When you first begin to explore Project Based Learning it can be a bit overwhelming especially if this is new concept for you. If you question whether this is an effective way to teach then looking at those who use it is a great way to make that determination. Consulting the feedback from teachers and students who use project based learning is an excellent way to get a better understanding of how project based learning is used and accepted.
While reading the article Seven Essentials for Project-Based Learning, several things stood out:
- "A project is meaningful if it fulfills two criteria. First, students must perceive the work as personally meaningful, as a task that matters and that they want to do well. Second, a meaningful project fulfills an educational purpose. Well-designed and well-implemented project-based learning is meaningful in both ways."
- "Many students find schoolwork meaningless because they don't perceive a need to know what they're being taught. They are unmotivated by a teacher's suggestion that they should learn something because they'll need it later in life, for the next course, or simply because "it's going to be on the test." With a compelling student project, the reason for learning relevant material becomes clear: I need to know this to meet the challenge I've accepted.(Seven Essentials for Project-Based Learning,)
Another thing we can learn from students who use PBL is that they value and desire their independence. Students who were interviewed in the video Project Based Learning: The Students' Experience all agreed that independence is the number one perk to PBL. Think about it. Would we rather the next generation never question things, never solve problems, and do exactly what they are told or do we want the next generation to solve the big world issues, make new discoveries, and take ownership of their lives?
Hi Paige, The seven essentials of project based learning also stuck out to me. The most important thing I got from it is that the project should be meaningful to the students. The project should also be educational following the course standards. I believe if a student finds a project to be meaningful to them they will work a lot harder on it. PBL also allows for the student to take on more responsibility when it comes to their learning. This is very beneficial to students to gain a since of independence.
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