1.2 The components of the Project- Based Learning
There are a few elements that are important to include in project-based learning, otherwise your students are just doing projects. We vaguely talked about this in a post published last week, "What is Self-Directed Project-Based Learning Anyway" and now I'm back with details on specific elements of PBL, and how to modify those components to be self-directed. It naturally presents a variety of opportunities for students to make decisions about the experience; to make choices that reflect who they are as unique individuals. Each PBL component mentioned in this post can be, and should be in my opinion, open for student choice.
Key Components of PBL
1. Innovative Final Product
Students conduct research or gather information on a topic of their choosing or around a theme or standard that you present to them. They then assemble that information into a final product that demonstrates learning. An innovative final product moves away from the cut and paste approach of a poster board or Power point. Examples include timelines, business plans, video promotions, skits, and more.
You can easily give students choice in how they demonstrate learning even if the class is focusing on the same topic or driving question. For example, if your students are studying habitats, rather than have every student create a 3D model of their chosen habitat, let them choose how to share new knowledge. Their choice might reflect their goals, their interests, hobbies, and more. Allowing students to determine this aspect of the experience makes it more engaging because it is relevant and personalized.
2. Community Experts
Communicating and/or collaborating with community experts is a critical component of project-based learning. The idea is that students learn about their project topic from primary sources - real people specifically. Students might conduct an interview, shadow, intern, volunteer, or work directly on a project with a community expert on their topic. The community member might assist with student projects by providing materials, a work space, or knowledge.
This element of PBL, when self-directed, helps students build communication skills, develop and expand their community network, and gather authentic and accurate information. Give students the opportunity identify, communicate with, and coordinate interactions with their own experts.
3. Authentic Presentations
An authentic presentation is one where the end product of a PBL project is shared with an authentic, relevant audience beyond the boundaries of the classroom. The purpose is to motivate quality work and make an impact on the community.15
This is an easy component for students to take on themselves, to self-direct, especially if they choose their final product. Final products and authentic presentations are interconnected. If a student chooses to create an animation to demonstrate learning, for example, they wouldn't present their final product on a podcast. A more appropriate final product to share on a podcast would be a book of essays, for example, and the student would share an excerpt from that book.
All of the resources in my PBL product line are deliberately designed to give students choice while also providing structure to avoid overwhelm.
4. Assessments and Consistent Feedback
PBL doesn't often have cut and dry, right or wrong answers, which can make some students uncomfortable. Providing regular feedback is critical, giving students security and validation. We offer a variety of feedback opportunities throughout the project-based learning process, including self-, peer-, and teacher one-on-one evils. This can get tricky when the PBL experience is self-directed, because you may have 20 different PBL's going at once. We create a schedule, and this comes highly recommended. For example, we facilitate project progress circles every Friday where students have an opportunity to review each other's progress and offer feedback.
5. Project Reflection
A reflection is so important to PBL. When a student has completed their PBL experience they should look back on it. The ability to reflect, adjust, and improve is an important life skill. Reflecting on a student-led experience is essential because they look at personal growth rather than data or grades. They reflect on challenges, strengths, implications of what they've discovered in the inquiry process, and more.
6. Final Assessments
Again, project-based learning emphasizes self-evaluations. The assessment piece of project-based learning can absolutely be self-led. Have students generate their own rubrics and lead their final evaluation meetings with you.
To be considered truly authentic, high-quality Project Based Learning, each PBL Unit should be compromised of the following Core Components. When you remove any of these components, then you start to weaken the PBL process and impact on student learning. When planning a PBL Unit, you should ensure it incorporates each of the following elements.
Standards-Content Knowledge and Skills
The PBL Unit demonstrates a range of content knowledge that is clearly focused on conceptual development and is integrated through workshops/lessons
Authenticity & Relevance
Addressed a real-world challenge, need, problem, or concern: The PBL Unit is authentic and relevant for students and must address community-driven issues. Adults in the "real world" are likely to tackle the problem or question addressed in the PBL. 16
Inquiry
The PBL Unit contains major phases of the challenge, and helps the students organize their to-do lists without overly prescribing tasks.
Student Voice & Choice
The PBL Unit includes multiple opportunities for students to provide creative solutions to the challenge, and allows students to contribute individually to the group according to their respective talents and skills.
Collaboration
The PBL Unit design intentionally supports group interactions through various strategies and allows students to engage in cooperative learning activities that promote productive interdependence, individual accountability, and positive interaction among the students.
The PBL Unit incorporates employability skills, i.e. critical thinking, communication, collaboration, technology use, innovation, self-direction, persistence, which are assessed both formatively and summative throughout the PBL.
Community Partners
The PBL Unit involves community partners who have played an integral role throughout the PBL and provide feedback and/or contribute to the final evaluation.
Feedback and Revision
Students receive frequent and timely feedback on their works-in-progress from teachers, mentors, and peers and are given time to use the feedback to revise and improve their end products.
Publicly Presented Product
The final end product is a culminating exhibition, presentation, or activity in front of an informed audience which addresses and authentic challenge posed by the community partner.
Reflection
Throughout the course of the PBL Unit and afterwards there are deliberate times of reflection in regards to learning and progress.
Key Phases of Project-Based Learning
Larmer, Mergendoller and Boss outline four key phases of Project-Based Learning: project launch, inquiry, development (which includes critique and revision), and presentations. Teachers serve as both facilitators and instructors through each phase with the aim of supporting the development of an authentic and public product.
The Four Phases of Project-Based Learning
Project Launch can include an introduction to the driving question via an entry event. The purpose of entry events is to encourage curiosity and support an initial interest in the content to be explored. These events can vary depending on the content and proficiency/grade level of the students (e.g., a field trip, simulation of a real-world scenario, a video, hands-on activity). After an entry event, students should be able to start considering their “need to know” -- the relevance of the question -- and who the target audience could be.
Ideation and Inquiry
Students build knowledge, understanding, and skills to answer the driving question. They find resources that they can use, determine and assign roles for collaborative components, and engage in lessons that support their solutions to the challenge statement or driving question.
This process guides students through questions such as “Do I need more information?” and “Is this clearly communicated?” Peer critique or feedback from field experts and product revision are interwoven throughout the inquiry process. Students will go back and forth between the revision phase and inquiry phase.
Presenting and Defending Solutions
Products should have a lasting impact on the public. This can consist of presenting a solution to a community issue or inventing a product that helps the world. Releasing the product to the public demonstrates the value of the students’ learning processes and their place outside of school. Additionally, students are actively and authentically reflecting on their work and its future applications as they present their product and explain their process.
Educator and Learner Readiness
Project-Based Learning is not an “all or nothing” endeavor and no educator should shy away from exploring its many possibilities due to a lack of experience or confidence in implementing it “correctly.” The four stages of PBL can be implemented with varying degrees of scaffolding and support, depending on the comfort level of the teacher and readiness level of the learner. The four stages of PBL exist along a continuum of learner agency, ranging from being completely teacher-directed to being completely student-directed. Based on students’ readiness level, the amount of student-directed learning can increase in some stages and remain more teacher-directed in others. As teachers and students become more comfortable with PLB and the freedom it can provide, teachers can ease up on the reins and learner agency can increase all around.
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