Big Data + Business Administration: Applying Problem-Based Learning to Enrich the Design of Interdisciplinary Education

In this paper, we explore how to apply Problem-Based Learning (PBL) to enrich the design of interdisciplinary education programs and facilitate the integration of big data engineering education into business contexts. Theoretically, we take social constructivism as the theoretical root of PBL, which highlights principles of student-centered learning, active learning, learning by doing, group learning, teachers' facilitation of the learning process, etc. In designing an education program, it is necessary to align diverse elements of PBL, including (1) objectives and outcomes; (2) types of problems, projects, and lectures; (3) progression, size, and duration; (4) students' learning; (5) academic staff and facilitation; (6) space and organization; and (7) assessment and evaluation. This leads to a discussion of a case on developing a new Bachelor of Education program of "Big Data + Business Administration" at Northeastern University (NEU), China. The case shows how PBL is applied in practice for the development of interdisciplinary engineering education and reflects how NEU managed institutional and cultural challenges in the process of changes. This paper provides implications for better developing interdisciplinary engineering education in the future.