Project Based Learning (PBL)

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Project Based Learning (PBL)

• An Innovative Model for Learning

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Characteristics of PBL

• Organizes curriculum around a problem or project
• Engages students as stakeholders
• Creates a learning environment where teachers
  coach, guide inquiry and facilitate deeper levels
  of understanding

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Project Based Learning

• concentrates scenarios that provide rich learning
  opportunities
• involves students in problem-solving
  investigations and other meaningful tasks
• allows students to build their own knowledge
• concludes with realistic products

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Project Based Learning

• Establishes connections to life outside the
  classroom
• Addresses real world concerns
• Develops real world skills
• Many of the skills are those desired by today's
  employer such as
• the ability to work well with others
• make thoughtful decisions
• take initiative
• solve complex problems.
• Allows for a variety of learning styles
• Accessible for all learners

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Project Based Learning

• shifts away from the classroom practices of
  short, isolated, teacher-centered lessons
• emphasizes learning activities that are
• long-term
• student-centered
• integrated with real world issues and practices
  and have compelling questions
• To facilitate student integration of content to
  teach students to
• Use their minds, apply what they learn, be
  technologically literate, acquire 21st century
  skills and self-confidence

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Project Based Learning

• Encourages
• Group process skills
• Life skills
• Technological skills
• Cognitive process skills
• Self-management skills
• Positive Attitudes

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Methodology

• Guide on the side
• no longer sage on the stage
• More coaching and modeling
• less telling
• More finding out with students
• less being the expert
• More cross disciplinary thinking
• less specialization
• More performance-based assessment
• Less knowledge-based assessment

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The Students Move

• from following orders
• . . to carrying out self-directed
  learning activities
• from memorizing and repeating
• . . To discovering, integrating and
  presenting
• from listening and reacting
• . . To communicating and taking
  responsibility

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The Students Move

• from knowledge of facts, terms and content
• . . to understanding processes
• from theory
• . . to application of theory
• from teacher dependent
• . . to empowered

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Project Based Learning in an IT Environment

• Students make effective use of IT as they produce
  a product, presentation, or performance
• IT is integrated into the learning students are
  NOT learning IT skills in isolation
• There is a reason to learn the IT skills

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How

• Look at what is relevant and current in your
  students lives
• Look at the major content ideas you need to cover
  in your curriculum
• Teachers need to select driving questions
  carefully so that the students learn the content
  stipulated in curriculum frameworks.
• Let the instructional content drive the activity
• Look at big problems facing the world today and
  historically
• Start with a lesson you already have and adapt it

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How

• Give up the idea that you have to become experts
  but realize you have to be there for support
• Teachers need to learn how to questions student's
  thinking and challenge students to support their
  conclusions
• Remember to assess the meaningful skills assess
  student thinking
• Try it evaluate what you have done and adjust
  for the next year

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Differences in Project Based Learning and an
activity based lesson
Example Themes Activity Based Instruction Project Based Learning Differences between the two
Pollution Complete labs that show effects of different kinds of pollution. Identify components of each Identify pollution problems in the community. Form a task force to investigate the problems and devise technically feasible solutions for each The activity-based tasks are just that individual tasks with no connections and no real world connection. The Project based approach defines an overarching challenge and inserts these tasks in a meaningful community project. The students may still complete the labs, and identify components of each, but then they use this information when devising solutions.
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Examples
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Upper Elementary/Middle School Science

• Goal understand the various types of
  environmental pollution that exists
• Essential Question Is our world healthy?
• Project Students will take on a role of an
  environmentalist and research an environmental
  problem that exists in their area. The group will
  devise a presentation (video, PPT, brochure,
  etc.) to inform others about the problem as well
  as present a plan for combating this problem

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Middle School Biology

• Goal to learn about organisms and in doing so
  develop a new food
• Essential Question Can I create a scientific
  breakthrough?
• Project Students grow a variety of cultures,
  evaluate existing food products and develop a
  marketing plan for a new food product.

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Fourth Grade Science

• Goal understand how rocks are formed, learn
  about the sources, properties and mineral
  composition of indigenous rocks used in building
  materials
• Essential Question Where does this rock in my
  hand fit into my life?
• Project Students became geologists in their
  town planning initiative whereby they are
  responsible for what kind of native materials
  planners might use to create streets, buildings,
  pathways, and other structures

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Middle School Math

• Goal students will understand how math is used
  in the real world
• Essential Question How can I get what I want?
• Project Students will research a career, be
  given a salary, search for a house, figure out
  their mortgage, budget their money, draw their
  house to scale, keep up a check book, and furnish
  their house. Time permitting, scale models of
  selective houses will be completed for the
  development of a community

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Middle School Language Arts

• Goal utilize the skills of argumentation and
  critical thinking
• Essential Question Do we always say what we
  mean and mean what we say?
• Project students play the role of different
  community groups/members participating in a
  public forum on a controversial local topic

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Upper Elementary/Middle School/High School Math

• Goal Students will understand how the stock
  market works and the effects on those involved
• Essential Question How should I invest my money?
• Project Students will form companies, become
  investors and or brokers, develop a plan for
  investment and track investments for a year

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Upper Elementary/Middle School Science

• Goal Understand the different weather phenomena
  that exist around the world
• Essential Question What do we fear?
• Project Students will become weather
  forecasters informing the world about different
  weather phenomena and plans for being safe if
  these phenomena are encountered.

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Elementary School Math

• Goal understanding of simple economic
  principles
• Essential Question Who owns what and why?
• Project students create a simple retail store
  within their school. They develop a plan where
  they decide what to sell, for what price,
  manufacture the items, market them and keep track
  of profit and losses

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Elementary Reading

• Goal to understand the elements, the functions,
  roles, and components of staging a play
• Essential Question Why do we perform?
• Project students will translate stories they
  have read into plays and perform these plays for
  other children at their school

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Lets Try One
Travel Australia - Elementary through Middle School Travel Australia - Elementary through Middle School Travel Australia - Elementary through Middle School Travel Australia - Elementary through Middle School
Essential Question Unit Questions Lesson Description PBL Idea
What makes a place different from other places? What are the unique landforms of Australia? What are different kinds of animals that live in Australia? Welcome to the Australia-The Land Down Under! Come on a tour of Australias unique natural wonders and be amazed. Learn about the incredible animals that inhabit this continent. The students make a power point presentation of their favorite animal and make a brochure of the natural wonders. The students present their learning in a class Web site.
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Lets Try One
Travel Australia - Elementary through Middle School Travel Australia - Elementary through Middle School Travel Australia - Elementary through Middle School Travel Australia - Elementary through Middle School
Essential Question Unit Questions Lesson Description PBL Idea
What makes a place different from other places? What are the unique landforms of Australia? What are different kinds of animals that live in Australia? Welcome to the Australia-The Land Down Under! Come on a tour of Australias unique natural wonders and be amazed. Learn about the incredible animals that inhabit this continent. The students make a power point presentation of their favorite animal and make a brochure of the natural wonders. The students present their learning in a class Web site. Students take on the roles of the Ministry of Tourism and given the task of increasing the tourist visits for the upcoming year. They need to include a plan for increasing tourism and put together presentations showing the beauty of their land as well as a sample vacation itinerary, including costs.
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Summary

• PBL makes school learning more like real-world
  learning
• PTL helps students learn the same content, only
  in a different way
• Besides learning content, PBL incorporates
  components like collaboration, problem solving,
  presenting, communication with others
• PBL motivates students to dig deeper as they get
  hooked on different issues

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References

• Friedman, P.D. Wilhelm, J.D.(1988).
  Hyperlearning. New York Stenhouse Publishers.
• Trowbridge, L.W. Bybee, R.W. (1996). Teaching
  Secondary School Science. New Jersey Prentice
  Hall
• Vermillion, R.E. (1991). Projects and
  Investigations. New York Macmillan Publishing Co.

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Online Sources

• http//www.ericfacility.net/ericdigests/ed368509.h
  tml
• http//www.uoregon.edu/moursund/Math/pbl.htm
• http//www.jordan.palo-alto.ca.us/students/connect
  ions/pbl/pblplan.html
• http//eduscapes.com/tap/topic43.htm
• http//pblmm.k12.ca.us/PBLGuide/PBLPBL.htm
• http//www.iste.org/research/roadahead/pbl.htm
• http//www.glef.org/PBL/whypbl.htm
• http//www.bie.org

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Online Sources

• http//college.hmco/education/pbl/background.htm
  l
• http//www.bie.org
• http//www.mcdenver.com/useguide/pbl.htm
• http//www.cord.org/lev2.cfm/56