TEACHING MODULE
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Project-Based Learning (PBL)
What Is Project-Based Learning About?
A description of what PBL can accomplish in the classroom.
PBL Is Curriculum Fueled and Standards Based
Project-based learning addresses the required content standards. In PBL, the inquiry process starts with a guiding question and lends itself to collaborative projects that integrate various subjects within the curriculum. Questions are asked that direct students to encounter the major elements and principles of a discipline.
Newsome Park:
You can't tear students away from their schoolwork when it involves in-depth investigations with real-world applications.
PBL Asks a Question or Poses a Problem That Each Student Can Answer
In PBL, the teacher or the students pose a guiding question: "What happens at night?" "What do nocturnal animals do while we're sleeping?" "What is cystic fibrosis, and how is it caused?" "What would happen if our class formed a business with a real product and started selling stock?" "What will a high school look like in 2050?" (These questions are the basis for projects you'll see in Edutopia.org articles and videos.)
PBL Allows Students to Delve into Content in a More Direct and Meaningful Way
Recognizing that children have different learning styles, concrete, hands-on experiences come together during PBL. Field trips, experiments, model building, posters, and creation of multimedia presentations are all viable activities within PBL, and present multiple ways for students to demonstrate their knowledge -- there is no one right answer.
PBL Asks Students to Investigate Issues and Topics Addressing Real-World Problems While Integrating Subjects Across the Curriculum
By creating bridges between subjects, students view knowledge holistically, rather than looking at isolated facts. Education scholar Sylvia Chard says the project approach is an "in-depth investigation of a real-world topic worthy of children's attention and effort."
"The classroom is a place where people can live a fulfilling life together as a community of learners if needs and concerns are appropriately expressed. Problems can be discussed. Support, encouragement, and models can be provided by both teacher and peers. Where expectations for children's learning are high, it is important that the social interaction itself is designed to facilitate learning."
--Education researcher Sylvia Chard
PBL Fosters Abstract, Intellectual Tasks to Explore Complex Issues
PBL promotes understanding, which is true knowledge. Students explore, make judgments, interpret, and synthesize information in meaningful ways. This approach is more representative of how adults are asked to learn and demonstrate knowledge.
View PBL in Action.
Watch the video Newsome Park. 
Getting Started:
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This teaching module is organized into five chapters:
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PBL and arrogance
PBL is fun. But its promoters are pretentious with blather about authentic learning, true knowledge, meaningfulness, etc. A lot of students learn the PBL way. And they may love it. I have been a close observer of them. It can't hold a candle to genuine (now its my turn for superlatives) intellectual passion, which is exceedingly rare. It would be a delight to see that championed.
Thanks for hearing my opinion.
PBL and Intellectual Passion
I would suggest that intellectual passion is an important part of pbl. In fact, are we not as teachers trying to instill a sense of passion for learning, in all students? Students, that have or portray intellectual passion certainly makes our job as educators easier. Perhaps ‘intellectual passion’ is a goal of pbl.
Pbl is not the solve all of education. They are times when it is not appropriate and a more direct approach/instruction needs to occur. However, I believe, pbl is a valid method of reaching more students in more way because it can lead to that sense of ‘intellectual passion’ that you spoke of. So, perhaps intellectual passion and pbl can be or are connected.
Personally, I wasn’t very good at Math or Chemistry. I didn’t have an intellectual passion for either one. Perhaps, if I was given a reason, an authentic learning environment, a learning approach in context … I would have found my intellectual passion for Math. I highly doubt would have found it for chemistry though. Thoughts of my old chemistry classes still give me a headache.
☺
Mark
PBL and Hands on experiences
I like the idea of PBL because it does give students that hands on experience. It promotes student the opportunity to do instead of hear. For students who are more kinesthetic and visual, PBL will hopefully help students remember the experience more than just going through the motions of everyday projects and learning.