What is project-based learning?
Launch PBL Series
EP1: How can we create an impactful PBL experience?
EP2: What is project-based learning?
EP3: What are the benefits of project-based learning?
EP4: How can we write a quality driving question for a PBL unit?
EP5: How can we foster academic risk-taking during PBL?
EP6: How can we assess students during project-based learning?
EP7: How can we use milestones to track students’ progress during PBL?
EP8: How can we choose an engaging project-based learning topic?
EP9: What is the teachers’ role during project-based learning?
EP10: How can we plan a project showcase without feeling overwhelmed?
EP11: How can we use effective feedback strategies to enhance students’ public products?
EP 12: How can teachers improve their PBL experience through reflection?
EP 13: How can we shift students from presentations to presentations of learning?
Discussing the difference between project-based assessments versus project-based learning is a popular topic among educators. Therefore, I have this conversation with educators often. I understand why this can be confusing because, for some time, 'doing projects' or project-based assessments, project-based learning, and problem-based learning were used interchangeably.
During my beginning teaching career in 2007 and 2008, I taught middle school math. Many of my students were not as enthusiastic about learning math for a variety of reasons, which is not uncommon at the middle school level. So I started exploring ways to get them engaged by making learning connect to real-life through projects.
I received positive feedback from administrators for attempting to make my class enjoyable. I had an extra instructional block that included most of the students from my first block and we were encouraged to use the period for remediation.
I decided to use that time for students to complete projects. The projects were always based on what students learned during their first block of instruction. Therefore, the projects served as an extension to the lesson, and it tested students' ability to apply what they learned during class. In this example, my students engaged in project-based assessments, but we were not doing project-based learning.
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Let me clarify that my students were having fun doing projects. I remember one day, the science teacher visited my class during our planning period. She asked, " What are you teaching because students are saying they can't wait to go to Mrs. McCain's class?"
Why didn't my teaching method qualify as project-based learning?
What is the difference between project-based assessment or doing projects and project-based learning?
Project-based assessments are often teacher-directed. It focuses on producing a final project or output that's submitted to the teacher. The students have minimal voice and choice because typically, teachers give step-by-step directions for how to complete the project. As a result, most final products look very similar. Project-based assessments or some educators may say 'doing projects' happen when students complete a culminating project to demonstrate knowledge.
Whereas, project-based learning is an instructional approach designed to give students the opportunity to develop knowledge and skills through engaging projects set around challenges and problems they may face in the real world (Schuetz, 2018).
When we think about project-based learning, most likely, it's based on real-world challenges, and the focus is on the process of learning and not the end product itself because students are exploring a question throughout the unit. At this point, it's probably easy to predict that deeper learning is most likely to occur during project-based learning.
In project-based learning, students have more voice and choice because they can decide how to showcase their knowledge with their end product. Students also develop a public product to share with an authentic audience versus solely submitting the project to the teacher. The teacher introduces a driving question or an open-ended question that guides students thinking and learning while they explore a solution to a challenge.
During project-based learning experiences, students learn about the problem throughout the unit, such as through direct instruction, research, inquiry-based explorations, stations, group work, small group instruction, hands-on learning, etc. As mentioned, over a decade ago, my students were engaged in project-based assessments and not project-based learning. Let's analyze an example project.
One project I remember involved students using what they learned about converting measurements to convert currency. Students had to create a magazine targeting two different countries and calculate prices using two distinct currencies like pesos and dollars. Students selected the name of their magazine, products to sell, a targeted country, etc. Afterward, students displayed the prices of their products in both currencies. Students shared their beautiful magazine pages with other classmates and submitted the project to me (the teacher).
I remember having visitors one day when the students were working on this particular project. During that time, my school often had visitors providing feedback and sharing different instructional strategies to help teachers transform their instruction. During afternoon announcements, the principal gave my class a shout-out because the visitors mentioned that my students were engaged in a rigorous math lesson.
Remember the context, the project shared above occurred 12 or so years ago, when teaching math through direct instruction was the norm at the time. We mostly used the "I do, We do, You do" model, and anything beyond that was taking it to the next level. Similar to today, doing projects is okay, but let's put it in the category of the norm. However, project-based learning is taking instruction to the next level.
Let's recap.
Project-based assessments or doing projects is when a teacher presents the content, gives a project at the end to assess student knowledge versus giving a quiz or a test, and students share the final product with the teacher for a grade. However, during project-based learning experiences, teachers introduce the challenge or problem at the beginning of the unit.
Students then learn subject area content and about the problem they're trying to solve so they can apply what they're learning while working on the project. After students complete their public product, they share their solution with an authentic audience, not just the teacher.
Take action:
Reflect on your classroom. Are your students engaging in project-based assessment or project-based learning? If so, what changes can you make to transform your classroom into a project-based learning experience?