About the Learning Path

  • In this Learning Path, you will learn about the basics of project-based learning and see a description of high level activities that one teacher used that show what students are doing in order to create a deeper understanding of nutrition and what foods are healthy, how they collaborate with others outside of the classroom and create real world products such as cookbooks. You will then work on a lesson plan and create a project that aligns to your curriculum that you will be able to implement in your classroom.

    Project-based approaches using “Breakfast around the World” as an example

    Overview

    Project-based learning is a constructivist approach to learning. Students work on open-ended projects or problems. Learning is student-centred with the teacher as the facilitator. Students usually work in collaborative groups, seeking multiple sources of information and creating authentic products. Below find research that supports student learning in a project-based environment

    • Students participating in project-based learning showed increased attendance and improved attitudes toward learning. Project-based learning teachers often report that students willingly devote extra time or effort to a project. (Thomas, 2000)
    • Project-based learning students show academic gains equal to or better than those generated by other models, with students involved in projects taking greater responsibility for their own learning than during more traditional classroom activities. (Boaler, 1999; SRI, 2000)
    • Project-based learning provides opportunities for students to develop complex thinking skills, such as problem solving and decision making. In a project, students engage in posing and solving complex problems and making important decisions. (SRI, 2000; Thomas, 1998)
    • Many projects depend on students working together in learning groups. Cognitive theories suggest learning is a social phenomenon and students learn more in a collaborative environment. (Wiburg, 1994)
    • Project work involves students engaging in complex tasks that help students develop organization, time management, and self-direction skills. (Thomas, 2000)
    • Students who benefit the most from project-based learning tend to be those for whom traditional methods and approaches are not effective (SRI, 2000). In project-based learning, previously hard-to-reach students begin to participate in class. Access to a broad range of learning opportunities in the classroom provides a strategy for engaging culturally diverse learners. (Railsback, 2002)

  • Teaching methodology

    Characteristics of Project-based Approaches

    Project-based approaches to learning develops content area knowledge and skills through an extended task that promotes student inquiry and authentic demonstrations of learning in products and performances. Guiding questions tie content standards and higher-order thinking to real-world contexts. Project work can be used with any grade level and any subject area. Project-based units include varied instructional strategies to engage all students regardless of their learning style. Often students collaborate with outside experts and community members to answer questions and gain deeper meaning of the content. Technology is used to support learning. Throughout project work multiple types of assessment are embedded to ensure that students produce high quality work. This learning path gives an example of how one teacher included the curricular areas of health and nutrition to create a project that engage the students critical thinking, collaboration, and communication – all skills identified as necessary for a 21st century education.

    The following are characteristics of project-based approaches

    Students are at the center of the learning process.

    Well designed project-based units engage students in open-ended, authentic tasks. Compelling project tasks empower students to make decisions and apply their interests and passions to culminating products and performances. Students learn through inquiry and have some control over decisions about how they complete project tasks. The teacher takes on the role of a facilitator or coach. Students often work in collaborative groups, assuming roles that make best use of their individual talents.

    Projects focus on important learning objectives that are aligned with standards.

    Good projects are developed around core curricular concepts that address national or local standards. The project has clear objectives that align with standards and focus on what students should know as a result of their learning. With a focus on objectives, the teacher defines appropriate demonstrations of learning in an assessment plan and organizes learning activities and instruction. Project work culminates in student products and performance tasks such as persuasive presentations and informational newsletters that demonstrate understanding of content standards and learning objectives.

    Projects are driven by Curriculum-Framing Questions.

    Questions keep projects focused on important learning. Students are introduced to a project with questions that pose big and enduring ideas that cross many disciplines. They are challenged to dig deeper with subject-specific content questions that focus on standards and objectives. There are three types of Curriculum-Framing Questions: Essential, Unit, and Content Questions. Essential Questions are broad and open-ended questions that address big ideas and enduring concepts. They often cross disciplines and help students see how subjects are related. Unit Questions are tied directly to the project and support investigation into the Essential Question. Unit Questions help demonstrate how well students understand the core concepts of the project. Content Questions are more fact-based and align to identified standards and objectives.

    Projects involve on-going and multiple types of assessment.

    Clear expectations are defined at the beginning of a project and are revisited with multiple checks for understanding using varied assessment methods. Students have models and guidelines for high quality work and know what is expected of them from the beginning of the project. Opportunities for reflection, feedback, and adjustment are embedded in the project.

    The project has real-world connections.

    Projects are relevant to students’ lives and may involve community or outside experts who provide a context for learning. Students may present their learning to an authentic audience, connect with community resources, tap into experts in the field of study, or communicate through technology.

    Students demonstrate knowledge through a product or performance.

    Projects typically culminate with students demonstrating their learning through presentations, written documents, constructed displays, proposals, or even simulated events such as a mock trial. These final products allow for student expression and ownership of learning.

    Technology supports and enhances student learning.

    Students have access to different types of technology, which are used to support the development of thinking skills, content expertise, and creation of final products. With the help of technology, students have more control over final results and an opportunity to personalize products. Students can reach beyond the walls of the classroom by collaborating with distant classes through email and self-made Web sites, or presenting their learning through multimedia.

    Thinking skills are integral to project work.

    Project work supports the development of both metacognitive and cognitive thinking skills such as collaboration, self-monitoring, analysis of data, and evaluation of information. Throughout the project, Curriculum-Framing Questions challenge students to think and make connections to concepts that matter in the real world.

    Instructional strategies are varied and support multiple learning styles.

    Instructional strategies create a richer learning environment and promote higher- order thinking. A range of instructional strategies ensures that the curricular material is accessible to all students and provides opportunities for every student to succeed. Instruction may include the use of different cooperative grouping strategies, graphic organizers, and teacher and peer feedback.

    The following are resources that will help you get a deeper understanding of project-based approaches:

What skills will be required to plan and implement the Learning Path?►
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