“Project-Based Learning: A Short History”
“Project-Based
Learning for the 21st Century: Skill for the Future” (Peer Review Journal)
Summary of the Module
Project-based learning (PBL) is a
teaching strategy where “by focusing students on a project teachers put them on
a path that deepens their knowledge and builds skills they’ll need in the
future” (Buck Institute for Education, 2010). Teachers design real life
problems for students to build their knowledge, think critically, collaborate
in groups, and revise and reflect on their projects and learning. PBL is a
shift in teaching for most teachers. Dauphin (2013) states “the teacher is more
of a coach who guides them through their own reflections and ideas.” The
teacher is making a shift in teaching practices to meet the challenges of Common
Core State Standards (CCSS) and 21st Century Skills. According to Markham
(2012), there are a number of shifts the teachers need to make simultaneously. One
shift is for teachers to move from instruction of the content to inquiry. Teachers
need to “teach students how to take charge of themselves, to respect the
inquiry process, and to become self-directed learners” (Markham, 2012). Teachers
are providing more feedback and questioning students while pushing them in
their achievement. Students are working collaboratively in groups and presenting
their knowledge, which are part of the 21st Century Skills. PBL is a strategy
that provides inquiry experiences for students to dig deep for meaning and
understanding. It is these experiences that have led to studies showing that “students
who use project-based learning remember the material much longer and have
healthier attitudes toward education” (Dauphin, 2013).
Ideas from Independent Reading
In
the article “Project-Based
Learning: A Short History,” Boss (2011) states when PBL is infused with
technology, it “may look and feel like a 21st-century idea, but it’s built on a
venerable foundation.” PBL is not a new idea. PBL has come from a strong
foundation. Confucius, Aristotle, Socrates, John Dewey, Maria Montessori, and Jean Piaget are all philosophers and theorists
whose ideas can be seen in PBL. Whether it is learning by doing or through inquiry
and meaning, PBL is a combination of all these strategies. Learning from real
life problem emerged a half of century ago in various science fields. Boss
(2011) states “although problems are
defined in advance by the instructor, they tend to be complex, even messy, and
cannot be solved by one "right" or easy-to-find answer.” K-12
education has evolved from a project being added on after the learning is done
to PBL being the center of the learning. Boss (2011) mentions there are several
trends in recent times that account for why PBL is fitting so well into
education. Several of these trends are motivation and diversity or students,
navigating and evaluating information, and complex challenges after schooling. “Knowing
how to solve problems, work collaboratively, and think innovatively are
becoming essential skills -- not only for finding future careers but also for
tackling difficult issues in local communities and around the world” (Boss,
2011). PBL is not without challenges for students, but also for teachers. This is
causing a teachers to become more of a facilitator of knowledge rather than the
expert.
“Project-Based
Learning for the 21st Century: Skills for the Future” is a peer reviewed
journal in which Bell (2010) discusses how students develop 21st century
learning skills through the PBL strategy. Bell (2010) states that student
choice is the key to PBL. Teacher facilitate students and are there for every
step of the process, but it is the students who are “designing their own
inquiries, planning their leaning, organizing their research, and implementing
a multitude of learning strategies” (Bell, 2010). PBL is holding students accountable
for setting their own goals and becoming responsible and independent learners
to reach those goals. Student are also learning the valuable 21st century skills
of collaboration and communication. PBL also provides teachers the ability to
differentiate for their students. By providing students the choice of how to demonstrate
their understanding, students will create their own interests and deeper
learning path which will lead to self-motivation. But choice is not the only
place that differentiation can be seen in PBL. Teachers can scaffold the instruction
for students who are first learning the PBL process or to bridge gaps that
exist in knowledge and skill. These scaffolds are only meant to be temporary
and should be removed as the student becomes confident and capable on his/her
own. Another 21st Century Skill mentioned is the students’ use of technology.
Bell (2010) states “technology as a means, not an end, enables students to
experiment with different technologies for all aspects of PBL.” Students use the computer to research answers
to their questions, but still need to be taught the different between reliable
and unreliable sources. Technology is not only used in the research part of
PBL. Students can use technology in a variety of ways to present the knowledge they
learned as well as a blog or wiki to collaborate within their groups. Bell
(2010) does mention one critical aspect of PBL is self-evaluation and
reflection. Students need to reflect on how well they collaborated within their
group, but also reflect about their own efforts, motivation, and productivity
levels. Bell (2010) reports evidence supports that PBL causes “students to
become better researchers, problem solvers, and higher-order thinkers.”
Compare and Contrast
“By
implementing PBL, we are preparing our students to meet the twenty-first
century with preparedness and a repertoire of skills they can use successfully”
(Bell, 2010). This is implied in all the articles read in this model. Whether
it is communication and collaboration or critical thinking and problem solving,
PBL, if used correctly, creates an environment for students to grow as learners
and develop the skills they will need in the future. All of the articles
discuss pros of PBL. In “Problem-Based Learning: A Short History,” Boss is the only
article that shares a concern about PBL. “It's
demanding of students -- and of teachers. Especially for teachers who have
never experienced PBL before, projects require planning and management skills
that may be unfamiliar” (Boss, 2010). The article all did agree that
professional development is essential for teacher using PBL.
Application in your setting
Up
until this year, PBL was not something that I had thought about for my
classroom. I didn’t feel like PBL strategy would fit into the district
curriculum. This year we have a new curriculum based on CCSS. At the end of each
unit, students have a Performance Task to complete. We build throughout the
unit to this task. As I think about the Performance Task and our essential
questions, I could see PBL as a strategy I could use, but even then I don’t
feel what I could do would be a true PBL. I feel that certain things, like the
students creating questions and their own path of inquiry for research, would
be missing. Like all the article I read, I would definitely need professional
development.
References
Bell,
S. (2010). Project-based learning for the 21st century: Skills for the future. Clearing House, 83(2), 39. Doi:10.1080/00098650903505415.
Boss,
S. (2011, September 20). Project-based learning: A short history. Edutopia. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/project-based-learning-history
Buck
Institute for Education. (2010, December 9). “Project based learning:
explained.” Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMCZvGesRz8&feature=youtu.be
Dauphin,
S. (2013). 12 timeless project-based learning resources. Teach Thought. Retrieved from http://www.teachthought.com/learning/project-based-learning/13-timeless-project-based-learning-resources/
Markham,
T. (2012, February 21). Project-based learning and common core standards. ASCE
Whole Child. Retrieved from http://edge.ascd.org/blogpost/pbl-and-common-core-standards
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