21st Century Education:

Project-Based Learning

CI 350 9:30 class

By: Annie Brownfield, Taylor Foster, Summer Wheatley

Definition of Project-Based Learning (PBL)

“Project-based learning is a comprehensive approach to classroom teaching and learning that is designed to engage students in investigation of authentic problems.” -Blumenfeld

•According to Edutopia, PBL is a dynamic classroom approach in which students actively explore real-world problems and challenges and acquire a deeper knowledge.

Importance

• PBL is more relevant to “real-world” tasks that students will inevitably face in the future, so this style of learning will better prepare them for graduation instead of “old school” rote memorization.

• Students have more freedom to figure out problems on their own with teachers serving as guides.

• PBL encourages students to become independent workers, critical thinkers, and lifelong learners.

“With project-based learning, students learn by designing and construction actual solutions to real life problems.” - George Lucas, Hollywood Director

How PBL applies to 21st Century Education: PBL teaches students: •To take responsibility •To become problem solvers •To communicate ideas•To become creative innovators

21st Century Competencies

•Critical thinking•Communication in a variety of media •Collaboration

Clear Example of PBL’s application: Arts & Bots

How Arts & Bots prove to be a clear example of PBL: •Hands on experience•Group work•Critical thinking•Depending on student, visual learning • Learning to adapt•Developing skills• To peers• To something new•Different classroom setting

PBL Characteristic

Example in Arts and Bots

Personal and social responsibility

Each individual was responsible to put forth their best effort and contribute to the project with their partner.

Planning, critical thinking, reasoning, and creativity

Collaborating with partner’s unit plan to create a single robot applicable to both unit plans.

Strong communication skills, both for interpersonal and presentation needs

Communicating with partner about ideas for the robot and being able to put into words what each partner visualized for the robot.

Visualizing and decision making

Knowing how you wanted the end-product to appear and making the decisions to make it work such as reinforcing a part of the robot with popsicle sticks or manipulating the motors so the robot moves just right.

Knowing how and when to use technology

Knowing how to operate the Hummingbird program and all of its components.

Cross-Cultural Understanding

Working with a partner of a different background.

Works Cited

•"Why Project Based Learning (PBL)?" Why PBL? N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2014.

•http://bie.org/•http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.10

80/00461520.1991.9653139#.VH836Xk89aQ

•http://www.edutopia.org/project-based-learning-guide-importance