As
a student, I am quite familiar with projects - culminating projects, science
projects, visual arts projects, you name it. My teachers used projects as a way
to assess our understanding of taught material, and to give us an opportunity
to apply the information and content that we had learned. Many of us may be
familiar with this as projects have been used constantly throughout our
educational journey and because they have been a staple in a teacher’s toolkit
for many generations. However a new way of conducting and using projects to
facilitate student’s learning is being introduced and gaining popularity.
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| http://digitallesson.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/StudentsWorkingOnProjectXSmall-300x199.jpg |
Project Based Learning (PBL) refers to a
learning and assessment method in which students are put into groups and their
task is to investigate a topic or find out the answer to an open ended question
(Drake, Reid & Kolohon, 2014). Through this method students are learning as
they are completing the project rather than simply applying previously learnt
material. Drake et al. (2015) explain that the benefits of using project based
learning with your students includes them learning an array of 21st
century skills that will assist them in all of their future endeavours. These include
critical thinking skills, collaboration and communication skills, the ability to
conduct research, and finally problem solving skills (Drake et al., 2014). The
following video gives a good description and example of how project based learning
can be used in a classroom.
As the video suggests, project based
learning prepares students for the real world. It allows them to practice and
perfect skills that will allow them to be better employees and citizens. One of
the key skills needed in PBL is collaboration - the ability to work well with
others to achieve a common goal. Being able to collaborate and communicate effectively
is a necessary skill in most professions and so acquiring this skill at an
early age is extremely beneficial.
Cziprok & Popescu (2015) discussed
another aspect of project based learning that I find to be extremely important
for young minds. They state that project based learning is student centred and
it allows them to conduct an assignment on something that they take interest in
within a set broad topic. This is good for both students and teachers because
students are more likely to be engaged in their academic work if it is on
something that they enjoy and something that they can take pride in. PBL
follows the constructivist theory in that the teacher acts more as a
facilitator rather than a lecturer (Cziprok et al., 2015). This allows the
students to take charge of their learning as they research and conduct their
project.
As I stated at the beginning of this
post, I am very familiar with the typical project assignment and have had
limited experience with project based learning. However, the one instance of
PBL that I have taken part in was a positive one. In Grade 12 I took a business
leadership course and my teacher was very focused on student driven learning,
and she liked having us explore on our own. Our major assignment for the year
was to plan and run a specific school event in groups of 14. My group had the
daunting task of running a school walk, barbeque and outdoor fundraiser for a
specific charity.
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| School Poster for our Event - A Walk Worth Walking |
This project took over 2 months to complete and involved
acquiring sponsors, logistical planning, fundraising, and a whole bunch of
communication with our group members. We were all given a specific role, and I
was one of 2 project leaders. Although this was one of the hardest assignments
I have ever taken part in (organizing and leading 13 of my peers was no easy
task), I have to say that it was probably the most beneficial as it taught me
so much more than a textbook could. PBL is all about learning while doing, and
through this assignment I learned about logistical planning, school safety
protocols, how to work with businesses and corporations, among many other
things.
The use of technology played a huge role
in my assignment, and with the rise of technology this is becoming more common
in PBL classrooms. ChanLin (2008) discussed a PBL assignment in which students in
Taiwan used various forms of technology to learn and present a science problem.
In this classroom, students used computers with access to the internet to
research, acquire, and share information regarding their project based learning
assignment. Technology is a great tool in PBL, as students are able to access
an infinite amount of resources. It is important to keep in mind that not all
students have access to a computer, and so teachers should plan accordingly
(Ex. book time in the computer lab, etc.). The full study on this project based
learning assignment can be found here: à
http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.proxy.library.brocku.ca/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=ce74449b-7436-4626-801c-5797b362e350%40sessionmgr4003&vid=0&hid=4113
The possibilities are quite endless with
project based learning, and I hope that as a future educator you have been able
to take something away from this blog. For more information on project based
learning, and for ideas for your classroom visit http://www.edutopia.org/project-based-learning.
Thank you for reading and happy teaching!
~Morgan Parker~
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| https://grist.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/thumbs-up.jpg |
References
ChanLin,
L. (2008). Technology integration applied to project-based learning in science.
Innovations
for education & teaching international, 45(1), 55-65.
Cziprok,
C.C. & Popescu, F. F. (2015). Project-based learning based upin the
constructivist
method for high school physics lessons. Elearning & software for education, 1(3),
469-
476.
Drake, S. M.,
Reid, J. L., & Kolohon, W. (2014). Interweaving
Curriculum and Classroom
Assessment:
Engaging the 21st Century Learner. Don Mills, ON:
Oxford University
Press.
