Project-Based+Learning

Project-based learning is defined as the use of classroom projects, intended to bring about deep learning, where students use technology and inquiry to engage with issues and questions that are relevant to their lives.

Check out Edutopia's PBL overview for an understanding of what PBL is, and how to implement PBL into your classroom curriculum.

The essential elements of Project-based learning include organizing the project around a driving question that creates a need to locate essential content and skills resulting in critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration and peer review/feedback that incorporates student voice/choice that results in a publicly presented project. 21st Century Skills are an essential element in PBL that develops higher-order thinking skills in students. According to the University of Indianapolis' Research on Project-Based Learning, the following criteria are essential in defining Project-based learning:

//(a) "Projects are central, not peripheral to the curriculum"; (b) "projects are focused on questions or problems that ‘drive’ students to encounter (and struggle with) the central concepts and principals of the discipline"; (c) "projects involve students in a constructive investigation"; (d) "projects are student-driven to some significant degree"; and (e) "projects are realistic, not school-like" (p. 3-4). Collaboration is also included as a sixth criterion of PBL. //

PBL checklists are a great way to create guidelines (rubrics) for students to follow when working on their project. To make a project checklist for your students, first choose the grade level for the type of project you want your students to do. Then, choose from the list of project guidelines, and make a checklist with the touch of a button! You can even add your own criteria to personalize your checklist.

Here are some resources from Buck Institute for Education (BIE) to help you get started, and Intel Teach Elements provides free online courses for educators. Check out their course on Project-Based Approaches which explains how to plan a project, assess a project, and develop critical skills for managing and implementing projects. Example projects are given.

There are also several resources for creating project-based lessons at PBL online and you can access [|Project-Based Checklists]at the 4Teachers website.