Project-based Learning
Overview
Project-based learning (PBL) actively engages learners in authentic tasks designed to create products or design solutions that answer a given question or solve a problem. When educators act as facilitators and promote projects that are relevant to students as a part of the curriculum, students have agency over their learning, promoting self-efficacy and Motivation through this experiential learning. Working collaboratively on multimodal or cross-disciplinary projects as leaders and team-members can provide opportunities to build on individuals' experiences and strengths. It also can develop learners' Collaboration, problem solving, Critical Thinking, question posing skills and Communication skills. PBL should also be equity-centered and foster a Sense of Belonging by focusing on purposeful, authentic projects, and prioritizing meaningful relationships, content integration, and research-based teaching methods, benefiting historically and systematically excluded learners. Effective PBL requires scaffolding to support student learning and Motivation as educators guide learners through the process, particularly in the areas of time management and student self-management. Not all students have had previous experience with student-driven learning and some may need additional support, including opportunities to participate successfully, and ample time to review materials and make decisions. Additionally, strategies like translanguaging can be used to ensure multilingual students have access to a rich PBL experience, particularly if they are newer to the language of instruction.
Example: Use This Strategy in the Classroom
See how one teacher puts Project-based Learning into action in an AP Physics class.
Design It into Your Product
Additional Resources
Additional examples, research, and professional development. These resources are possible representations of this strategy, not endorsements.
Factors Supported by this Strategy
More Active Learning Strategies
Encouraging learners to draw as a form of synthesizing key concepts and to explain their drawings in the classroom, can support the development of Core Academic Literacies, especially when solving complex problems across content areas.
Students explaining their thinking during learning is a metacognitive process that involves actively self-questioning or being questioned while exploring new concepts, and explaining thoughts and reasoning in response.
Visiting places connected to classroom learning provides opportunities to add relevance to classroom topics and deepen understanding through firsthand experiences.
Games support learning, as learners engage with new information in fun and informal ways.
Simulations involve students engaging in interactive experiences that mimic real-world scenarios to explore content, practice skills, and solve problems.
Youth participatory action research (YPAR) is a student-centered approach that puts the learner at the helm of the research process, from ideation to dissemination, to investigate and advocate for change they want to see in their schools and communities.
