project based learning essay

• Our Mission

Why Teach with Project-Based Learning?: Providing Students With a Well-Rounded Classroom Experience

Project-based learning helps students apply what they learn to real-life experiences and provides an all-around enriching education.

Because project-based learning is filled with active and engaged learning, it inspires students to obtain a deeper knowledge of the subjects they're studying. Research also indicates that students are more likely to retain the knowledge gained through this approach far more readily than through traditional textbook-centered learning. In addition, students develop confidence and self-direction as they move through both team-based and independent work.

In the process of completing their projects, students also hone their organizational and research skills, develop better communication with their peers and adults, and often work within their community while seeing the positive effect of their work.

Because students are evaluated on the basis of their projects, rather than on the comparatively narrow rubrics defined by exams, essays, and written reports, assessment of project-based work is often more meaningful to them. They quickly see how academic work can connect to real-life issues -- and may even be inspired to pursue a career or engage in activism that relates to the project they developed.

Students also thrive on the greater flexibility of project learning. In addition to participating in traditional assessment, they might be evaluated on presentations to a community audience they have assiduously prepared for, informative tours of a local historical site based on their recently acquired expertise, or screening of a scripted film they have painstakingly produced.

Project learning is also an effective way to integrate technology into the curriculum. A typical project can easily accommodate computers and the Internet, as well as interactive whiteboards, global-positioning-system (GPS) devices, digital still cameras, video cameras, and associated editing equipment.

Adopting a project-learning approach in your classroom or school can invigorate your learning environment, energizing the curriculum with a real-world relevance and sparking students' desire to explore, investigate, and understand their world. Return to our Project Learning page to learn more.

• Grades 6-12
• School Leaders

50 Fun Earth Day Crafts and Activities 🌎!

65+ Real-World Project-Based Learning Ideas for All Ages and Interests

Find and implement solutions to real-world problems.

Project-based learning is a hot topic in many schools these days, as educators work to make learning more meaningful for students. As students conduct hands-on projects addressing real-world issues, they dig deeper and make personal connections to the knowledge and skills they’re gaining. But not just any project fits into this concept. Learn more about strong project-based learning ideas, and find examples for any age or passion.

What is project-based learning?

Project-based learning (PBL) uses real-world projects and student-directed activities to build knowledge and skills. Kids choose a real-world topic that’s meaningful to them (some people call these “passion projects”), so they’re engaged in the process from the beginning. These projects are long-term, taking weeks, months, or even a full semester or school year. Students may complete them independently or working in small groups. Learn much more about project-based learning here.

What makes a good PBL project?

In many ways, PBL is more like the work adults do in their daily jobs, especially because student efforts have potential real-world effects. A strong PBL project:

• Addresses a real-world issue or problem
• Requires sustained and independent inquiry, in and out of the classroom
• Allows students voice and choice throughout the project
• Combines elements of many disciplines
• Includes collaboration with public partners, such as universities, community organizations, or businesses
• Produces a public product that is seen by those outside the school community
• Covers a complete process, including activities like research, design, production, marketing or public awareness, and enlisting supporters or investors

Outdoor Project-Based Learning Ideas

• Create a new local park, or improve an existing one by adding new features or providing needed maintenance.
• Plant a community garden to provide food for a soup kitchen, food pantry, or other organization.
• Design and create a butterfly, pollinator, or other wildlife garden to support the local ecosystem.
• Build a new walking or biking trail that’s safe for people of all ages to use.
• Devise and implement a way to reduce litter in your community.
• Set up and manage a school or community compost pile, and distribute the resulting soil to those who need it most.
• Find and help the public use a new way to grow food that requires less soil, water, or fertilizers, which are in short supply in some parts of the world.
• Design, build, and install a completely unique piece of playground equipment that serves a specific purpose or need.

School Community Project-Based Learning Ideas

• Start a comprehensive recycling program at school, or substantially improve participation in an existing one.
• Add collaborative artwork like murals or other displays to school hallways, bathrooms, or grounds.
• Determine a location or program at your school that needs improvement, then make a plan, raise the funds, and implement your ideas.
• Come up with ways to celebrate your school’s diversity and improve relationships between all students.
• Start and run a school store , including inventory, financial plans, and marketing.
• Write a school handbook for new students, with tips and tricks for helping them feel at home.
• Figure out how to offer healthier, better-tasting meals and snacks in the school cafeteria.
• Implement a mentoring program for older students to help younger students, with planned activities and appropriate training for older students.
• Design and propose a new style of grading system that ensures equity.
• Find ways to improve the indoor recess experience at your school.
• Set up and run a new school newspaper, magazine, podcast, video channel, etc.

Greater Community Project-Based Learning Ideas

• Coordinate a community art project in a central location to celebrate local culture or artists.
• Set up a program for schoolkids to socialize with senior citizens in nursing homes, hospitals, or retirement communities.
• Create a program to offer free translation services for ESL families in the community.
• Help a local animal shelter improve its facilities, or find new ways to match homeless pets with their forever families.
• Build and maintain Little Free Libraries around your community, especially in underserved areas.
• Help local businesses become more environmentally conscious, increasing sustainability and decreasing waste.
• Create and lead a walking tour of your community, highlighting its culture, history, landmarks, and more.
• Find a way to record and celebrate local voices in your community’s history.
• Come up with ideas for welcoming immigrants and other newcomers to your community.
• Set up a series of events that will encourage the community to mix and experience each others’ foods, cultures, and more.
• Create and implement a new program to inspire a love of books and reading in preschool students.
• Set up and help run a new charitable organization your community needs.

Social Issues Project-Based Learning Ideas

• Start an awareness campaign on a topic that’s important to you, like anti-bullying, healthy living, protecting the environment, civil rights, equality and equity, etc.
• Come up with and implement ways to increase voter turnout in your community, especially among younger voters.
• Write, record, and share with a wider audience your own TED Talk–style video on an issue that hasn’t been covered yet or on which you have a unique perspective.
• Devise and implement ways for unheard voices to be amplified in your school or community.
• Write and publicly perform a play that highlights a social issue that’s important to you.
• Look for areas in your community that present challenges to those with disabilities, and help to improve them to overcome those challenges.
• Research, write, and publicly present and defend a position paper on an issue that’s important to your community.
• Choose a real court case, then research the law and work with legal experts to prepare and present your own case as you would in a courtroom.
• Write, edit, seek, and incorporate real-world feedback, and publish or publicly present your own book, poem, or song on an issue that’s important to you.
• Start a program to teach a specific group (e.g., preschoolers, senior citizens, business owners) to care for and protect the environment.
• Plan and hold a fundraiser to support an issue you care about.
• Choose a law you feel is unjust, and write, research, and publicly present and defend a position paper about your desired change.

STEM Project-Based Learning Ideas

• Create an app that meets a specific purpose for a specific audience.
• Invent something new that the world needs, and then fund, create, and sell your product in the community.
• Design a game to help students learn important STEM concepts.
• Find a simple way to improve an existing product, especially if it cuts costs or improves environmental sustainability.
• Explore ways to reduce the amount of waste we produce, especially plastic and other landfill-bound items.
• Write a book or graphic novel that’s entertaining but also teaches kids about science or math.
• Devise new ways to provide clean drinking water to communities where water is scarce.
• Build an effective solar oven people can use to cook during extended power outages, or in areas where electricity isn’t available.
• Work with a university or STEM organization to gather, analyze, and present real-world scientific data.
• Design a building to fit a specific purpose or need, including researching the requirements and zoning laws, accurately drafting a plan, determining the costs, and presenting the plan to the proposed client.
• Create an interactive hands-on exhibit to teach people about STEM concepts.
• Determine a type of website you believe is missing, then research, build, and publish the site you envision.

Creative Arts Project-Based Learning Ideas

• Organize an art show for the community, seeking out those who ordinarily might not have a chance to display their work.
• Create and teach an art class in your area of expertise to children, the elderly, or another segment of the population.
• Design a mural for an area in your community that needs beautification, and seek funding or other assistance from community members to install it.
• Write a play about a topic that’s meaningful to you or your community. Work with the community to stage a performance for all to attend.
• Invite local dancers to perform at a school or community Festival of Dance, highlighting a variety of cultures and dance styles.
• Start a regular writer’s workshop where community writers can come together to share and seek feedback. Invite local authors or publishing experts to speak as guests.
• Collect stories, poems, and essays from local authors, and put them together into a book. Sell the book to raise money for a cause that’s important to local writers.
• Gather singers or instrumentalists from your community into a choir or band. Put on a concert to raise money for a special cause, or take your choir on tour to local retirement homes, hospitals, etc.
• Write a song about a person or cause that’s important to you. Produce and record the song, then find a way to share it with others.
• Make a short film about a local hero, community event, or local place. Invite others to do the same, and organize a local film festival.

What are some your favorite project-based learning ideas? Come share your thoughts in the We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook !

Plus, meaningful service learning projects for kids and teens ..

You Might Also Like

What Is Project-Based Learning and How Can I Use It With My Students?

There's a difference between regular projects and true-project based learning. Continue Reading

Copyright © 2023. All rights reserved. 5335 Gate Parkway, Jacksonville, FL 32256

• Undergraduate
• High School
• Architecture
• American History
• Asian History
• Antique Literature
• American Literature
• Asian Literature
• Classic English Literature
• World Literature
• Creative Writing
• Linguistics
• Criminal Justice
• Legal Issues
• Anthropology
• Archaeology
• Political Science
• World Affairs
• African-American Studies
• East European Studies
• Latin-American Studies
• Native-American Studies
• West European Studies
• Family and Consumer Science
• Social Issues
• Women and Gender Studies
• Social Work
• Natural Sciences
• Pharmacology
• Earth science
• Agriculture
• Agricultural Studies
• Computer Science
• IT Management
• Mathematics
• Investments
• Engineering and Technology
• Engineering
• Aeronautics
• Medicine and Health
• Alternative Medicine
• Communications and Media
• Advertising
• Communication Strategies
• Public Relations
• Educational Theories
• Teacher's Career
• Chicago/Turabian
• Company Analysis
• Education Theories
• Shakespeare
• Canadian Studies
• Food Safety
• Relation of Global Warming and Extreme Weather Condition
• Movie Review
• Admission Essay
• Annotated Bibliography
• Application Essay
• Article Critique
• Article Review
• Article Writing
• Book Review
• Business Plan
• Business Proposal
• Capstone Project
• Cover Letter
• Creative Essay
• Dissertation
• Dissertation - Abstract
• Dissertation - Conclusion
• Dissertation - Discussion
• Dissertation - Hypothesis
• Dissertation - Introduction
• Dissertation - Literature
• Dissertation - Methodology
• Dissertation - Results
• GCSE Coursework
• Grant Proposal
• Marketing Plan
• Multiple Choice Quiz
• Personal Statement
• Power Point Presentation
• Power Point Presentation With Speaker Notes
• Questionnaire
• Reaction Paper
• Research Paper
• Research Proposal
• SWOT analysis
• Thesis Paper
• Online Quiz
• Literature Review
• Movie Analysis
• Statistics problem
• Math Problem
• All papers examples
• How It Works
• Money Back Policy
• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• We Are Hiring

Project-Based Learning, Essay Example

Pages: 1

Words: 305

Hire a Writer for Custom Essay

Use 10% Off Discount: "custom10" in 1 Click 👇

You are free to use it as an inspiration or a source for your own work.

In project-based learning, it is important to appreciate the real –world problems confronting the interests of the students leading to the provocation of thinking in a serious manner. The function of the teacher is facilitation of effective learning of the students. This is meant for the preparation of the students to acquire the thinking as well as collaboration skills needed in the workplace. Students in groups develop opportunities for investigating meaningful questions facilitating gathering of information and critical thinking. There is a wide variation in the projects used despite the importance they are attributed to as the primary vehicles for the sake of instructions. Its role is open to explanation and they are responsible for offering guidance to the whole curriculum. However in the majority of the mainstream schools, there is a laxity of implementation of project-based learning due to the little level of the training and experience with the teachers. The system is also time intensive which is another cause for discouragement (Jane, 2008).

The effective utilization of the project-based learning requires a full understanding of the concepts inherent in the project by the teachers in addition to the proper modeling and effective strategies of solving problems. The questions involved should be challenging to enhance a support on collaboration as well as the measurement of the anticipated outcomes. The proper utilization of the project-based learning leads to the improvement of the learning capabilities of the students although their effective implementation is associated to some difficulties (Jane, 2008).   There is therefore a need for caution in the implementation of the practice in consideration of a strong support of the school, access to the projects that are properly developed in addition to the collaborative culture among the students and their teachers.

Jane, L. D. (2008).  “Education Leadership” Project-Based Learning available at          http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational_leadership/feb08/vol65/num05/Project-Based_Learning.aspx , retrieved on 11. 11.2009.

Stuck with your Essay?

Get in touch with one of our experts for instant help!

Negotiations During Camp David Accord, Essay Example

Indian Scalping, Essay Example

Time is precious

don’t waste it!

Plagiarism-free guarantee

Privacy guarantee

Secure checkout

Money back guarantee

Related Essay Samples & Examples

Voting as a civic responsibility, essay example.

Words: 287

Utilitarianism and Its Applications, Essay Example

Words: 356

The Age-Related Changes of the Older Person, Essay Example

Pages: 2

Words: 448

The Problems ESOL Teachers Face, Essay Example

Pages: 8

Words: 2293

Should English Be the Primary Language? Essay Example

Pages: 4

Words: 999

The Term “Social Construction of Reality”, Essay Example

Words: 371

Successful Project-Based Learning

Explore more.

• Course Design
• Experiential Learning

P roject-based classroom exercises—particularly ones that involve embedding students within organizations—are an excellent way for instructors to enhance students’ learning experiences. Classes that incorporate real-world, experiential projects not only foster lifelong learning, but also appeal to students and help them identify interesting career paths. Students also get to practice soft skills such as networking and teamwork along with technical skills such as analytical thinking and budgeting.

For faculty members, however, implementing project-based learning can be challenging—it often requires instructors to reformat their courses and play a large, hands-on role in overseeing student projects. Research confirms that under the right conditions project-based learning, although sometimes difficult to implement, can improve student learning.

Through my years of experience working with faculty and seeing experiential classes in action, I believe there are five best practices to alleviate these common challenges and help instructors facilitate course development, delivery, and the search for useful student resources.

1. Find the Right Projects

Matching students’ preferences and skill sets with an organization’s business challenges is critical. If interests are not aligned with actual business challenges, the student-client interactions will be less than satisfying. When it’s time to recruit clients to participate in course projects, there are two options:

Option 1: Faculty, school departments, alumni, donors, or project mentors identify clients and define projects prior to the academic term. Students review the portfolio of available projects and create their own teams, or teams are assigned based on their expressed preferences.

Option 2: Student teams identify the client. With faculty and project mentor support, they then define the project. Faculty members review the teams’ final project definitions (early in the term) to ensure they meet the criteria for applying relevant conceptual models and frameworks.

Faculty members should use the same option and project definition document for the entire class. If the project definition is different for teams, faculty will find it difficult to compare the project complexity across teams.

Acquiring the best projects depends on timing and how much support faculty members receive. For option 1, alumni, development offices, and project mentors can connect with organizations and promote participation. For instance, alumni might tap their personal networks to solicit client projects.

Option 2 depends on students’ networks and on project mentors’ contacts. It requires more time during the academic term because students must seek their client either the week before or during the first week of the term.

“The value of experiential learning is extensive and remains with students long after they graduate.”

2. Enlist Project Mentors

Mentors are essential for project-based courses. They can help manage the project process and ensure consistent outcomes for students and clients in three ways:

Student experience. Mentors can increase student learning outcomes by transferring knowledge—such as industry-specific terminology—and experience—such as insight into analyzing a problem.

Client experience.  Mentors often resolve team issues and inquiries, such as when or how often it is appropriate to reach out to a client. A positive client experience leads to the organization’s continued participation.

Faculty experience.  Because mentors focus on project management and student/client interactions, they free faculty members to focus on the course’s core content, such as conceptual frameworks, lectures, and case discussions.

Faculty and/or school administrators identify the project mentors. The process is straightforward and requires a short interview with potential mentors. Alumni are often ideal mentors. The skill set required to succeed as a mentor includes the following:

Several years of experience in functional and management roles, including relevant corporate and/or line experience.

Consulting experience. Depending on the project, this might be specific to an industry or function.

Enthusiasm and willingness to engage. This includes attending the lecture sessions, which often have a team meeting before or after class. A regularly scheduled team meeting is also important.

Project mentors may volunteer or receive an honorarium.

3. Remember the Foundations

What differentiates project-based courses from conventional classes is how they integrate theory and application. Although they impart conceptual frameworks, they do so actively by helping students learn how to address real clients’ business challenges, such as how a distributor might optimize its supply chain. However, it’s important not to lose the theory or lessons behind the activity, and it’s even more critical that lectures and assignments are applied to the project at the right time.

To achieve this objective, lectures, guest speakers, and case discussions—including, if possible, at least one live case discussion that involves individuals from a current client—should be introduced in the early stages of the project. If taught in a traditional course setting (i.e., face-to-face meetings), the best format combines synchronous and asynchronous elements. Teams meet for a designated period during selected face-to-face class times and have asynchronous project meetings. Faculty members should meet teams three times to ensure they are applying conceptual models appropriately and to detect any team issues, such as excessive relationship conflicts or inappropriate conduct. The project component of the course is typically at least 50% of the final grade.

In specifying the learning objectives for their course, faculty members should include appropriate action-based skills. Such skills could include the following:

Communication. Interpersonal, listening, giving and receiving feedback, group problem solving, managing conflict, and negotiation.

Client relationship management skills. Setting clear expectations, creating clear deliverables, building rapport, and showing value.

Presentation skills. Oral, visual, and written.

Project management. Effective meetings, work distribution, and the ability to hit deadlines.

“If interests are not aligned with actual business challenges, the student-client interactions will be less than satisfying.”

4. Create Successful Teams

It can be trying work to put the right teams together within your class, and there will undoubtedly be some student objections. Fundamentally, there are three ways to create teams:

Faculty-created

Student-created

System-generated

For faculty- and student-created teams, students can post 1–2 sentences about their background (e.g., their academic major and work experience) and interests on a discussion board. Faculty members or students read the posts and create teams based on skill sets.

In both cases, there may be objections from students, and faculty or project coaches will have to assist with team issues. To help alleviate issues in faculty-created teams, consider allowing students to request one person they want to work with and note one person they do not during the preference process.

Most learning management systems (LMSs) can also generate teams. While this process typically involves random assignment, it often simulates what happens when an organization hires someone and assigns them to a team. Typically, the LMS will release available project descriptions and students register their interest in each project. The system then randomly assigns students to one of their top ranked projects. This process is the most objective of the three and therefore is usually met with fewer objections from students. It’s also the least labor intensive for faculty.

5. Arm Your Students for Success

Be sure to provide your students with the resources they’ll need to succeed with their projects. These resources can include project management guidance and internal/external information sources.

RECOMMENDED STUDENT RESOURCES

Consider offering the following resources to help students with their projects:

A Project Management Methodology

HBR Guide to Project Management

HBR 20-Minute Manager Series

When it comes to conducting project research, many students are unaware of the breadth of their institution’s library databases. For example, many schools and universities have guides that specify databases by specialization and often grant alumni access to these databases, giving students another resource after graduation.

In addition, participating companies should be responsible for providing relevant company information to their teams. Such information might include data about financials, sales and marketing, distribution, customer (existing and potential) profiles, market share, and competitive profiles, as well as access to customer contacts and subject matter experts. Student teams should sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) to protect this information and ensure companies are comfortable sharing their data.

Why Projects Matter

The value of experiential learning is extensive and remains with students long after they graduate. A unique and valuable resume builder, these experiences also leave students with client recommendations and prepare them to be more productive throughout their careers. As educators, we should be committed to providing our students with this type of learning.

While project-based learning can be challenging for first-time faculty, students find it rewarding. The best practices outlined here highlight resources, a course structure, and decision points. When followed, these practices reduce the challenge and help faculty create successful learning outcomes.

Terri C. Albert is the founder and CEO of Fresh Set of Eyes, LLC. Her experience includes leading experiential learning programs with recognized business schools (Chicago Booth, Kellogg, NYU Stern). Leveraging her blended background from corporate, consulting, and academia, Albert cocreated a project-based model for experiential learning, which GE adopted for its edgelab incubator that launched over 80 percent of the project recommendations across 10 years.

Related Articles

We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience, including personalizing content. Learn More . By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies and revised Privacy Policy .

Project-Based Education and Learning Cycle Report

Introduction, national standards, development of learning performances, contextualization, learning tasks, instructional sequence, assessments and feedback.

Project-based learning was a reform that shifted the focus of science education on learning through activities. The two primary aspects of it are: participation in science and learning about how science functions (Krajcik, McNeill, & Reiser, 2007; Marek, 2008; Simon, 1994). Project-based education allows students to understand how scientists gain and utilize knowledge as well as its connection to the natural world.

This plan is created with the use of the Learning Cycle, and its first phase lies in the identification of national standards. National standards K.8A, K.8B, and K.3C will be the focus of the plan (“Instructional focus document,” 2017). K.8A and K.8B are focused on observation and exploration of patterns of change, while K.3C introduces the role of scientists in the research of the natural world.

The eighth unit titled “Day and Night” of “Texas Go Math!” will be utilized for additional student resources. Students will observe the sky during daytime and night time. Then they will explain if they noticed the changes in patterns between the times of the day. Students will have to compare the skies during different times of day to show what they learned. Then, they will take their form to register further observations.

During circle time, the students will be connected to the learning goals of the unit through conversation and discussion. The topic of discussion will be “What is in the day sky?” Students’ observation forms will be used to discuss the information they gathered. Students will pay attention to the environment that surrounds them and examine it through the tasks provided by the teacher. The driving question of the class is “why does the sky change?”

The learning tasks will include materials from the unit. At first, it will be the earth rotation task. It will be used to introduce students to the concept of living on planet Earth. Its rotational cycle and how it can be observed from the ground will be discussed. Subsequently, weather changes and seasonal changes will be observed through the same tools.This alignment of the goal will allow students to better appreciate how concepts can be utilized.

Specifically, the concepts of repeating patterns in nature, their monitoring, and the reasons behind them, will be explored. Such topics as earth rotation and perspectives will be discussed in the video attached to the unit. These tasks are designed to teach students the basics of scientific theory, astronomy, and meteorology. In the future, they will be able to use these skills to monitor experiments and the movement of stars in the sky.

Patterns of change will be examined over a 20 lesson period, with 45 minutes per lesson. The sequence will be separated into four parts. Each part will provide information and will be focused on developing the skills and knowledge base required for the completion of the following parts.

Part one will be focused on the topic of “Day and Night,” with the SCI.K.8B used as the main standard. It will last six lessons. During the first half of the lesson, the students will monitor the sky and write down their observations. Aspects such as the color of the sky, the types of clouds, their color, shape, size, and speed would be some of the elements that students should notice. The second part of the lessons would be spent on the students discussing what they saw and what it could mean. After the class is over, the students are tasked with monitoring the sky during evening or night and recording the same types of observations. The differences between daytime and nighttime sky are then discussed in class. During explanations, the concepts of repeating patterns and their observation will be discussed.

Part two will be dedicated to weather observations with SCI.K.3C and SCI.K.8A used as standards. It will last for seven lessons. During the second part, the students will combine their observations of the sky with weather observations. The first half of the lesson will again be dedicated to monitoring. This time the students will be encouraged to write about the weather conditions such as wind, humidity, rain or the lack of it. The reasons for different weather patterns will be explained in the second half of the lesson based on the observations provided by the students. Gradual changes in weather will be recorded twice a day, over the course of this part. The students should be able to understand why the weather changes day after day and how it may repeat.

Part three will be examining changes in seasons based on SCI.K.4B, SCI.K.8A and SCI.K.8B standards over seven lessons. Culminating lessons will be dedicated to the observation of seasonal changes in the sky. By the beginning of this part, the students will be familiar with earth rotation and weather patterns. They will use their knowledge gained through previous observations to monitor seasonal changes in both the weather and the sky.

Once again, the lessons will be split into two parts: observation and discussion. The elements that students will have to examine are temperature, times of sunrise or sunset, the presence of weather conditions such as snow, rain, hail, fog, humidity, and any other observations that they choose. During the discussion portion, the examined changes will be explained and compared to the observations of other students. The students will record information during both day and night.

Part four will extend, review, assess and reteach the material, if it is necessary.

To assess the students, the “Sum It Up!” sections of the unit will be used. They consist of images that depict various weather and seasonal conditions that the students will have to identify. New cards may be created by the teacher if the observed conditions are not represented on the cards. The students will be evaluated based on their understanding of the conditions depicted on the cards.

Feedback from the students and their families would be used to further benefit the learning cycle. Student feedback consists not only of their opinions but also the written materials that they worked on during class, their contribution to discussions and other aspects. The parents’ feedback will be concerned on whether the tasks prevented any home activity and if the student has shown the understanding of the topic at home.

Instructional focus document . (2017). Web.

Krajcik, J., McNeill, K., & Reiser, B. (2007). Learning-goals-driven design model: Developing curriculum materials that align with national standards and incorporate project-based pedagogy. Science Education , 92 (1), 1-32.

Marek, E. (2008). Why the learning cycle? Journal of Elementary Science Education , 20 (3), 63-69.

Simon, M. (1994). Learning mathematics and learning to teach: Learning cycles in mathematics teacher education. Educational Studies in Mathematics , 26 (1), 71-94.

• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2022, May 9). Project-Based Education and Learning Cycle. https://ivypanda.com/essays/project-based-learning/

"Project-Based Education and Learning Cycle." IvyPanda , 9 May 2022, ivypanda.com/essays/project-based-learning/.

IvyPanda . (2022) 'Project-Based Education and Learning Cycle'. 9 May.

IvyPanda . 2022. "Project-Based Education and Learning Cycle." May 9, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/project-based-learning/.

1. IvyPanda . "Project-Based Education and Learning Cycle." May 9, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/project-based-learning/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Project-Based Education and Learning Cycle." May 9, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/project-based-learning/.

• Project-Based Learning and Makerspaces
• Project-Based Approach in School Settings
• Project-Based Learning and Makerspaces Comparison
• Walmart Inc.'s Project-Based Operational Plan
• Absorb Activity and Theoretical Teaching Model
• Professional Educators' Development: TPE Domain F
• Problem-Based Learning in Classroom
• Project- and Game-Based Learning Environments
• Sustainable Waste Management Benefits
• Knowledge Loss Risk Management Model
• Developing Priorities and Styles in Education
• How to Mark a Book?: Article Analysis
• Family and Consumer Education Methodologies
• Memorizing Process in Historical Education
• Students' Learning Styles and Personality Types

• Prodigy Math
• Prodigy English
• Is a Premium Membership Worth It?
• Promote a Growth Mindset
• Help Your Child Who's Struggling with Math
• Parent's Guide to Prodigy
• Assessments
• Math Curriculum Coverage
• English Curriculum Coverage
• Game Portal

Project-Based Learning (PBL) Benefits, Examples & 10 Ideas for Classroom Implementation

Written by Marcus Guido

Reviewed by Meredith Melvin, B.Ed.

Save time, engage your students and differentiate learning with Prodigy.

• Teacher Resources
• Teaching Strategies
• Project-based learning definition

Why is project-based learning important?

Key characteristics of project-based learning.

• What are some project-based learning examples
• 10 Project-based learning ideas for your classroom
• Notable and effective project-based learning examples
• Pros and cons of project-based learning in the 21st century

For some teachers, project-based learning (PBL)  is classroom bliss.

Students work together to investigate an authentic and nuanced real-world problem. They build curriculum-aligned skills in the process. They’re rewarded with enhanced communication and problem-solving skills .

But organizing and running suitable PBL activities isn’t always easy, as the pedagogy is surrounded by debate and takes form in a range of exercises.

Find and facilitate the most appropriate project-based learning examples for your students.

These sections will help you determine if the pedagogy is worthwhile. If so, you’ll come away with a handful of effective ideas to implement easily.

What is project-based learning?

Project-based learning (PBL) or project-based instruction is a student-centered teaching method that encourages learning through engaging, real-world, curriculum-related questions or challenges.

This, of course, goes deeper than doing any old project. The goal is to get students to engage with a question or challenge that requires concentration and nuanced problem-solving skills.

This question or challenge must:

• Be open-ended
• Encourage students to apply skills and knowledge they’ve developed in your classes
• Allow students to take their own approaches to develop an answer and deliver a product

As you can see, project-based learning doesn’t conform to rote approaches or teacher-led instruction.

Driven by critical thinking, it’s often interdisciplinary and encourages students to take a rewarding-yet-challenging road to skill-building and knowledge acquisition through a nuanced learning process.

Project-based learning boosts classroom engagement and has a direct impact on how well students are prepared to enter the workforce once they graduate. 

A growing focus on 21st century skills and critical thinking means project-based learning is gaining steam in education. In addition, PBL can help educators:

• Teach students personal responsibility and critical time management skills
• Design assignments that hit higher-order stages in Bloom’s taxonomy like analysis, synthesis and evaluation
• Provide multiple ways of assessing students at different stages of the project, whether through a portfolio, annotated bibliography, outline, draft product or finished project

When students leave school, they’ll need to understand that work isn’t as straightforward as lectures and homework. It’s more aligned with a project-based approach, where employees are expected to prioritize, manage their time and deliver work on a deadline. Project-based learning helps teach students:

• Creative problem-solving skills
• The importance of collaboration
• How to find the right tools for the job
• How to build independent learning and project management skills
• How to use relevant technology to find resources, communicate and produce a final product

Project-based learning is important because it helps students approach meaningful learning opportunities with curiosity, while also giving them real-world skills they’ll use for the rest of their lives. 

Project-based learning isn’t just group work or a randomly assigned project. Let’s take a look at some of the key characteristics to help you build your own project-based learning assignment:

1. Project-based learning presents an open-ended, appropriately complex question.

Students should have to do deep research, draw on existing knowledge and come up with a solution in the form of a final project — whether that’s a presentation, proposal, essay or other product. 

Students should have a choice in what they explore, and the questions they answer should be genuinely challenging with real-world applications.

2. Project-based learning relates to knowledge acquired through classroom lessons.

Not only should project-based learning build on your classroom lessons, but it should give students the opportunity to put them to use in a real-world setting. Project-based learning encourages students to dive deeper into the subject matter and builds on content knowledge.

Ultimately, this content knowledge should have real-world applications that students can focus on during the project.

3. Project-based learning requires students to find their own solutions to a given problem or question.

Just because the inspiration for project-based learning assignments comes from your lectures, doesn’t mean it should stay there. Effective PBL comes from requiring students to find their own solutions to a given problem — not just plugging in a formula to find the answer. 

In practice, this looks like a real-world project with extended inquiry. It should be a multi-stage process with, if necessary, multiple deliverables at different stages to keep students on track.

4. Project-based learning gives students a choice in how they learn. 

Students learn best when they’re studying something that captures their imagination and interest. Regardless of the end product, students should have as much autonomy as possible in what they make and how. They should learn how to communicate ideas in a group and on their own, and really bring their passion for the project to the forefront.

5. Project-based learning follows a clear, well-defined set of assessment criteria.

The best way to keep project-based learning on track and effective is to let students know what’s expected of them.

At the beginning of the project, give students a rubric and handouts outlining:

• How the project will be graded
• All the products they’ll be required to hand in
• How they should work independently or in a group

Some teachers may even choose to collaborate with students in the development of the rubric and project criteria so they may feel a deeper understanding of the project expectations.

When students know what’s expected of them, they’re more likely to succeed.

A simple example of project-based learning

The PBL process is straightforward.

• You present the  issue, methods of investigation and any supplementary materials.  It’s up to your students to  deliver a defined product .
• Next, encourage students to  reflect  on their work and make revisions, ultimately  delivering a presentation  to their peers.

In social studies, for example, you could task students with conceptualizing and mapping out a smartphone app that addresses a problem within your country. To add a math element, they can budget the necessary resources to develop it.

Despite this clear-cut process, there’s a lot of space for diverse tasks and differentiation in general.

As a type of active learning and inquiry-based learning , examples of project-based learning depend on yourself and your students. As John Dewey famously wrote in My Pedagogic Creed :

The teacher is not in the school to impose certain ideas or to form certain habits in the child, but is there as a member of the community to select the influences which shall affect the child and to assist him in properly responding.

Following this philosophy, it’s probable – and ideal – that any project-based learning exercise you run looks different from those run by your colleagues.

What matters is prioritizing your students’ needs and learning styles above the curriculum.

10 Project-based learning ideas your class will love

As you can see, it’s not always easy to come up with a “project” that meets these requirements. Ideating a driving question into meaningful learning experiences that have real-world applications is no small task. 

But that’s what we’re here to help with. Below are 10 of our ideas to inspire your project-based learning exercises.

1. Play area

Give students an opportunity to apply their geometry skills by designing a new playground for the school.

Using a range of free web applications, or simply grid paper and a pencil, task them with mapping out the playground while meeting certain conditions. These conditions should be based on including a certain number of 2D or 3D shapes in the components of the playground, such as slides and monkey bars. For example, at least two isosceles triangles, three equilateral triangles, four squares and so on. Once complete, each student must calculate the area and perimeter of his or her playground, as well as each component.

2. Your very own math story

Fuse math with visual and language arts by asking students to write their own  math books .

Taking the form of an original short story, require students to cover a certain number of curriculum skills. They should explain and exemplify each skill within the context of the story, inherently allowing them to improve understanding. In exemplifying how to use a given skill, students should teach themselves its importance for a real-world scenario. You should notice improved retention as a result.

Is it hard to get your students excited about math? Try turning it into an engaging game-based learning adventure!

3. Favorite recipes

Take a mathematical approach to nutrition by having your class analyze their favorite foods and dishes for presentations about select recipes.

Each student should choose a main course, two sides and a dessert. They must then create and deliver presentations about how to make the dishes. But instead of standard cooking advice, the focus is nutritional values – calories, carbohydrates, daily vitamin intake and so on – based on the ingredients. You may need to provide a go-to resource for students to find this information, but the onus for creating a healthy meal is on them. Bon appetit !

4. What happened to the dinosaurs?

Satiate your students’ curiosity and probable love of dinosaurs by having them research and argue what caused their extinction, crafting a visual display to illustrate findings.

As the dinosaurs’ extinction remains a debate that can draw students into a rabbit hole, consider providing questions to guide their research. How did the planet change from the Triassic to Cretaceous period? How prevalent were carnivores compared with omnivores and herbivores? Such guiding questions should allow students to reach informed opinions, writing reports to defend those opinions and allowing them to craft creative visualizations.

5. Ancient civilization of needs

Combine history, anthropology and psychology through this project, requiring learners to envision newly-discovered ancient civilizations.

The basic premise is to borrow elements from other ancient societies, creating a unique one. But there’s a catch – the society must satisfy each tier in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. If students are not familiar with the theory, present it along with guiding questions.

For example, “Which tier of the pyramid is most important for society to function?” These questions should encourage students to develop a collection of products, including: a written explanation of the society and how it meets Maslow’s hierarchy of needs ; an analysis of the elements borrowed from other ancient civilizations; a visual depiction of the society and more.

6. Where it comes from

Launch this independent or paired study activity to explore how ancient machines are still present in modern-day science and engineering.

The exercise starts with each student or pair choosing a simple machine – a pulley, lever, wedge and so on – or another ancient tool. They must research the history of their tools, determining how and where scientists and engineers still use them today. Students can then envision how the same tools will work as part of inventions 100 years into the future. They can produce videos, presentations or mock interviews with inventors to showcase their research and ideas.

7. The Oscar goes to …

Have students script a part of a significant historical event to exercise their drama, history, and creative writing skills.

Whether a battle, court proceeding or formation of a powerful organization, have students choose from a list of events. Each learner’s goal is to thoroughly research an event, forming a cohesive string of scenes they’d watch in a movie or television show. This will allow them to write scripts, highlighting each figure’s motives and background. They must also pay particular attention to historical accuracy in terms of dialogue and settings. After you’ve approved each student’s script, they can form small groups and choose their favorite, acting it out in front of the class.

8. Fashionista

Encourage students to take the roles of fashion designers and marketers with a scenario that combines business with visual and language arts.

This scenario entails a client – played by you – asking fashion agencies – played by small student groups – to manage the creation and launch of a specific clothing item, such as a dress or jacket. Although your idea is crystal clear, you’re having a hard time communicating it. So, the agencies must start the project by developing a questionnaire to draw answers from you. As you respond to each agency, they can begin the next steps. These can include designing mock-ups, writing advertisements and calculating an appropriate sale price. After this work is done, each agency will pitch their version of the item to you. You determine who best captured the client’s ideas.

9. A career with math

Give students a chance to look towards the future, investigating a career path that heavily relies on math.

You can present a list of relevant careers or have students suggest their own. Either way, choosing a career will launch the investigation process. Each student must research the career, writing a brief report about how professionals use math in daily duties. From there, students should be able to choose a skill used in their selected procession, linking it to a skill in the curriculum. The final task is to write a textbook chapter that explains the skill while offering specific examples of how and when it is used in the given career.  

10. The economics of pizza

Analyze, from a mathematical perspective , many students’ favorite meal: pizza.

This project-based learning assessment starts by choosing a pizza chain, researching its prices and applying linear algebra concepts to find the base cost of a pizza. These same concepts will allow students to determine how much each additional topping costs.

But the task isn’t done there. Students should research – individually or in small groups – how much it costs to source each topping. They can then determine which type of pizza yields the greatest and smallest profit margins. Doing so acts as an introduction to basic economic concepts, encouraging students to critically think about business.

Notable examples of project-based learning

Your inspiration doesn’t have to be limited to isolated activities like the ones above! There are many notable examples of project-based learning initiatives.

You’ll likely be able to freely borrow ideas from these institutions:

1. THINK Global School

Calling itself the “world’s first traveling high school,” THINK Global School  has its students live in four countries per year while developing curriculum knowledge entirely through project-based learning.

The projects are rooted in the cultures and environments surrounding the students.

2. Muscatine High School

An oft-referenced example of commitment to project-based learning, Muscatine High School  in Iowa worked with a third-party organization to implement project-based learning opportunities across classes and subjects.

The projects are diverse, ranging from developing personal financial plans to exploring local history through interviews with community members.

3. EdVisions

A non-profit organization,  EdVisions ’ mission is “to help create and sustain great schools … using the most student-centered teaching and learning.” This largely involves partnering with schools to implement project-based learning opportunities.

The organization does so by working with a given school to identify students’ learning needs and preferences, tailoring projects to them. This serves as an important reminder: project-based learning starts and ends with students in mind.

However, educators are still asking some important questions...

With such complex demands in today’s educational system, educators worldwide are asking if elementary students can effectively complete research projects?

Will they still meet required learning objectives with the teacher serving as a guide instead of teaching the curriculum in a direct, traditional manner?

The project-based learning ideas above can be incredibly useful in the right setting and with the right students. However, there are some perceived benefits and disadvantages worth outlining.

Benefits and disadvantages of project-based learning

Debate permeates discussions about project-based learning.

It’s up to you to understand the pros and cons, applying them to your classroom situation to make a decision about a given activity.

Key benefits of project-based learning:

• Increased engagement –  Project-based learning empowers students to play an active role in learning, as the complex tasks they take on demand novel approaches and are relevant to real-world contexts. This creates a classroom environment in which students overwhelmingly report feeling engaged, according to a  meta analysis of 82 studies .
• Better knowledge retention –  Compared with traditional instruction,  extensive research  indicates that students who complete project-based learning exercises and assessments often show superior knowledge retention in a range of subjects from math to second-language learning. This can translate to higher performance on tests, according to a  2011 study .
• Improved critical thinking abilities –  The process of completing and delivering a project-generated product inherently builds problem-solving abilities, according to  research from as recent as 2010 . This is because students must heavily exercise those abilities, applying them in tangible contexts. For these reasons, the research indicates that students in project-based learning environments can better use problem-solving skills out of school than those in traditional learning settings.
• More opportunities to explore EdTech –  Project-based learning, by nature, enables students to use EdTech and explore Internet resources and technology tools. For example, independent research is likely rooted in online searches. EdTech, on the other hand, can lend itself to creating and delivering artifacts.

Disadvantages of project-based learning

• Subjectivity in assessments –  When grading a project-based learning product, many critics will say you’re closing the door on objectivity. This is because, as opposed to using standardized forms of measurement, you’ll rely on subjectively assessing a range of products. For these reasons, there’s an argument that you shouldn’t use project-based learning for a large part of students’ marks.
• Hyper-focus on product creation –  It’s possible for the day-to-day focus of project-based learning to transition from developing and applying essential skills to merely working on a product. When this happens, you can debate that students won’t reap benefits such as improved problem solving and knowledge retention.
• Questionable application in mathematics –  Largely skill-based for elementary learners, dedicating time to project-based learning may not be the best use of time. Consider this: Would students better understand multiplication by applying it in a project-based learning context, or by running through drills and  word problems ?

Armed with this knowledge, it’s ultimately your decision to bring project-based learning into your classroom.

A quality project will both engage students’ interests and align with what’s being taught, so keep that in mind for the most successful outcome. 

Final thoughts on building PBL exercises

After going through this, you should have a better understanding of project-based learning as a pedagogy, as well as how to create a project design and launch it.

Just remember that the teaching method must be student-centered. What works for some teachers may not work for you, and what works for you may not work for others.

But you’ll never know until you try.

👉 Create or log in to your teacher on Prodigy – a game-based learning platform for math that’s curriculum-aligned and used by over 100 million teachers, students and parents worldwide.

Home — Essay Samples — Science — Observation — The Benefits of Project-Based Learning in Education

The Benefits of Project-based Learning in Education

• Categories: Observation

About this sample

Words: 715 |

Published: Feb 12, 2019

Words: 715 | Pages: 2 | 4 min read

Works Cited

• Boaler, J. (2002). Learning from teaching: Exploring the relationship between reform curriculum and equity. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education , 33(4), 239-258.
• Edutopia. (n.d.). Project-Based Learning Research Review. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/project-based-learning-research
• Krajcik, J., Blumenfeld, P. C., Marx, R. W., & Soloway, E. (1998). Instructional, curricular, and technological supports for inquiry in science classrooms. Handbook of research on science teaching and learning, 45(2), 283-316.
• Mergendoller, J. R., Maxwell, N. L., & Bellisimo, Y. (2006). The effectiveness of problem-based instruction: A comparative study of instructional methods and student characteristics. Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-based Learning, 1(2), 49-69.
• Project-Based Learning Research Review. (2017). ASCD. Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/research-a-topic/project-based-learning-resources.aspx
• Reeder, E. (2002). How projects change teaching: Students and teachers talk about project-based instruction. Phi Delta Kappan, 84(3), 200-203.
• Thomas, J. W. (2000). A review of research on project-based learning. Retrieved from http://www.bobpearlman.org/BestPractices/PBL_Research.pdf
• Wagner, T. (2010). The global achievement gap: Why even our best schools don't teach the new survival skills our children need--and what we can do about it. Basic Books.
• Walker, A., Recker, M., & Robertshaw, M. B. (2010). Does PBL increase student motivation and achievement in high school science?. A comparative study of problem-based learning, interdisciplinary project-based learning, and traditional science instruction.
• Zhao, Y. (2012). World class learners: Educating creative and entrepreneurial students. Corwin Press.

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

• 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
• Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Dr. Karlyna PhD

Verified writer

• Expert in: Science

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

2 pages / 962 words

4 pages / 1722 words

1 pages / 433 words

2 pages / 1080 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Understanding human behavior is a complex and fascinating endeavor. One of the most effective methods for gaining insights into how people behave in their natural environments is through naturalistic observation. In this essay, [...]

Special education classrooms are designed to meet the unique needs of students with disabilities. These classrooms often have a different structure and focus compared to general education classrooms. Observing a special [...]

Observing a scene is an art form that allows individuals to delve into the intricate details of everyday life, uncovering the beauty and significance hidden in the ordinary. This essay explores the essence of observing a scene, [...]

Observing people's behavior provides a unique window into the intricacies of human interactions. This essay delves into the significance of behavior observation as a tool for gaining insights into social dynamics and individual [...]

On November 6, 2019, I had the opportunity to go to court and observe an interesting Preliminary Hearing case. The case that I sat through was a rape case about how a twelve years old girl said that her fifty year old uncle [...]

Play is important for children, there are plenty of reason why play is an important thing for children such as learning how to socialize, learning their cognitive, exploring their imagination and much more from just simply [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free

The Hechinger Report

Covering Innovation & Inequality in Education

Project-based learning and standardized tests don’t mix

Share this:

• Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
• Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)

The Hechinger Report is a national nonprofit newsroom that reports on one topic: education. Sign up for our  weekly newsletters  to get stories like this delivered directly to your inbox. Consider supporting our stories and becoming  a member  today.

Get important education news and analysis delivered straight to your inbox

• Weekly Update
• Future of Learning
• Higher Education
• Early Childhood
• Proof Points

PHILADELPHIA — In a city that’s struggled to meet the educational needs of many of its children, especially its most vulnerable ones, a select group of district high schools is shunning the traditional classroom model in which teachers dispense knowledge from the front of the room and measure progress with tests. Instead, the schools have adopted an approach that’s become increasingly popular among education advocates and funders: project-based learning.

In this model, students embark on in-depth investigations relevant to their lives and their communities. Projects are organized around the development of skills like student collaboration, problem-solving and self-reflection through assignments that blend research with public presentations. They’re precisely the skills that colleges and employers say graduates need for success .

Yet, in a school district where more than half of 8-year-olds are reading below grade level and a third of high school students don’t graduate , there’s an urgency to demonstrate improved results. One of the challenges facing a project-based learning (PBL) model lies in measuring the very benefits that characterize it. “We haven’t figured out how to assess the outcomes of PBL and that is a huge issue,” said Maia Bloomfield Cucchiara, associate professor at Temple University.

Standardized tests don’t measure student engagement or deep thinking about relevant, meaningful content. The tests have their place, said Cucchiara, who also serves on the board of the city’s newest project-based high school, but “they don’t begin to capture all the things that we’re hoping [kids] will get out of this education.”

That’s a potential liability in a city looking to change the narrative of an urban school system that persistently lags behind statewide averages in academic proficiency. Philadelphia’s move toward the project-based model is part of a broader push to open alternatives to neighborhood comprehensive schools, which have struggled in the face of chronic underfunding.

“Now I’m a student that wants to learn, and I don’t worry about the end result [grade]. I’m into the process.”

Project-based learning advocates are confident that the model can succeed in Philadelphia by providing students with skills that translate equally to both postsecondary and career options. Less certain, however, is whether its adoption can push educators, students and families to re-examine assumptions about the very purpose of high school. Is the goal to improve test scores or prepare students for adulthood?

At the city’s project-based schools, the student experience is markedly different from that in more traditional high schools.

Spread out among the retro-chic sofas and love seats of the Bar Hygge brewpub in Philadelphia’s gentrified Fairmount neighborhood, a class of ninth-graders from Vaux Big Picture High School listens to restaurant co-owner Stew Keener talk about the collaboration and problem-solving that occurs on a daily basis in the food business. “Every meal service here is like the fourth quarter of a tie ball game,” he told them. “So when a problem comes up you can’t look for somebody to blame, you have to work together and come up with a solution.”

The message of teamwork and accountability, all in the service of a tangible product is, by now, a familiar one for this inaugural class of students at Vaux, the newest addition to Philadelphia’s network of recently opened small high schools designed around the project-based learning curriculum.

Related: Can a school save a neighborhood?

The visit to Bar Hygge is part of a required course in which freshmen spend one afternoon each week visiting a different business or community organization in order to identify internship opportunities they’d like to pursue in their sophomore year.

The internships will serve as a linchpin of the school’s “real-world learning” academic model, said David Bromley, founder and executive director of Big Picture Philadelphia, which started the school. “For us, PBL is when they’re developing projects that they’re interested in with somebody in the community … projects that have some kind of impact. Our goal is that everything they learn in the classroom they apply in their internships.”

Vaux principal Gabriel Kuriloff emphasizes that the school has developed rigorous internal assessments to measure progress. “We’re getting an incredible amount of data about our students on the ground. But that doesn’t translate to a school report card,” he said, referring to the annual assessments that highlight a school’s performance on standardized tests. “There’s no [statewide] assessment for being able to look people in the eye and speak clearly.”

One of the barriers to measuring the effectiveness of the model is that there’s no universal standard for what constitutes a project-based learning curriculum. At Vaux, the model is designed around the internship program. Some schools have adopted a more career and technical education approach while others focus on projects tied to community needs.

At The Workshop School, a project-based high school just a few miles west of Philadelphia’s Center City, more than 50 percent of each student’s day is dedicated to the research and implementation of a project, from designing a solar cellphone charger for personal use to auto repair for neighborhood clients (the school houses automotive and woodworking facilities). College-bound 18-year-old senior Miracle Townes has dreamed of owning her own businesses from an early age. She’s always been a self-motivated student, but what’s changed during her time at the school has been her ability to work with others. “When I came here,” she said, “I didn’t really want to share my work with people. I used to take the projects over and just do it myself, like ‘I’m gonna get us all an A on this project.’ But here you have to make sure everybody participates.”

What she’s learned, she says, is how to recognize group dynamics. “We have a few people in my class who are shy and don’t like to talk,” she explained. “If I’m placed in a group project with them I won’t say anything at the beginning even if I already have an idea because I want to hear from them. In my career I’m going to be working with other people and bringing my ideas to the table. Now I feel like I can tell when I’m talking too much, so I’ll know when to pull back.”

Related: A vocational school curriculum that includes genocide studies and British literature

The process of learning is just as important as the resulting product, said Workshop principal Simon Hauger. “For our kids, we want the work of school to be closely tied to the work that’s going to be demanded of them as adults.”

Hauger doesn’t sugarcoat the challenges that his students face. “Our kids are dealing with the trauma of poverty,” he said. (Eighty-eight percent of the school’s students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a national measure of poverty.) Hauger believes that the project-based learning framework is flexible enough to accommodate the needs of schools serving affluent neighborhoods and those serving under-resourced neighborhoods because, at its core, he says, is the effort to build a real sense of community where kids feel safe enough to take risks, identify their passions and act on honest self-evaluations of their strengths and weaknesses. High school, he said, should be a place where students “develop a deep sense of who they are and tie that to a future vision for themselves.”

Education advocates say that, looking beyond test scores, a more accurate measure of success for Workshop, or any other high school, should involve following kids in the years after graduation. Are they engaged in a postsecondary experience that’s meaningful, like working at a living wage job with upward mobility or attending a college or technical school?

Related: The next generation of science education means more doing

Fostering that kind of success isn’t easy. It demands unwavering commitment from teachers and stable leadership through the inevitable challenges. North Philadelphia’s The LINC High School, set in an area with one of the city’s highest violent crime rates , has faced several obstacles in its short history. Designed around a project-based learning curriculum when it opened in 2014, the school’s founding principal announced she was leaving for a job in Baltimore just days into the first school year , a move that led to an exodus of some faculty and students and a retreat to more traditional methods.

“In my career I’m going to be working with other people and bringing my ideas to the table.”

Current principal Bridget Bujak says that following the upheaval of having three principals in a single year, the school did not begin to reintroduce the schoolwide project-based learning curriculum until 2017. “Everyone really struggled with the model,” she said, noting that as a nonselective school, she has some ninth-graders coming in at a kindergarten reading level. While the program is less hands-on than Workshop’s, student work remains focused on the surrounding community. Recent projects involved creating designs for residential construction and analysis of neighborhood crime patterns.

“Projects are really hard, collaboration is really hard,” said Bujak. “For this to work there has to be a culture of care for each other. And when there is friction among students or teachers we have to put it on the table. We have sit-downs, we have conversations. We can’t ignore it.”

Project-based learning’s student-focused approach, which values the process of learning for each child rather than simply recording test grades, forces everyone in the building to work more closely together, Philadelphia educators in the project-based learning schools say. The result has been strengthened relationships between students and teachers, helping schools be more attentive to their students’ needs beyond academics.

Related: New advances in measuring social-emotional learning

Sixteen-year-old junior, Rosbeiris Gomez, who will be taking community college classes during her senior year, says the work at LINC has been challenging and meaningful. But just as important, she adds, is the sense of care, which has allowed her to talk to school staff about personal issues in situations where she has needed outside help. “Everybody here knows each other,” she said. “There are times when I walk by Ms. Bujak in the hallway and she’s like ‘Rose, come here.’ She wants to catch up if it’s been a while since we have talked because she knows that since my first year, when I was down or feeling sad, she would be the one I would go to.”

Building meaningful, caring relationships like these is crucial to success, teachers and principals say, but is not something you’re rewarded for on a proficiency test. Philadelphia assistant superintendent Christina Grant, who oversees the district’s network of project-based learning high schools, stresses that while project-based learning schools may put an emphasis on difficult-to-measure metrics, they will be held to the same level of accountability as other district schools. “None of the things we measure have shifted,” she said.

If the project-based learning schools show measurable gains in test scores or graduation rates, she said, the district will look to them for methods that can be expanded to primary schools.

Related: Using vocational education to teach academic courses

An unqualified success for these new schools would be results like those at Science Leadership Academy, a magnet school that is home to the district’s longest-running project-based learning program, which opened in 2006. The school combines rigorous research with student-driven projects that have impact beyond the school building. One student project involved putting on a city-wide Ultimate Frisbee tournament. In the 2016-17 school year, 99 percent of its seniors graduated, and 84 percent attended college immediately afterward. Algebra, Biology and English literature proficiency scores at the school are more than double the district high school average.

“Projects are really hard, collaboration is really hard.”

“As a magnet school,” said Science Leadership Academy principal Chris Lehmann, “we need to be able to prove that the learning we engage in here shows up on the test … without falling into a teach-for-the-test problem. It’s a balancing act. It always has been.”

It may prove difficult for other schools to replicate Science Leadership Academy’s performance, however. As a magnet school, it has selective admissions and attracts students from a wider range of socioeconomic backgrounds (fewer than half its students receive free or reduced-price lunch, for example) than the city’s other project-based learning schools.

Lehmann acknowledges the inherent advantages at a school that’s able to choose its students — applicants must meet minimum grade requirements and sit for an interview — but, like his counterparts at Philadelphia’s nonselective project-based learning schools, he argues that we need to be taking a more holistic view of school performance. “How you judge a school is an incredibly nuanced thing,” he said. “The way that we take care of each other and the way that we learn are intertwined.” There may not be a quantitative metric to assess whether students are being provided with meaningful work in an environment that lets them know they are cared for, but Lehmann believes that without those components, grades and test scores become an end unto themselves.

“There’s no [statewide] assessment for being able to look people in the eye and speak clearly.”

Tamir Harper is an 18-year-old senior at Science Leadership Academy whose passion is education reform: In 2017 he founded a nonprofit that advocates for quality urban education . He says that when he arrived at the school he was obsessed with grades. “I just wanted to know ‘How can I get an A?’ I didn’t care if I was learning, or comprehending,” he said. “Now I’m a student that wants to learn, and I don’t worry about the end result [grade]. I’m into the process.” He says a big part of that shift was the relationships he forged at school. “We’re not just project-based, we’re a community-driven school,” he said.

Fellow senior Madison Militello, 18, says her middle school was very strict, with no room for individual connections. “Here I don’t feel like the teachers are above me. I feel like we’re on the same level,” she said, noting that she’s still close with some teachers even though she doesn’t have their classes anymore. “You can’t teach a group of students you don’t have a connection with.”

That sentiment was a common refrain at Vaux, LINC and Workshop, each of which offer slightly different approaches to project-based learning in underserved communities. Educators at each are confident that the skills their students are acquiring — collaboration, critical thinking and problem-solving — will eventually manifest themselves in improved results on more traditional metrics like math and reading tests. More importantly, however, they believe that students will be much more prepared for the real world when they leave school. Whether project-based learning done on a larger scale can turn the tide in Philadelphia is another question.

“You can create the perfect school model and it’s still not going to solve American poverty,” Hauger said. “We’re moving the needle for every child who comes through the door and sometimes that doesn’t feel like enough.”

This story about project-based learning was produced by The Hechinger Report , a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for the Hechinger newsletter .

Related articles

The Hechinger Report provides in-depth, fact-based, unbiased reporting on education that is free to all readers. But that doesn't mean it's free to produce. Our work keeps educators and the public informed about pressing issues at schools and on campuses throughout the country. We tell the whole story, even when the details are inconvenient. Help us keep doing that.

Join us today.

Amadou Diallo

Amadou... More by Amadou Diallo

Letters to the Editor

At The Hechinger Report, we publish thoughtful letters from readers that contribute to the ongoing discussion about the education topics we cover. Please read our guidelines for more information. We will not consider letters that do not contain a full name and valid email address. You may submit news tips or ideas here without a full name, but not letters.

By submitting your name, you grant us permission to publish it with your letter. We will never publish your email address. You must fill out all fields to submit a letter.

This article made me so hopeful for American education which is usually reluctant to try anything new. Project-based learning has been the norm in a few other countries, namely Finland, and I wonder if it wouldn’t be a good idea to have a monthly meeting of a bunch of students from Philadelphia and Helsinki, of the same age. Google Hangouts or WhatsApp can provide enabling technology for the communication. I just think it would be so exciting if the kids can use project-based learning as a way of connecting. All the info that has been observed and collected in Finland, Sweden, Denmark is so remarkable when it comes to education and ours is so dismal and dreary. Thanks for the article.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Sign me up for the newsletter!

Submit a letter