Originally published in 2015

Teachers want their students to be engaged participants in learning rather than mere, mindless spectators in the classroom. Teachers also want their students to exceed surface level thinking, learn to think deeply about the content, and become able to apply it to broad ramifications. For these reasons, many have employed project-based learning (PBL) as a means to engage students in active learning. PBL procedures build collaboration, problem solving, and communication skills as students learn to work with other students on projects and then formally publish their results (Lattimer & Riordan, 2011).

            PBL has gained popularity mostly among those who employ discovery methods of instruction, a style more akin to constructivists than traditional teachers. John Dewey popularized discovery and experiential methods that permit self-directed learning, rooted in humanistic philosophy (Van Brummelen, 2002). Given that Christian schools are partial to direct teaching styles, for philosophical reasons not just preference, some Christian school teachers may be resistant to PBL. But teachers do not have to fully embrace discovery learning, promote a child-centered philosophy, and abandon direct instruction in order to utilize PBL strategies and profit from its benefits. The use of projects and certain elements of PBL can be incorporated into all classrooms for improving critical thinking and deepening students’ understanding of the course content.

Benefits of Project Learning

            The level of hands-on engagement students experience in project learning requires them to fully grasp the concepts.  Composing, creating, experimenting, and researching requires unavoidable engagement. Kinesthetic activities offer an advantage over visual and auditory procedures, in that students cannot approach the classroom with passiveness; they must interact with the content (Jensen, 2005). In addition to the experience students gain when performing projects, the inquiry process builds skills that apply to higher level thinking.

            A primary aim of PBL is to teach students problem solving skills, presenting the students with a problem and assigning them the task of creating reasonable solutions. The guiding questions for the project steer the students’ research, exploration, and experimentation. This type of learning often requires trial by error as students repeatedly test their hypotheses and modify their research as they learn from mistakes and teacher feedback. These experiences in planning, creating, problem solving, and reporting provide learning in a deeper, more meaningful way (Fusun, 2008). Although teachers in the traditional classroom may not choose to fully implement the PBL model, the use of well-crafted projects can improve students’ problem solving skills as students research to test their presuppositions or use creativity to apply newly learned concepts.  

            Projects may also provide an invaluable means for building collaboration skills. Not all projects will fall under the criterion of cooperative learning, but most will require students to collaborate with classmates as they use teamwork to research, negotiate a consensus, and publish results. In this type of setting, teachers can train students to contribute to group endeavors, carry their own weight, and deferring to others as appropriate. 

Disadvantages of Project Learning

            Implementing PBL takes a considerable amount of class time, rendering time constraints as one of the most common criticisms of teachers. Promoters of PBL contend that time is not wasted because students spend class periods engaged in projects that enable deeper thinking than lecture-styled teaching. However, the amount of time required for students to participate in the inquiry process, research topics, learn by trial and error, and communicate their work hardly permits teachers enough time to present all the material required by rigorous curriculums. Christian school teachers find no time to waste as every class day is used to assist students with achieving a high standard of academic progress. Teachers can hardly see how abandoning direct teaching with hours of PBL activities can keep students on track, regardless of the fact that students will be able to deeply grasp the concepts learned by performing the project. 

            Another disadvantage of PBL is the facilities and resources required to perform tasks. Proponents of PBL showcase classrooms that seemingly have unlimited technological, science, and research resources for student use. Limited accessibility to these types of resources may deter many teachers from utilizing projects; however, students will indeed benefit from well-crafted assignments, even if resources are limited.

Essentials of Project Learning

            The effectiveness of project learning heavily depends upon the planning process. What skills will be learned? What content will be covered? Will the project introduce new material or expand current knowledge? Planning begins with determining the specific purpose of the project and what content will be covered. Some projects emphasize inquiry, some build mastery, some illicit creativity, and others provide student choice about content. Once the purpose and content has been determined, four important elements of the project can then be planned.

            First, set the stage for the students by adequately providing enough background information for them to launch into the project. Setting the stage may be a lecture, a video, or class discussion about critical information; or it may be a summary review of previously learned concepts. In either case, the students will be able to focus their research on the appropriate content if the teacher has narrowed the pre-project lesson to content that applies directly to the project. Pre-project lessons can also indicate to the students the importance of the project and the teacher’s desire for students to do their best. 

            Second, determine the driving question that will guide the students as they complete the project. Proponents of PBL apply this step by directing students to solve real-world problems, mainly from a belief that students are more motivated to work on real-world problems. Even if your project aims to accomplish something other than solving a real-world problem, a driving question can help students stay focused. Teach them to consistently refer back to the driving question to insure that their content satisfies the aim of the project. Here are a few examples that hardly qualify as PBL styled inquiry into real-world problems, but the driving questions help direct students as they research and create:

• Project: Develop a notebook of pictures and written summaries of key historical figures in our state. Driving Question: Who are the key people in our state’s history, and why was their impact significant?
• Project: Create a PowerPoint or Keynote presentation discussing the checks and balances instituted among the three branches of government. Driving Question: Why did the Founding Fathers create checks and balances among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government?
• Project: Sketch and act out a short drama retelling the story of Daniel in the lion’s den. Driving Question: How did Daniel’s prayer life result in both persecution and blessings?
• Project: In collaborative groups, test various means for cooling water below freezing point without it changing from a liquid to a solid. Driving Question: How can water be cooled below freezing point while still remaining a liquid?

Third, determine the guidelines and requirements for the project. The details will vary according to the type of project. For instance, guidelines for a science project completed in a collaborative group will significantly differ from an individual assignment to develop a media presentation about a historical topic. Likewise, age appropriateness, time constraints, and desired levels of difficulty will vary the guidelines. But in all cases, consider these elements that need to be planned:

• Scheduling. When is the due date? Perhaps more importantly, what dates are the periodic due dates when the teacher will inspect progress, offer feedback, and permit students to learn from mistakes? The dates need to be clearly communicated to students and parents, and delinquency policies need to be established. Carefully consider the class time needed and the non-class time required for the completion of projects. If other events on the school calendar will compete for the students’ time outside of class, the due dates may need to be adjusted to maximize students’ performance on the project.
• Feedback. How will the students receive feedback to help them reflect on their performance and improvement? If teachers wait until the final due date to assess the project, they may find that the intention of the project was hardly accomplished. The frequency of feedback will depend upon the size of the project and level of difficulty. Some projects will require a series of formative assessments, while smaller projects may require only one check-up before students finish their final product. Methods for providing feedback may vary; the teacher does not have to directly intervene. Self-evaluations, student feedback, and assessments designed for collaborative groups can be applied. Regardless of the format, students need time to reflect on their work and revise. Students achieve deeper understanding when they receive feedback, contemplate their errors, and engage in revision (Laitsch, 2007). Implementing this step into the timeline increases the chances that the students will benefit from the project.
• Communication. How will the students communicate their research? This could involve public speaking, media presentations, writing and composition, and print materials. Since preparing the report can be time consuming, teachers should methodically plan the means by which students will communicate their work. For instance, if students must prepare a media presentation to report their research on a topic, consider the fact that preparing the presentation may take more time than the actual research. If teachers fail to carefully consider the communication element, students may engage in more busywork than meaningful learning (Larmer & Mergendoller, 2010). Students will benefit from the learning process of the project more than the creation of posters and models. Teachers can use this element of the project to provide a dual purpose for the assignment, building students’ communication skills in addition to honing skills needed to master the project’s content. Some teachers may collaborate with their students’ other teachers when assigning projects. For instance, the science and speech teachers may collaborate as students receive a grade in both classes for the elements of the project that apply to each class. 

Fourth, plan how the project will be assessed. Will students be assessed individually, as groups, or both? If the project involves collaborative group work, peer-reviews may be a necessary component. If teachers intend to use informal observations as a part of the overall assessment, an organized means for recording observations should be planned. 

The use of rubrics for assessing projects is unavoidable if teachers aim to grade students consistently and with appropriate measures. Be sure to include as part of the rubric the weight of other assessment tools (e.g. peer-reviews, teacher observations). Rubrics not only assist teachers, but they also allow students to clearly understand how projects will be graded and keep the students focused on the most important aspects of the assignment. Present the rubric before the students begin their work, including an explanation of the rubric criteria as part of the pre-project information. For students to receive the full benefit of a rubric, teachers will need to teach students how to interpret a rubric as they assess themselves and use it to enhance their performance (Larmer & Mergendoller, 2010).

While it is understandable that teachers in Christian schools that promote direct-teaching methods will not fully embrace PBL, several elements of PBL may be applied to enhance learning. Permitting students to engage in hands-on projects, inquiry activities, and feedback-based revisions offers them experiences that deepen their understanding of the course content. With proper planning, assignments can be created that develop students’ skills as well as provide motivation for deeper learning. 

References

Fusun, A. (2008). Effectiveness of project-based learning. Eurasian Journal of Educational Research, Oct. 2008(33), 17–34.

Jensen, E. (2005). Teaching with the Brain in Mind, Revised 2nd Edition (Revised 2nd edition). Alexandria, Va: Association for Supervision & Curriculum Deve.

Laitsch, D. (2007). Design-based learning and student achievement. Research Brief, 5(6).

Larmer, J., & Mergendoller, J. R. (2010). Seven essentials for project-based learning. Educational Leadership, 68(1), 34–37.

Lattimer, H., & Riordan, R. (2011). Project-based learning engages students in meaningful work: Students at High Tech Middle engage in project-based learning. Middle School Journal, 43(2), 18–23.

Van Brummelen, H. (2002). Steppingstones to curriculum. Colorado Springs, CO: Purposeful Design Publications.