Exploratory Project: PBL

Authentic engagement in the classroom is a constantly challenging concept for teachers and students alike. How are teachers supposed to get students interested in content? And how are students expected to devote their time to learning material which they often believe is not relevant to their lives? I believe project-based learning could hold the answers to these antiquated questions.
Project-based learning (PBL), according to Heather Wolpert-Gawron’s article “What the Heck is Project-Based Learning?” (2015),
is the ongoing act of learning different subjects simultaneously. This is achieved through getting students to identify, through research, a real-world problem (local to global) developing its solution using evidence to support the claim, and presenting its solution using a multimedia approach based in a set of 21st century tools.
Essentially, PBL is able to get students to interact in a meaningful way with the content, their peers, and their teachers. While students creatively problem-solve, research, and effectively communicate, they are also meeting required standards in a fluid way.
It is essential to understand PBL as something which is incorporated into classroom environments from the onset of planning instead of as an afterthought. In a conventional classroom setting, students receive content, are given opportunities to practice or apply what they have learned, and finally partake in an assessment, which could take many forms (Gonzalez, 2016). The assessment is where there is room for misinterpretation in regards to the true meaning of PBL. If a project follows this traditional path of learning it does not mean it is project-based learning! The Buck Institute for Education (2019) explains that there are two types of projects: a “dessert project” and a “main course project”. A “dessert project” is one that follows a unit taught in a conventional way. A “main course project” is one that is the primary way in which the unit is taught. The “main course project” requires much more of students from a wide range of skills than what the “dessert project does”. PBL at its core allows for students to have the freedom to discover information for themselves.
The “Gold Standard” of PBL, according to the Buck Institute for Learning (2019), includes seven design elements which are imperative to successful PBL:
- A challenging problem or question
- Sustained inquiry
- Authenticity
- Student voice and choice
- Reflection
- Critique and revision
- Public product
All seven of these aspects of PBL create methods for students to engage in their learning in such a way that sustains knowledge retention for a long-term period.
 A fantastic example of PBL in practice is this video which depicts students directing their learning around water purity in a meaningful way.

I believe PBL presents a vast multitude of options for young adolescents to engage in the material they are learning. Aside from the important aspect of student choice in learning, there are opportunities to make connections as to why the learned material is relevant to the world, the individualistic and hands-on approach to learning is advantageous for students who are at a formative stage of development in their lives, and it simply will get kids excited to share what they have learned because they have personal stake in their progress.
PBL is also a platform for learning which I believe can be modified depending on the age of students in order to suit different needs within the classroom. Not only would this method prove effective for young adolescents, but it would also be compelling for high school and college students as well. As students mature and progress in their levels of learning, they are slowly coming to understand what interests them. PBL is a fantastic opportunity for young adults to pursue their interests in a safe and supportive way. And who knows, maybe PBL has the potential to open an avenue for learning that would be relevant to their careers!
The personal experience that I have had with PBL will forever change my life. I have been fortunate enough to participate in a program called “Go Baby Go”, which is focused on “[collaborating] to modify power wheels cars in the hope of enhancing the independent mobility of young children” (GBG Mission Statement). This is a project which I have chosen to become involved with, and through a combination of my own research as well as guidance from SMC Faculty and community volunteers, I have been given the opportunity to creatively problem-solve to aid in creating solutions to how children can gain independent mobility. As a double English and education major with an art minor, I never would have thought that I would be working with power tools and electrically modifying motors of battery-powered cars. This experience has challenged me in ways that I never would have been exposed to if I had not leaped into independent learning in this way.
The need for innovation in the classroom is rapidly increasing, and PBL is a proven and effective tool for teachers to maximize student learning. I believe PBL is going to be one of the ways that the perception of classroom learning will be challenged.


Resources

Buck Institute for Education. (2019). Gold standard PBL: Essential project design elements.
The authors, assorted staff members from the Buck Institute for Education, compile
proven research and practices surrounding project-based learning in order to provide a
standard which project-based learning should achieve in practice.
Buck Institute for Education. (2019). The water quality project [video file]. Retrieved from
In New York, juniors in high school explored effective corrosive inhibitors by way of
learning about the water crisis in Flint, Michigan. Their project started with student-generated questions about accessibility to water, led to students designing their own experiments, and ended with out-of-class experts ranging in degrees to talk with students about taking their findings to the next level. From start to finish, this is a prime example of what project-based learning looks like in the classroom.
Buck Institute for Education. (2019). What is PBL?. Retrieved from
The authors, assorted staff members from the Buck Institute for Education, aim to provide basic information and resources surrounding project-based learning.
Walpert-Gawron, Heather. (2015). What the heck is project-based learning?. Retrieved from
The author aims to educate the audience about project-based learning as an effective and interesting method of teaching which is accessible to all teachers of all age-ranges.
Gonzalez, Jennifer. (2016). Project-based learning: Start here. Retrieved from
The author defines project-based learning, gives examples of facets of successful
project-based learning, and provides resources for the reader to use to get a better
understanding of project-based learning in practice. The author is intending for this
article to serve as a guide to implement project-based learning in a realistic and
compelling way.

Comments

  1. Sarah: your passion for Go Baby Go is infused in your writing and your presentation. You future students will be so lucky to have you, and all the hands-on experience with PBL your bring to the table. As I read the last few paragraphs of your blog, I couldn't help but see the connections to growth mindset. Your experiences with PBL pushed you out of your comfort zone, but also supported you through that process, allowing your to overcome numerous challenges. What an amazing model to bring to a middle school context. Thank you so much for sharing!

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  2. I love hearing you talk about Go Baby Go because there's clearly so much passion there and I really admire that! Like you mentioned in your presentation, PBL is something that is often lost for older students, but you engage with PBL in an incredibly important and positive way. I can't wait to hear about you starting the first Go Baby Go chapter in a middle school!

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  3. Me again: I also LOVE that graphic from the Buck Institute--it's so clear and comprehensive. I just stole it from your blog.

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  4. I enjoyed reading about your love for PBL. I especially enjoyed how you related what you learned about PBL to Go Baby Go. Hearing about your relationship with Go Baby Go makes me sure that you will be able to relate your findings to your future classroom.

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  5. I really appreciate your thoughtful explanation of PBL and the distinction between a “dessert” project and a “main course” project. PBL is the unit and this is the piece that is so essential for educators to understand. You move from the theoretical into the practice when you talk about the power of PBL in your own life. Having seen the value of this type of learning experience, it is clear that you will bring this passion to your own classroom.
    -Lindsey

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