PROJECT BASED LEARNING

Integrating PBL Into Classroom Instruction Beccy Hambright, Ph.D.

Program Manager T-STEM Center Texas Tech University [email protected]

July 2012

21

st

Century Challenges

There is a profound disconnect between what students are taught and tested on in most high schools today and how they are expected to learn, versus what the world will demand of them as adults and what motivates them to do their best.

The Global Achievement Gap,

Tony Wagner

PBL Research

• • • • • • More effective than traditional instruction Increases student motivation & engagement Improves students’ retention of knowledge Improves mastery of 21 st century skills Effective with lower-achieving students Increases achievement on standardized tests

Teacher Experiences

• • • • • • Works for all students Improves motivation to learn Used across academic contents Includes opportunities for technology Connects to outside world with relevance Promotes civic/global awareness

PBL Essential Elements

• • • • • • • • Significant content (key concepts & standards-based) 21 st century skills In-depth inquiry (rigor) Driving question (open-ended) Need to know Voice and choice Revision and reflection Public presentation

PBL Special Purposes

• • Career/technical education programs Alternative high schools/after-school programs/summer school • Integrating two/more subjects; team teaching • Connecting to other schools, community, businesses, organizations

Introducing PBL

• • • • • Begin with the end in mind Craft the driving question Plan the assessment Map the project Manage the process

What First?

• PROJECT IDEA – Work backward – Use standards – Find real world ideas – Research community – Match real world applications to individual need – Tie to local, state, national topics – School/community service

What First?

• SCOPE – Duration; Breadth; Technology; Outreach; Partnerships; Audience • AUDIENCE • STUDENT AUTONOMY

What First?

• • STANDARDS KEY STANDARD – LITERACY!

– Remember: At least one literacy outcome per project (reading, writing, speaking)

What First?

• • OUTCOMES – Foundational Competencies • Basic skills (reading, writing, math, speaking, listening) • Thinking skills (learn, reason, make decisions, think creatively, solve problems) • Personal qualities (responsibility, self-esteem, integrity, self-management) LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

Seven C’s for Success

• • • • • • • Critical thinking/doing Creativity Collaboration Cross-cultural understanding Communication Computing Career/learning self reliance

Habits of the Mind

• • • • • • • • Persisting Managing impulsivity Listening with understanding & empathy Thinking flexibly Striving for accuracy & precision Questioning & posing questions Applying past knowledge to new situations Gathering data through all senses

Habits of the Mind

• • • • • • Creating, imagining, innovating Responding with wonderment Taking responsible risks Finding humor Thinking interdependently Learning continuously “Habits of the Mind” adapted from A.L. Costa & B. Kallick, eds., Discovering and Exploring Habits of Mind (Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 2000).

An “A” in Designing Projects

• • • • • • Authenticity – real world applications Academic rigor – core concepts/habits of mind Applied learning – competencies Active exploration – data collection/review Adult connections – experts outside classroom Assessment criteria “The Six A’s” adapted from Adria Steinberg, Real Learning, Real Work (Boston, MA: Jobs for the Future, 1997).

Driving Questions

• • • • • • Provocative Open-ended At the heart of discipline or topic Challenging Real-world application Consistent with curricular standards & frameworks

Assessments

• • • • • • Align with outcomes (work backwards) Culminating products (research papers, reports, presentations) Civic exhibits Use rubrics Presentations Grading

Diagnostic Assessments

• • • • • • Precedes instruction Checks student prior knowledge Identifies misconceptions Determines learning-style preferences Provides information for teacher planning Examples: pretest, student survey, skills checks, K-W-L

Formative Assessments

• • • • Ongoing assessment Provides information to guide teaching & learning Includes formal and informal methods Examples: quiz, oral questioning, observations, “think aloud”, portfolio review

Summative Assessments

• • • • • Culminating assessment conducted at end of unit Determines degree of mastery/proficiency Evaluative in nature Results in score or grade Examples: test, performance review, final exam, culminating project/performance, portfolio

Project Mapping

• • • • • Organize activities Launch the project Gather resources Scaffold ideas Draw a storyboard

Process Steps

• • • • • Share project goals with students & refine Use problem-solving tools – Know/need to know – Learning logs – Planning/investigation Checkpoints/milestones Plan evaluation/reflection Celebrate

Presentations

• • • • Be prepared – schedule, facilities, equipment, personnel, audience Inform audience of participation Teach good audience listening skills Provide timekeeper

Reflections

• • Think-Pair-Share Small group discussions • Fishbowl discussions (group representative with “open chair” approach)

Evaluation

• • • • • Peer evaluation Self-reflection & evaluation Group evaluation Teacher evaluation What happens next?

Resources

• • • • • www.pblprojects.org

www.ascd.org

www.nctl.org

www.p21.org

www.edutopia.org/stw-pbl-resources •

Reinventing Project Based Learning: Your Field Guide to Real-World

Projects in the Digital Age by Suzie Boss & Jane Krauss. Published by International Society for Technology in Education, 2007

http://www.iste.org/source/orders/isteproductdetail.cfm?product_code=reinvt

References

• Capraro, R.M., Capraro, M.M., Morgan, J., & Scheurich, J. (Eds). (2010). A Companion to

Interdisciplinary STEM Project-Based Learning: For

Teacher by Teachers. Rotterdam, The Netherlands: Sense Publishers.

• Larmer, J., Ross, D., & Mergendoller, J.R. (2009). PBL

Starter Kit: To-the-Point Advice, Tools and Tips for

Your First Project in Middle or High School. Novato, CA: Buck Institute for Education.

References

• Markham, T., Larmer, J., & Ravitz, J. (2003). Project

Based Learning: A Guide to Standards-Focused Project Based Learning for Middle and High School Teachers (2 nd

ed.). Novato, CA: Buck Institute for Education. • McTighe, J., & Wiggins, G. (2004). Understanding by

Design: Professional Development Workbook.

Alexandria, VA: ASCD Publications.