WHAT WORKS IN EDUCATION The George Lucas Educational Foundation

Knowledge in Action™ "AP+" Project: Research on a Project-Based Learning Approach to AP

In 2008-09, researchers at the University of Washington and its LIFE Center (Learning in Informal and Formal Environments), together with curriculum specialists and teachers in the Bellevue, Washington, schools, designed and implemented a project-based version of the AP U.S. Government and Politics course. They then used students’ scores on the AP exam as well as new measures to assess students’ deeper learning to compare the effectiveness of this class with a traditionally taught course.

By Amy Erin Borovoy (aka VideoAmy)
1/26/10
In 2008-09, researchers at the University of Washington and its LIFE Center (Learning in Informal and Formal Environments), together with curriculum specialists and teachers in the Bellevue, Washington, schools, designed and implemented a project-based version of the AP U.S. Government and Politics course. They then used students’ scores on the AP exam as well as new measures to assess students’ deeper learning to compare the effectiveness of this class with a traditionally taught course.
Credits | Release Date: 2/10/2010

Video Credits

Editor

  • Karen Sutherland

Camera Crew

  • Rob Weller
  • Michael Curtiss

Additional Camera

  • Scott Macklin
  • Craig Burlingame
  • Juris Jansons

Narration

  • Kris Welch

Original Music

  • Ed Bogas
  • © 2010
  • The George Lucas Educational Foundation
  • All rights reserved.

The Knowledge in Action Project is made possible with generous support from The George Lucas Educational Foundation, Bellevue Schools Foundation, and the National Science Foundation.

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Knowledge in Action™ Resources

Click on the title below to download a PDF.

PDF Executive Summary of KNAC "AP+" Project 244K

More information at The George Lucas Educational Foundation research page.

The Knowledge in Action™ (KNAC) “AP+” project is a collaboration of the University of Washington, the LIFE Center, the Bellevue Schools Foundation, and The George Lucas Educational Foundation.

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A number of studies show that deep understanding can flow from project-based curricula. However, research on a wide variety of educational innovations has shown that proceeding without quality professional-development materials, implementation strategies, and continuous improvement plans can easily result in failures for students, teachers, and school systems. These materials are currently under development by the project partnership. In the meantime, we welcome inquiries about the project and look forward to future collaboration on a growing scale.