Steps in developing an advanced software engineering course using problem based learning

University graduates may struggle toconvert the skills they have learnt insoftware engineering design principlesto real-world situations such as wouldbe found in industry. The traditionalteaching practice of lectures and tutorialsis not providing the context nor sufficientpractice for students to develop the skillsneeded to solve real work problems.This paper investigates the use ofProblem Based Learning (PBL) and itsapplication to software engineering anddistance education. Through a soundpedagogical approach the key skills ofPBL (as endorsed by PBL practitioners,such as problem solving and independentlearning) can be developed in the studentsas they are exposed to real world softwareengineering problems.