“PBL isn’t about writing a state report. It’s about using what you know about the state you study and then creating your own state. It isn’t about building a replica of the Washington Monument. It’s about researching someone to honor, designing your own monument, and persuasively pitching a committee to build it.” –Edutopia
Characteristics of Project-Based Learning
- Role-playing
- Real-world scenarios
- Blended writing genres
- Multiple reading genres
- Authentic assessments
- Authentic audiences
- Real-world expertise brought into the classroom
- Units that assess multiple skills
- Units that require research and comprehension of multiple subjects
- Student choice
- Collaboration
- Multiple methods of communication (writing, oral speaking, visual presentations, publishing, etc.)
Am I Doing it Right?
Are your students engaged? Engaged learners find personal meaning and value in their work, and they often go above the bare minimum. They may also spend their free time on the assignment.
As a teacher, are you becoming more of a guide on the side? You should notice that students start asking each other questions instead of always coming to you. They also should become more independent in finding their own answers either through research or experimentation.
Are your students learning in new ways? One sign that your students are thinking more critically is if you are hearing questions like, “But why is it like that? But couldn’t this work, too? Has anyone tried it like this before?” Even negative push back from students is actually a sign that they are being stretched and challenged, which is a good thing!
Are your students making choices about their products or processes as they learn? In other words, are your students finding different ways to demonstrate their learning, rather than all producing the same product?Are your students learning while doing instead of learning and then doing? Many traditional class projects don’t begin until after the students have finished their learning. They master a concept and then produce something. In PBL, the learning happens through the process of producing something.
Check out this video from friEdTechnology:
More Resources
What the Heck is Project-Based Learning?
Buck Institute for Education: PBLWorks
Guest Blogger
Raina Burditt