Students have more agency and choice in the PBL design and implementation processes when they participate in self-directed project-based learning, which is an amazing learning experience for everyone involved.
1. 7 Important Steps of
Project-Based Learning
Which are the most important steps of project-based learning, particularly those phases that are
engaged in student-directed project-based learning?
Students have more agency and choice in the PBL design and implementation processes when
they participate in self-directed project-based learning, which is an amazing learning experience
for everyone involved. But what specific actions are required of them? In your role as a facilitator,
what measures do YOU need to take? Keep reading!
Here are 7 important steps of project-based learning;
Step 1: Project Design
There is opportunity for student choice within the framework of student-centered, self-directed,
project-based learning.
Allow students to take part in the process of designing the experience by allowing them to
choose their own topic or subtopic, deciding how they will gather information, identifying their
authentic audience, determining how they will share new skills and knowledge with that
audience, designing their own assessment criteria, and more.
2. All of these specifics are included in the “project plan” that my students fill out and submit. This
project design template is included in each and every one of my PBL tools.
● Planning Step 1:
Take out your free planner for steps of project-based learning and turn the page to the
appropriate month. Simply drag and drop the component labeled “Write Project Plan” into the
date that works best for your timetable. Students will spend time developing their own
project-based learning (PBL) activities on this occasion.
In the notes area of the calendar, write down any pertinent information. You also have the option
of adding additional, more detailed actions in the text boxes that are located beneath each date.
Step 2: Research, Collaborations, and Learning Activities
Students are able to start acquiring information on their respective themes after they have a
project design established and a proposal written up for their projects. The students incorporate
the research questions, driving questions, and inquiry questions directly into their project
designs.
Students will examine a range of primary materials, make connections with community experts,
and take part in community events or activities to further their comprehension of the subject
matter.
Project-based educators have a number of important responsibilities, one of the most important
steps of project-based learning which is to arrange real learning experiences that are pertinent to
3. the project issue at hand. Include events like attending a talk given by a member of the
community on your agenda!
● Planning Step 2:
Move the “Research” and “Connect with Experts” pieces to the times and days that work best for
your agenda by dragging and dropping them. You may provide more information in the notes
area of the calendar. You also have the option of adding more precise instructions to the text
fields that are provided beneath each date. For example, you may type “virtual speaker 9 am.”
Step 3: Providing Feedback on Progress
Throughout the duration of the project, students will evaluate their own work as well as that of
their peers using either a standard project evaluation or an assessment that they have created
themselves (both included in my PBL tool kit).
Check out this free training video on student-created PBL rubrics if you want more information on
how to develop your own self-generated PBL evals.
● Planning Step 3:
Move the “Self-Assessment” component to the dates that work best for your agenda using the
drag-and-drop interface. If students will be doing a self-assessment steps of project-based
learning more than once, copy and paste this component.
4. Simply type straight into the text fields that are located beneath each date in order to add peer
evaluations to your calendar. Set aside periods throughout the semester to meet with individual
students and discuss their self-evaluations.
Step 4: Create Final Products
The compilation of material into a final product in such a way that it exhibits learning and
provides something of value to a genuine audience is an example of an innovative final product.
Steps of project-based learning like Final product examples include a blog, a commercial, a
documentary, a picture diary, etc. Each of the materials that I have created for project-based
learning with a specific topic has many alternatives for the students’ final products.
● Planning Step 4:
Move the “Final Product Deadline” element to the calendar on the proper day using the drag and
drop method. Make certain that pupils are aware of this approaching deadline. You may
additionally enter in “work days for final product” if you find that this assists you in maintaining
organization.
***If you would like, you are welcome to share your calendar with students by using Google
Classroom. This will allow everyone to see the schedule as well as the due dates. You may also
utilize Google Classroom to provide an empty copy of the template to each student, which they
can then use for themselves and personalize in their own way. They are able to immediately type
in their own project deadlines and objectives into their own individual copies of the planner.
Step 5: Authentic Presentations
An authentic presentation steps of project-based learning is one in which students communicate
their newly acquired information and abilities with a public audience in a manner that is pertinent
to the problem-based learning issue or driving question.
For instance, if a student writes a brochure on a subject that interests them, they may leave a
stack of their brochures at a community career center. [Citation needed] After students have
finished their projects and produced their final goods, they are able to share the knowledge they
have gathered about their genuine audience with the product they have created.
5. ● Planning Step 5:
Move the “Authentic Presentation” component to the time and day that work best for your agenda
by using the drag-and-drop method. It is recommended that you include this component in order
to make a notation of the deadline for genuine presentations or as the date on which an authentic
presentation event will take place.
For instance, each year we perform a heritage project-based learning unit, and the students
present their findings in an authentic manner at a community exhibition night that I arrange. In my
calendar, I would make a note of that date as well as any pertinent additional information about
that occasion.
Step 6: Reflections
Students are required to produce a final learning reflection steps of project-based learning after
the delivery of their real presentations. The section about reflection is quite important. They won’t
only think about the material and what they’ve picked up from it; instead, they’ll reflect on the
experience itself. Throughout the process, they will conduct an internal assessment of both their
strengths and shortcomings, and then build on the findings going ahead. Every one of my PBLs
has a reflection attached to it.
● Planning Step 6:
Simply move the “Reflection” piece to a time and day that works best for your agenda using the
drag-and-drop method. It might refer to the deadline for the reflections or the time that has been
allotted in class to finish the reflections.
6. Step 7: Final Evaluations
After finishing their projects, delivering their presentations to real people, and processing what
they learned, students will give presentations to both you and the rest of the class. The members
of the audience may provide their critique, and if you so like, you can finish filling out their final
rubric at this point as well.
After each student has given their presentation, I want to meet with them individually so that we
can go through their rubrics in more detail.
Once students have finished their final assessments, the next steps of project-based learning
assessment process is for them to add learning outcomes to their portfolios. This is an excellent
portfolio to present all of the PBL experiences that have been gained throughout the course of a
session, and you are welcome to use the one I have created. Your free PBL planner comes with
an attached copy of the portfolio template, which can be found in the same email. You will only
need to register once to take part.
● Planning Step 7:
Move the “Final Evaluations” element to the dates that work best with your calendar using the
drag-and-drop method.
FINAL THOUGHT
7. The implementation of steps of project-based learning should begin with these seven phases,
which assist provide the groundwork for smooth student-led PBL. They are, nevertheless,
capable of being broken down into phases that are more detailed.
The free PBL planner is a wonderful tool for getting the fundamentals covered! Check out my
comprehensive project-based learning planner if you’re interested in having a more structured
and organized experience. This planner features a step-by-step facilitation guide, weekly and
daily planners, sign up forms for approval meetings, evaluation meetings, and other types of
meetings, and it also includes weekly and daily planners.
As usual, feel free to get in touch with me if you have any questions regarding the tools I’ve
provided, and be sure to keep up with this blog series on self-directed, project-based learning!
Also read: Project-Based Learning in Classroom: A Complete Guide