What is Project Based Learning?

What is project - based learning?

Think back to your school days. Your fondest memories are probably of the projects you did (your drawing of a beaver dam that you did in second grade, writing that research paper about Coal in fifth grade, writing your autobiography in seventh grade, simulating a United Nations session in the eleventh grade, etc...). You probably don't remember all the facts you memorized for those science and social studies tests.

Why did you learn so much from your projects? Project based learning is effective for many reasons. The following brief summary gives an overview of reasons why CLC believes in maintaining a project based learning environment.

Active - Learners learn by doing and becoming engaged in the learning process.

Intentional - Learners must have real and meaningful goals. When learners are actively and willfully working toward a goal, they learn more.

Reflective - When learners reflect on their learning, they build a deeper understanding of the subject area. They are better prepared to use newly acquired skills and knowledge.

Conversational - Open discussions amongst peers leads to deeper and more meaningful learning.

Complex - The problems faced in the world are not predictable and there are no simple formulas that can be use to solve these problems.

Contextual - Learners should work on projects that reflect real-world problems and tasks. Teaching knowledge and skills in authentic environments and cases will assist learners in transferring what they have learned to new situations.

Collaborative - In collaborative learning environments, learners work together profiting from each other's strengths, to achieve a common goal. Collaboration helps learners gain a certain level of appreciation and respect for their teammates. They also learn the importance of working well together for the good of the whole.

Constructive - Learners integrate new ideas and prior knowledge to construct their own meaning. In the beginning, the learner's understanding may be at the surface level; however, with experience and support they will grow and develop skills that will provide them with deeper understanding.

Responsible - Learners, parents, teachers, administrators, and the community are all responsible for creating and maintaining meaningful learning environments. The success of the learning environments hinges on the buy in of all members of the learning community.

Project based attributes summary based upon an overview prepared by Mark Toci, Glenn Johnson, and Theresa Shay.