What is Project Based Learning?
The Buck Institute for Education defines project based learning, or PBL, as "a teaching method in which students learn by actively engaging in real-world and personally meaningful projects." In PBL, students work to answer a complex question over a period of time. After investigating, collaborating, analyzing, communicating, and thinking critically, students will demonstrate their knowledge through creation. The final creation is a product and/or presentation for a real-world audience. The Buck Institute for Education states that projects considered a Gold Standard PBL, are focused on students gaining key knowledge, understanding, and success skills.
Why Does Project Based Learning Matter?
PBL engages students in academic experiences that extend beyond the classroom. When students are provided opportunities to participate in PBL, they are developing their sense of agency as a learner, thinker, and problem-solver. Students develop strong communication and collaboration skills as they work closely with peers and teachers. Project based learning engages students in integrating technology and creativity to investigate, create, and share with others.
Tips for Successfully Preparing an Integrated PBL
Implementing PBL requires careful thought and consideration. PBL requires the teacher strategically prepare for instruction, collaboration, independent work time, assessments, and presentations. Suzie Boss, author of Setting the Standard for Project Based Learning, recommends trying shorter tasks before launching a full-blown project. Inquiry tasks can support students in learning how to have deep conversations, solve problems, and communicate effectively. As you work through the planning process, determine how many days you will need from start (day 1) to finish (students present).
Tip #1: Plan the Purpose of the PBL
Think clarity - What are the learning outcomes? What will students do and why will they do it? At the end of a PBL students will create and present, so be prepared by knowing the purpose of the project.
Tip #2: Plan the Standards You Will Teach and Assess
When planning a PBL, start with which standards you plan to teach and assess. These standards will drive your planning process. Consider integrating a science or social studies standards or topic students have already been taught or are learning at the same time. If you are a departmentalized teacher, talk to the social studies and science teachers. Not only will these teachers be able to support you in understanding the topic, but they will also have creative ideas and resources to share. They may even love the opportunity to plan together for the ultimate unit!
Tip #3: Plan the Skills Required to Master the ELA Standards
The skills you will assess students are on, are the ones you will teach throughout the PBL. Therefore, as part of the planning process, plan which skills you will teach, how you will teach them, and when in the process of the PBL you will teach them. Because PBL can take unexpected turns, your plans may change slightly, but being prepared will allow you the opportunity to make shifts without stress. Essentially, the skills required for students to master the standards, will become your minilessons. The skills you teach will be the skills students will apply in their partner and independent work.
Tip #4: Plan Effective Strategies and Learning Activities
This tip requires knowing your students strengths and the areas where they need support. Plan how you will teach skills and how students will apply them. You might consider discussion strategies, journaling, interviews, photo analysis, or videos. Plan activities that encourage students to be curious, reflect, and think and talk about what they are reading and learning.
Some students may require scaffolding in order to access content and perform. Scaffolds may include sentence starters, sentence frames, additional videos to support background knowledge, images to support vocabulary, graphic organizers, and differentiated/modified texts. If students are expected to access texts independently/with partners for inquiry purposes, provide modified texts they are able to read and understand. Additionally, consider text to speech for reading and speech to text for writing. Remember, the purpose of a scaffold is to bridge gaps. When planning, decide which scaffolds you will teach to the whole group and which you will teach 1:1 or in small groups. For some students, scaffolds are essential. Without them, students are limited in their ability to comprehend, participate, and succeed.
Tip #5: Plan How You Will Assess
Assessment is a form of communication. You can implement assessments for learning, or implement assessments of learning. Assessments of learning may include observations, oral questioning, journal entries, portfolio entries, exit cards, skill inventories, homework assignments, projects, interest surveys, criterion-referenced assessments, or norm-referenced assessments. Assessments for learning require the teacher to gather, analyze, and use various forms of data, to measure learning progress, guide instruction, and provide feedback in a timely manner (Wiliam, 2011). Assessments can be used to determine instructional moves that lead to improved student outcomes and are used to drive instruction (McNair, 2004). Formative assessments, like journaling and projects, inform how the student is applying skills. If the data from formative assessments reveal misconceptions and/or additional wonderings, you can plan for instruction to support specific skills and concepts. Authors Lee and Abell (2007) affirm that because formative assessments require metacognition, students are more engaged in thinking and learning when formative assessments are implemented. Feedback from formative assessments that focus on performance and understanding, encourages high levels of expectations and success for all. Authors Martinez-Gudapakkam, Mutch-Jones, and Hicks (2017) state, “Furthermore, formative assessment creates opportunities for students to investigate their own misunderstandings and to reflect on and revise their thinking” (p. 93).
While the formative assessment guides the learning process, the summative assessment will be the end of unit assessment. Ultimately, the final project in a PBL is the summative assessment. The final project in ELA will include writing and could also include a project or design. PBL is performance based, so assess what students perform or create. This could be a combination of multiple pieces of writing with a presentation and a model or design. With any final project, you will want to provide students with rubrics and checklists to support their process. Rubrics and checklists should be included as part of instruction so students understand the expected outcomes.
Getting Started
Implementing an effective PBL requires strategic, thoughtful planning. Intentional planning ensures you are able to support students as they read, write, investigate, communicate, and collaborate. This is the part where you think through the what, why, and how of your instruction to ensure students are prepared, confident, and successful. The time invested in planning is worth it.
References:
The Buck Institute for Education: www.pblworks.com
Martínez-Gudapakkam, A., Mutch-Jones, K, & Hicks, J. (2017). Formative assessment practices to support students who struggle in science. Science and Children, 88-93.
McNair, S. (2004). “A” is for assessment. Science and Children, 24-27.
Wiliam, D. (2011). What is assessment for learning? Studies in Educational Evaluation, 37, 3-14.
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