Friday, July 8, 2011

Project-Based Learning

I am familiar with project-based learning, but have never heard the term, "challenge-based learning." The idea of project or challenge based learning seems daunting for a teacher at first, but then I realize that once the time is put into creating a genuine project for the students, they have the opportunity to run with it and direct their own learning, so the teacher takes a step back and acts as a guide when students are struggling. I think that students need more opportunities to develop their own questions and learn how to solve problems without someone telling them what to do. I like the emphasis on interdisciplinary projects at some of the schools. It can take months to complete a project, but ultimately the students feel a sense of satisfaction with their accomplishment. I see project-based learning as one step above inquiry, because it requires that students apply what they learn so that it is relevant to their life. A science lab could be an "inquiry" lab but not be classified as PBL if students do not directly respond to the results of their experiment. I see PBL as doing research to take action or create something that others can learn from. I wonder how widespread PBL will be in the near future, as it seems to produce tremendous results for students.

I found a few schools using project based learning post videos of example projects in their schools. Here are a couple websites of the more extensive websites I checked out:
http://videos.hightechhigh.org/
http://www.bie.org/videos
http://www.bobpearlman.org/BestPractices/PBL.htm (This site has links to a lot of PBL resources)

1 comment:

  1. My administrator really wants us as a school to move towards project-based learning and to work on coming up with interdisciplinary projects. It hasn't worked so far because of a lack of commitment from some staff but I think it will get better through time. I really like them and think that they could be really useful in helping students apply the "scientific process" to real life situations. Now I don't mean the recipe process but the real life thinking through of a problem to the completion of an evidence based conclusion of what the problem means and how to "fix" or understand the problem.
    I agree with your assessment that PBL seems to be a step above inquiry and that the problems tend to be long, intense learning initiatives. Something we have struggled with, as a staff, is trying to fit our projects to the core curriculum in Iowa because we have been told to only cover what is required and that leaves a brief understanding of many different things. Which is unfortunate but it is the limitations to the profession right now. Whether or not that is right is another question entirely!
    Thanks for sharing!

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