Project Based Learning
: A must for 21century Education
Narayan
Prasad Sapkota
Master
Trainer, Quest Nepal
Studies have proven
that when implemented well, project-based learning (PBL) can increase retention
of content and improve students’ attitudes toward learning, among other
benefits.
What Is Project-Based Learning?
PBL hails from a
tradition of pedagogy which asserts that students learn best by experiencing
and solving real-world problems. According to researchers (Barron
& Darling-Hammond, 2008; Thomas,
2000), PBL essentially
involves the following:
·
students learning
knowledge to tackle realistic problems as they would be solved in the real
world,
·
increased student
control over his or her learning,
·
teachers serving as
coaches and facilitators of inquiry and reflection, and
·
Students (usually, but
not always) working in pairs or groups.
Teachers can create
real-world problem-solving situations by designing questions and tasks that
correspond to two different frameworks of inquiry-based teaching: problem-based
learning, which tackles a problem but doesn’t necessarily include a student
project, and project-based learning, which involves a complex task and some
form of student presentation, and/or students creating an actual product
or artifact.
These inquiry-based
teaching methods engage students in creating, questioning, and revising
knowledge, while developing their skills in critical thinking, collaboration,
communication, reasoning, synthesis, and resilience (Barron &
Darling-Hammond, 2008). Although these methods of inquiry-based teaching
differ slightly, for simplicity they’re combined in these pages and referred to
as project-based learning or PBL.
Learning Outcomes
Studies comparing learning
outcomes for students taught via project-based learning versus traditional
instruction show that when implemented well, PBL increases long-term retention
of content, helps students perform as well as or better than traditional
learners in high-stakes tests, improves problem-solving and collaboration
skills, and improves students’ attitudes toward learning (Strobel &
van Barneveld, 2009; Walker
& Leary, 2009). PBL can also provide an effective
model for whole-school reform (National
Clearinghouse for Comprehensive School Reform, 2004; Newmann &
Wehlage, 1995).
Keys to Project-Based Learning Success
Researchers have
identified several components that are critical to successful PBL (Barron
& Darling-Hammond, 2008; Ertmer &
Simons, 2005; Mergendoller
& Thomas, 2005; Hung,
2008). While project-based learning has been criticized in the
past for not being rigorous enough, the following features will greatly improve
the chances of a project's success.
1. A realistic problem or project that aligns
with students' skills and interests, and requires learning clearly defined
content and skills.
2. Structured group work with groups of three to
four students, with diverse skill levels and interdependent roles; team
rewards; and individual accountability, based on student growth.
3. Multi-faceted assessment, with multiple
opportunities for students to receive feedback and revise their work (e.g.,
benchmarks, reflective activities); multiple learning outcomes (e.g.,
problem-solving, content, collaboration); and presentations that encourage
participation and signal social value (e.g. exhibitions, portfolios,
performances, reports).
4. Participation in a professional learning
network, including collaborating and reflecting upon PBL experiences in the
classroom with colleagues, and courses in inquiry-based teaching methods.
Carefully Calibrated
Project Design
In general, PBL projects begin by presenting a driving
question, one that focuses on intended learning objectives, aligns with
students' skills, and appeals to students' interests. PBL can range from being
highly structured -- to guide students toward the most efficient, optimal
solution -- to having multiple or even no clear solutions (for example, a study
of climate change).
If you are new to PBL,
it's best to start with smaller projects that are already part of the
curriculum .Teachers can avoid both common mistakes by following a seven-step
procedure that sets up the problem for students
1. Define the Content. What do you want students to learn by
the end of the assignment? Expectations should correspond with students'
current research and reasoning skills.
2. Identify the Context. Brainstorm a list of real-life
activities in which learners could apply the intended content. Be aware of any
time or location constraints in these situations.
3. List Possible Problems. Create a list of problems or projects
that could occur in each context from Step Two. Select the problem or project
that best presents the content objectives and that will be appealing and
relevant to learners.
4. Describe Potential Solutions. Fully describe the most viable solution
to the problem or project, as well as possible alternative solutions. Identify
the known and unknown variables. Note the most realistic path of reasoning and
the knowledge (concepts, principles, procedures, and facts) that would result
from the most viable solution. Next, identify alternative paths of reasoning
and knowledge that would evolve from alternative solutions to the problem.
Based on these possible solutions, what researching and reasoning skills will
learners need for solving the problem or creating the project? What is the best
framework for building students' knowledge? (That is, how do concepts required
for solving the problem relate to each other?)
5. Calibrate Your Project. Using the solutions from Step Four,
check to make sure that the knowledge and skills generated by the most viable
solution match the intended knowledge and skills from Step One. For instance,
you might create a chart comparing the intended knowledge and skills with those
necessary to solve the problem. To better match intended content with students'
level, add or remove problem conditions. To make a problem easier, focus
learners' attention on the target knowledge. To make a problem harder, focus
learners' attention on peripheral knowledge. To make the problem more
realistic, add time, budget, or location constraints that might occur in an
authentic professional situation.
6. Describe the Task. To create a description of the task,
remove information from the most viable problem solution from Step Four. If
researching or reasoning a critical piece of information is beyond students'
problem-solving skills, this information should be presented to the learners
rather than have them struggle to learn it.
7. Reflect on the Learning. Reflect students' learning by including
multiple opportunities to check their progress in the initial assignment and
adjust instruction accordingly (for example, let them know they need to keep a
journal and report to their supervisor on a weekly basis). The final assessment
should also be clearly described in the assignment (for example, a final
report, presentation, or follow-up question or problem) and should allow
learners to reflect upon their overall learning and problem-solving process.
Structured Student Collaboration
Compared to
traditional instructional methods, students engaged in small-group learning
achieve higher grades, retain information longer, and have reduced dropout
rates, improved communication and collaboration skills, and a better understanding
of professional environments. Collaborative learning promotes time on task as
well as friendships across diverse groups, such as race, ethnicity, gender, or
school cliques. Collaborative learning benefits students across grade levels,
academic subjects, gender, ethnicity, and achievement level To increase the
success of group work, team rewards or goals should depend on growth in each
individual student's skills and knowledge, with measures that account for such
growth. Researchers recommend three- to four-person teams for most
collaborative learning assignments .Lower ability students tend to work best in
mixed groups, medium ability students in homogeneous groups, and for
higher-ability students, group ability levels make no difference.
·Team goals and/or rewards based on individual learning growth. When the team goal is tied to the
learning of each individual, team members care about others' learning and
actively help each other. Assigning interdependent roles to students has been
shown to increase students' learning and engagement through teamwork (Slavin
1996; Johnson & Johnson, 2009).
·Individual accountability. To increase group-work success, team rewards or goals
should depend upon growth in each individual student's skills and knowledge.
Individual learning growth must be measured in relation to each student's past
performance in order to ensure that everyone has an equal chance of success.
For example, teams might be awarded points based on each member's meeting or
exceeding past performance, based on individual assessments.
Assessments That Support Students' Success
For final (summative)
assessment criteria, it is recommended these six items:
1. necessary knowledge acquisition (for example,
"need to knows," or content objectives)
2. depth of study
3. effectiveness and efficiency of research
methods
4. logical and effective reasoning
5. conceptual integration of knowledge
6. effective problem-solving strategies
Barron and
Darling-Hammond (2008)
recommend assessing these six items:
1. use of evidence
2. accuracy of information
3. evaluation of competing views
4. development of a clear argument
5. attention to writing conventions
6. collaboration
So in conclusion what can we say that it is
the process of learning , delearning and relearning permanently .
References
1.
Barron and
Darling-Hammond (2008)
