How can we foster academic risk-taking during PBL?
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?
Let's explore how to create a learning environment conducive to project-based learning. I've seen teachers become excited about implementing their PBL unit and launch their first unit to discover that students struggle to engage in this form of learning thoroughly.
Specifically, teachers often share how students struggle with brainstorming ideas, sharing ideas, creating questions to research, taking the initiative to work on tasks, etc. There are a variety of reasons why students may experience difficulty engaging in project-based learning experiences.
Perhaps students are accustomed to receiving step-by-step instructions with little voice or choice. Therefore, they don't feel comfortable or confident in making academic decisions without teacher confirmation. In this example, students may typically experience a teacher-centered environment versus a student-centered environment.
During impactful project-based learning experiences, the cognitive load should shift from teachers to students. Teachers can't expect this to happen overnight; therefore, it's essential to be intentional about building a culture of academic risk-taking.
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Who is an academic risk-taker?
The term risk-taker describes a person who takes risks and tries new things. You may find various definitions of what it means to be an academic risk-taker. In learning spaces that foster academic risk-taking, the educator rarely provides step-by-step details to solve a problem. Instead, students do the majority of the cognitive work during lessons, and educators serve as a facilitators.
Let's explore how to create a learning environment conducive to project-based learning. I've seen teachers become excited about implementing their PBL unit and launch their first unit to discover that students struggle to engage in this form of learning thoroughly.
Specifically, teachers often share how students struggle with brainstorming ideas, sharing ideas, creating questions to research, taking the initiative to work on tasks, etc. There are a variety of reasons why students may experience difficulty engaging in project-based learning experiences.
Perhaps students are accustomed to receiving step-by-step instructions with little voice or choice. Therefore, they don't feel comfortable or confident in making academic decisions without teacher confirmation. In this example, students may typically experience a teacher-centered environment versus a student-centered environment.
During impactful project-based learning experiences, the cognitive load should shift from teachers to students. Teachers can't expect this to happen overnight; therefore, it's essential to be intentional about building a culture of academic risk-taking.
Therefore, in classrooms where academic risk-taking is encouraged, little time is spent on note-taking, working in a silo, or listening to the educator lecture for most of the block. Alternatively, students are actively engaged in discussions, using creativity, and solving problems using a variety of strategies.
Academic risk-taking involves students:
stepping out of their comfort zone to try new things
embracing challenges
seeking feedback from peers and teachers
showing perseverance when they experience a difficult task
being able to set growth goals
reflecting on their progress toward the goal
taking ownership of their learning and taking pride in their work
learning and sharing ideas through collaboration
being brave enough to answer and ask questions
I'm more engrossed in training when it's in an environment where I feel comfortable being right or wrong, provides space for dialogue, offers experiential learning opportunities, and allows me to use multiple learning modes. However, many STEM classrooms exhibit the same traits that teachers often dislike about professional development structures for educators.
The educator's role in developing academic risk-takers is to guide and encourage students to explore new strategies or ideas. To do this effectively, teachers must create a safe learning environment. Students need to feel like it's okay to be wrong sometimes and that no one knows everything.
Likewise, students must understand that teachers make mistakes, too, regardless of their level of experience. As a math teacher, I made plenty of errors when solving problems and challenged students to correct me when they noticed a mistake. Being vulnerable and admitting that I don't know everything helped build trust with my students.
However, for academic risk-taking to occur in learning spaces, students need to trust their peers as well. Most tweens and teens care about their peers' opinions and often make decisions based on their feedback. Therefore, teachers must make it a priority to promote a culture of risk-taking in the classroom.
How can teachers foster academic risk-taking?
Building academic risk-takers is not a one-and-done task. Students need to hear, see, or experience the importance of academic risk-taking daily. I often receive questions from teachers seeking instructional strategies to increase risk-taking in their classrooms.
The good news is that it's possible to build a culture of risk-taking using a variety of approaches. Some of these strategies can be implemented in classrooms immediately, and a few are attainable with planning within a few days.
I suggest taking bite-sized actions to form teaching habits. As these small actions become habits, add a new strategy to your teaching practice until your classroom environment becomes a safe learning space where students feel comfortable embracing challenges.
Here are ten ways educators can begin to create an environment of risk-taking in their learning spaces:
Increase student engagement by making learning relevant to real-life situations.
Introduce students to the importance of having a growth mindset.
Allow student choice and voice in assignments.
Provide praise on the process of learning (effort and growth) and not the end product (grade).
Model common mistakes and share your epic failures.
Give space for students to try out their ideas in small groups before asking them to share with the whole class.
Encourage creativity through active learning strategies.
Create the appropriate level of support to encourage students to persevere through challenges.
Permit students to use teacher and peer feedback to make changes to their ideas or assignments.
Promote the use of flexible engagement to solve problems.
Take action:
Reflection: What is one new strategy you will utilize to create an environment of academic risk-taking in your classroom?