THE PBL APPROACH

At E2 we understand, like many, that the current ’industrial’ 19th century model of education is no longer appropriate for the 21st century.

In this section, we explain why project-based learning is the pedagogical method that best delivers both strong ’traditional’ academic knowledge and skills and 21st century competences and values such as communication, collaboration, critical thinking and creativity.

Change needed!

WHY WE NEED TO MOVE AWAY FROM AN INDUSTRIAL MODEL OF EDUCATION
“the mind is not a vessel that needs filling, but wood that needs igniting” Plutarch (from the Essay ‘On Listening’ in Moralia)
Introduction
Today most schools still follow an old-fashioned model of learning designed in the 19th century. In nearly every respect education has barely changed since the system was designed to produce workers and managers for the industrial age. But this system is no longer fit for purpose, (...)

What is PBL?

Introduction
Although Project-based learning (PBL) may sound modern, it is one of the oldest forms of learning, with its roots not only in many traditional tribal and non-European societies, but also classical teaching methods developed by the Greeks, such as the Socratic method. It therefore far pre-dates today’s conventional ‘industrial’ schooling, so named because it was introduced during the Industrial revolution in Europe in order to produce workers and managers.
What is PBL?
Project (...)

The Pedagogical foundations of PBL

Is PBL a new method of learning? The principles of PBL are by no means new. In most societies, before and even after the advent of formal schooling systems, people typically learnt through apprenticeship, a method of learning-by-doing where learners are given tasks to do and then guided by an experienced teacher, who gives specific instruction where appropriate to the task in hand.
Ancient roots Even within more formal schooling systems, the principles of PBL such as learner-centred (...)

7 Key elements of PBL

1) A Driving Question Every project begins with a question that drives subsequent learning. A driving question is a “well-designed question that students and teachers elaborate, explore, and answer throughout a project” (Krajcik & Mamlok-Naaman, 2006, p. 3).
According to Krajcik and colleagues, a driving question should be 1) feasible, 2) worthwhile, 3) contextualized, 4) meaningful, and 5) ethical (Krajcik & Mamlok-Naaman, 2006; Krajcik & Shin, 2014). In addition, we believe (...)

Assessment within PBL

Assessment of learners is done in four main ways:
1. Self-assessmentLearners are supported to evaluate their own learning and develop ways to critically analyse their own learning. This is the most important element of assessment as it develops learners’ self-regulation and metacognition, what some refer to as “learning to learn”.
2. Peer-to-peer assessment Learners work together to evaluate each other.
3. Formative (ongoing) assessment by teachers The primary purpose of assessment is to (...)

Role of teacher in PBL

The role of the teacher - instruction or guidance ?
PBL is primarily a learner-focussed activity. Teachers, workplace mentors, community members, and other adults, however, play an essential role in supporting learner success. All learners need guidance, instruction, and feedback to deepen their knowledge and develop their skills. This is especially important for novice learners completely unfamiliar with the content, skills, and behaviors needed for successful project completion.
PBL (...)

A Project vs. Project-Based Learning

The difference between a Project and Project-Based Learning
In industrial education, knowing and doing are typically separate. Inculcating young minds with more information is the clear priority; applying knowledge is a distant second. Therefore a project is usually designed as a reward or an opportunity for learners to demonstrate what they’ve learnt at the end of the year, rather than as an integral part of the learning process.
By contrast, PBL integrates knowing and doing. Learners (...)

Problem-based vs. Project-based learning

At E2 we recognise that there are a few academic strands of knowledge and skills, primarily in the discipline of mathematics, that can be challenging to include within a project-based learning approach.
For these few areas which require discrete teaching, we advocate a problem-based learning approach, which encompasses many of the benefits of PBL, but is more teacher-directed and typically focussed within a single traditional discipline.
Some of the key differences can be summarised as (...)

Research on effectiveness of PBL

Project Based Learning has been shown to yield a number of benefits for learners, ranging from deeper learning of academic content to stronger motivation to learn. The evidence includes: Academic achievement Mastery of significant academic content remains a key goal, and is also the foundation of any well-designed project. Comparisons of learning outcomes in PBL versus more industrial, textbook-and-lecture driven instruction show that: Overall, learners in project-based classrooms (...)

Creating a great driving question

Every project begins with a question that drives subsequent learning. These questions should fulfil a number of criteria.
Driving Questions are: Provocative. Driving questions should be intriguing and thought-provoking. To achieve this, the question should tap into the roots of learners’ interests. Open-ended. A good driving question is complex and does not have a right or wrong answer. It is not “Google-able.” Learners should be able to explore many options and come to their conclusion in (...)

Driving Question Rubric

Driving Questions - examples

Here are some sample Driving Questions that could be used to start some project-based learning. They are loosely written in ascending order of challenge: How can we teach other children how to be safe when there is a fire at school, at home, and in public places? How can we help animals in our local environment? How do I plan a school carnival that will raise money for our school? How do I design a pet shop that local customers will come and buy pets from? What do ratio and chemistry have (...)

Sample PBL Projects

It can be challenging to think of inspiring projects when planning. Sometimes it’s good to get some ideas from those who’ve already made the leap.
Click on the links below for some great examples of PBL-driven projects from XP School in the UK.
Y7: HOW HEALTHY IS OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH NATURE
Y8: HOW NATURAL ARE NATURAL DISASTERS?
Y8: WHAT IS THE SCIENCE BEHIND SUPERHUMANS?
Y9: “BRIDGES TO (...)