How can we create a memorable experience via project-based learning?
Improving PBL Series
EP1: What are the steps to becoming an impactful PBL educator?
EP2: How can we use portfolios to enhance our teaching practice?
EP3: How can we elevate our PBL unit with community partners?
EP4: How can we create a memorable experience via project-based learning?
EP5: How can we teach standards and implement project-based learning?
EP6: What role does reflection play in the PBL process?
EP7: How can we create a dynamic group culture during project-based learning?
EP8: How can students support a cause via project-based learning?
EP9: How can we promote STEM education via project-based learning?
EP10: How can we get students excited about the project-based learning topic?
EP11: What type of creative artifacts/public products can students create via project-based learning?
EP12: How can we write a project-based learning unit?
EP13: How can we write a compelling scenario for a PBL unit?
I've shared before that I went to business school once upon a time. If you include undergraduate and graduate school together, I was in business school for more than six years. I loved business school.
For the most part, the classes were interesting, and the professors were engaging. Most of the learning activities that professors used fell into the active learning category. We engaged in many case studies, and the professors would bring relevant current events into class discussions.
When the Enron scandal was all over the news (in the early 2000s), and many employees lost their life savings or retirement, my accounting, and finance professors used the high-profile cases to enhance our learning. We conducted research and interviewed practicing accountants and finance professionals to learn more about the role. We learned how it was possible to fool so many people and what constituted fraud.
Another one of my graduate school professors owned a business. He would pose challenges to us that he experienced in his company. We used what we learned in marketing classes to provide suggestions and ideas. Sometimes, he would even test our ideas in his business and share the results. Was he using us as free labor? Perhaps! But we were more like unofficial interns engaging in active exploration and learning.
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In a previous article, I shared the 6 As of instructional design (also known as the 6 As of project design) that Adria Steinberg developed.
As a reminder, the 6 A’s are:
Authenticity
Academic rigor
Applied learning
Active exploration
Adult connections
Assessment practices
The previous article discussed incorporating adult connections and relationships into a project-based learning unit. Now, we will explore how to ensure that your project-based unit includes applied learning and active exploration.
When we think about active exploration, teachers often share concerns about timing. How can they allow time for students to explore? Where will they find time to spend brainstorming solutions or challenges? What about the time it takes to research the project-based learning topic and then teach students the content?
Active exploration is an essential part of the project-based learning process because this is how students dive deep into the problem or challenge that they're trying to solve. When analyzing your project-based learning unit, determine if it involves active exploration.
How might you do that, you ask?
Think about the amount of time students spend doing field-based research:
Are students engaging in real-world investigations using various methods and sources?
Will students share what they learn with others beyond their teacher and close peers?
When thinking about active exploration, I'm referring to extending learning beyond the classroom.
It's fine to read and watch videos about how pollution can impact our lives or the environment. There's nothing wrong with studying pollution from textbooks. But what about applying what we learn about pollution to take action to prevent or reduce pollution in the real world? That's where active learning comes in.
Or, consider this:
I could watch someone swim all day. But until I get into the pool and try to swim and execute techniques, I don't technically know how to swim. On top of that, it's actually more fun to get in the water and swim! It allows me to show what I've learned. If I don't have the opportunity to swim, what's the next best thing? What if I interviewed another swimmer, visited their swimming classes, interviewed swim coaches, etc.? I would be able to engage in field-based work and conduct research using various media sources and methods, which is an example of active learning.
Active learning extends beyond the classroom and into the real world. We plan out the practical side of active learning during phase five of the Impactful PBL Roadmap™ as we create daily learning experiences. When planning what students will learn each day, set aside time for active exploration.
While planning your active exploration, think outside the classroom and consider who you can get involved in the process. In a previous article, we discussed involving community partners. I shared ways to incorporate local organizations, parents, professionals, and guest speakers to enhance the project-based learning experience.
As you begin to plan active learning and exploration experiences for students, brainstorm ways that your community partners might be able to contribute to the project.
Can your students interview someone who works in a related field?
Can they visit a worksite to observe?
Get creative. As students have the opportunity to connect with and learn from the real world, there will be a natural progression towards applying what they've learned to their work in the classroom. Active learning inspires problem-solving, application, and analysis. Active learning invites students to build skills that will serve them in school and throughout their lives. Students can use 21st-century skills such as creativity, communication, critical thinking, and collaboration throughout the project-based learning unit.
Active learning experiences should allow students to develop organizational skills, teamwork skills, problem-solving skills, self-management skills, and more. Ultimately, these experiences will equip students with skills that will help them beyond the classroom. The skills gained through active learning are beneficial to college and career readiness and so much more.
Now that we've discussed active learning, let's move on to applied learning. We explore applied learning during phase one of the Impactful PBL Roadmap™: Identify student learning objectives. We also explore applied learning during phase five of the Impactful PBL Roadmap™: Creating daily learning experiences.
Ultimately, students should develop transferable skills that are beneficial in life, especially for college and career readiness. The goal is to ensure that students take what they are learning and apply it to solve a challenge or problem, which allows them to recognize the importance of what they are learning. Students will have the opportunity to see connections with their academic content, which helps them understand the learning experience's purpose. Students can then share what they learn with others by creating a public product for their peers to utilize and explore.
Remember, I shared specific learning activities that I experienced during undergraduate and graduate school, which occurred over 15 years ago. They were memorable. We want our students to remember their learning experiences decades later as well. It's a lofty goal, but it is possible through high-quality project-based learning.
Let's recap. This article explored the benefits of incorporating active exploration and applied learning experiences within the project-based learning unit. We discussed reflecting on a project-based learning unit to ensure we incorporate best practices.
Take Action:
Now it's your turn to reflect on your most recent project-based learning unit plan.
Are you providing opportunities for students to conduct research?
Are you offering opportunities for students to learn about the academic content using various methods?
Are you giving space for students to share their knowledge with others?
If not, how can you tweak your project-based learning unit plan to incorporate such experiences?