Last Updated on February 16, 2023 by Editorial Team
In project-based learning, the project serves as the delivery method for the critical knowledge and skills that students must acquire. Project-based learning calls for analytical thinking, problem-solving, teamwork, and several different types of communication. Project-based learning aids a long-term investigation and solution to a complex, interesting, and authentic issue, problem, or challenge, students learn through the use of project-based learning.
Long-term, multidisciplinary, and student-centered learning activities are prioritized in project-based learning. Students accomplish a lot more than simply recall facts if they want to respond to a central question and produce work of the highest caliber. To implement a project-based learning approach, it is significant to use various strategies and techniques in the classroom. Teachers can use make use of the below-mentioned strategies to encourage, strengthen, and empower the learning environments.
Effective strategies for project-based learning
While project-based learning has its own advantages and disadvantages, it is important for teachers to constantly understand new strategies for the successful implementation of the approach. The below-mentioned strategies help teachers be creative while also handling students in an effective manner.
1. Engaging in Active Learning
Active learning is a helpful approach to implementing project-based learning among students. It involves the active participation of students in solving a problem or learning about a particular process. Active learning can be successfully implemented with books, activities, and group discussions among learners.
With active learning, students get an opportunity to enhance their knowledge bank through discussion, case studies, and reading of course materials. It also helps them improvise their note-taking and communication skills. Through investigation and discussion, they learn to come up with different solutions to concrete problems.
2. Using Experiential Learning Activities
Teachers can make use of experiential activities in project-based learning approaches. Experiential activities provide hands-on experience to students with reference to the problem and its solution. Teachers can also present various field exercises and internship opportunities to understand the journey of personal development.
While experiential learning is often confused with active learning, there is actually a lot of difference between the two. In this technique, students get an opportunity to understand analysis, evaluation, and reflection by creating or developing experiences. For example, students may be presented with a problem that they analyze, evaluate and then decide the best solution.
3. Implementing Coaching
Project-based learning is often a collaboration of students and teachers to reach the end results. One of the important techniques teachers can employ is coaching. Coaching is a method of training or instructing a group or individuals on how to develop productivity.
In project-based learning, teachers generally act as coaches that identify when students need encouragement or redirection throughout their learning process. Coaching creates a healthy partnership between the student and the teacher thereby allowing both to put forward their opinions for the best results.
4. Developing a Growth Culture
Often, students are motivated in the learning process when they acquire the freedom to think and present their views with an open mind. Teachers and educators can create a learning culture that allows student independence and team spirit. It is the culture that brings about a difference in any project-based learning methodology.
As it defines the attention to quality and open-ended inquiry from both ends, it is one of the essential techniques that lead to successful results. Growth culture also motivates learners to put forward their perspectives with confidence. Teachers and educators can instill such a culture with open communication, mutual respect, and challenging-based activities.
5. Assess Student Learning
Project-based learning constantly assures that students master the learning process with critical assessments. Teachers can focus on assessing students’ knowledge and requirements for modification in the approach. Individual feedback as well as summative assessments are of good help in project-based learning.
Additionally, it is important for teachers and educators to know that students should have an equal chance of receiving feedback from experts, different types of audiences, and peers. As students learn about different people’s perspectives with respect to their work, it helps them refine skills and improvise for better results.
6. Setting Goals and Standards
Project-based learning is focused on setting the right goals and standards for meaningful results. In this situation, teachers and educators need to understand the knowledge and expertise of students and then work on their learning process. It is important to include higher-order thinking activities that are academically important.
Standards that lay importance on goal achievement also help students understand the reason behind the learning and how it impacts the bigger picture. It is crucial for students to create an interrelationship between project-based learning and what lies beyond the classroom. Through this learning, students get an opportunity to solve real-world problems with the right standards of operations.
7. Include Note Taking
Note-taking is a creative way of organizing information and recording it in a systematic manner. It also stimulates critical thinking and enhances creative thinking skills. One of the important techniques in project-based learning is the inclusion of note-taking activities and tools. It implies that students learn to easily record information and store it in various alternatives.
Teachers can ensure that note-taking activities are conducted to promote higher-order thinking. Learning objectives related to the project can also be well drafted through note-taking skills. It is important for students to understand how different information is collected and presented in different ways through graphic organizers, presentations, or mind mapping.
8. Use the Just In-Time Teaching Approach
A teaching and learning approach called just-in-time teaching (JiTT) aims to encourage students to study more actively during class time. The main concept is to use pre-class web tasks to create a feedback connection between in-class and extracurricular activities. In order to make the learning experience as pertinent to a specific class at a certain time as feasible, instructors and students work together as a teaching-learning team.
The goals of just-in-time instruction are to increase student accountability for topic learning outside of the classroom. Students become more engaged and active learners as a result of this process, which gives them greater influence over the learning process. Moreover, it strengthens the teaching methodology and offers a diverse file learning platform to students.
Crucial points to consider while implementing project-based learning
While this learning approach is helpful for students, it is important for teachers and educators to understand various related factors for desired results. It helps them redirect their efforts in an effective manner.
1. Creative Thinking
Project-based learning offers a creative environment for learning. It is different as compared to other learning approaches as students get exposure to real-world problems. Teachers can evaluate the type of project to undertake which gives an opportunity to students to practice their creative skills along with learning the concept in an engaging manner.
2. Team Building
In project-based learning, students need to work in teams to receive the end results. Team building is an important skill that benefits students in the long run. Make sure that students learn to accept different perspectives, opinions, and experiences of other team members through this learning approach.
3. Critical Thinking
Real-world problems do require critical thinking among students. Projects help students channel their thoughts and perspectives through critical thinking processes. Introduce different concepts in a way that students put forward their knowledge into practical applications as they strive to solve problems effectively.
4. Time Management
It is crucial to note that project-based learning requires time to collect relevant information and design projects for students. Overall, it takes more time than other learning approaches thereby eliminating the continuous involvement of students. Therefore, mentors need to be very careful in this aspect to bring forth the unique elements of the project that can be managed effectively with time.
5. Lack of Control
Project-based learning allows students to explore their capabilities in the learning process. However, it also becomes crucial for teachers to maintain order in the classroom while also giving absolute freedom to students. At times, it can become difficult for teachers to control classroom discipline as in traditional learning approaches.
6. Limited Knowledge
This learning approach is more complex and practical for students. It requires students to have some sense of maturity and be able to work in teams. Limited knowledge in any aspect leads to delays in the completion of a project. At times, certain students might be knowledgeable about a certain fact while the other team members might not pace up in the same manner. It also becomes difficult for teachers to control internal group settings.
Wrapping up
The fundamental aspect of project-based learning is that students learn and apply new information in a problem-solving setting. They get an opportunity to engage and seriously consider real-world challenges. This enhances their knowledge and motivates creativity.
PBL consciously fosters students’ creative problem-solving and product-making abilities to convey a deeper knowledge of important subjects. When teachers facilitate student achievement, they gain knowledge from the procedures involved in project creation, students become advanced online researchers and examiners of their own learning.
An engineer, Maths expert, Online Tutor and animal rights activist. In more than 5+ years of my online teaching experience, I closely worked with many students struggling with dyscalculia and dyslexia. With the years passing, I learned that not much effort being put into the awareness of this learning disorder. Students with dyscalculia often misunderstood for having just a simple math fear. This is still an underresearched and understudied subject. I am also the founder of Smartynote -‘The notepad app for dyslexia’,