, and deployment outcomes from 44 classroom trials across seven universities.

Jul 16, 2026

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