Discussion Board: Week 1 -- Group 1

In addition to the required contents of my reflective journal, I am going to include my responses to discussion forum group questions as well. These will also be cross posted to the discussion forum, but are being included here as a learning resource for me.

Group 1: What is Project Based Learning?

Define Project Based Learning. Describe the difference between Project Based Learning and Problem Based Learning.

According to bie.org, "Project Based Learning is a teaching method in which students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to a complex question, problem, or challenge." PBL engenders a number of Essential Elements as well, some of which include Significant Content, In-Depth Inquiry, Driving Question, Voice and Choice, and Public Audience. Viewed comprehensively, Project Based Learning is an active and iterative engagement with questions and content to derive new solutions and create some sort of meaningful project product to demonstrate learning.

While there are many similarities between Project Based Learning and Problem Based Learning, one of them being a focus on student-centered learning, differentiating between the two is important to understand the premises of both pedagogies in order to utilize each appropriately. In an article on Edutopia.org by John Larmer, Editor in Chief at the Buck Institute for Education, problem-based learning is said to be a "subset of project-based learning -- that is, one of the ways a teacher could frame a project is 'to solve a problem.'" Though Larmer goes on to say that project-based learning "does have its own history and set of typically-followed procedures," the difference between the two pedagogies seems to be largely contextual.

Why should teachers consider incorporating PBL in their classroom?

PBL is a time consuming approach to engaging students with curricular content. But, so is reteaching concepts and ideas. Consideration of Project Based Learning in the classroom is advantageous because it not only deeply engages students with meaningful and relevant content, but it creates a depth of understanding, retention, and transfer of knowledge to various contexts inside and outside of the classroom.

One of the Essential Elements of PBL, found on bie.org, is Voice and Choice. This states that "Students are allowed to make some choices about the products to be created, how they work, and how they use their time." Voice and Choice, in other words, reframes the roles of teachers and students in the teaching and learning process to encourage student-centered learning through inquiry and self-directed demonstrations of mastery. Stated simply, PBL gives more ownership for learning to students, which naturally increases the quality of learning and content-creation.

In summary, Project Based Learning creates opportunities for students to learn content that is important and interesting to them within a framework where a knowledgable teacher is present to guide the PBL experience. The results of such a pedagogical approach include deeper learning, higher levels of engagement, and increased ownership of learning by students themselves.

What are the essential components of a PBL approach to instruction?

As mentioned previously, Project Based Learning is an active and iterative approach to learning. It is a systematic approach to discovery of information as well. In fact, the Buck Institute for Education identifies eight Essential Elements of PBL, which include:

• Significant Content
• 21st Century Competencies
• In-Depth Inquiry
• Driving Question
• Need to Know
• Voice and Choice
• Critique and Revision
• Public Audience

To expound on these Elements, PBL prescribes that students engage with "important knowledge and skills, derived from standards and key concepts" while developing the thinking, learning, and working skills required by 21st century problems. The PBL learning process is a prolonged and rigorous "process of asking questions, using resources, and developing answers," which diverges from more traditional classroom practices. However, by engaging with PBL, students are better able to "see the need to gain knowledge, understand concepts, and apply skills" in order to solve problems and answer driving questions, the findings of which are then presented to an audience consisting of individuals and groups "beyond their classmates and teacher."