4. Learning Objectives
1. Understand what effective PBL looks like.
2. Find out what Year 9 students think about PBL.
3. Understand the tensions that exist with PBL and discuss
how we can possibly ‘iron these out’.
4. Have time to work on a possible PBL project.
5. Hopefully time to discuss whether we need to redesign
areas within our curriculum?
4
14. 10 Traits
What do you want to amplify more in your
teaching?
What message are we sending about what is
valued in our learning environment?
14
Plus, Minus, Amplify Routine
15.
16. Do we need to rethink our curriculum?
Should we be integrating more PBL?
17.
18. Hyman, P. 2017 ‘Success in the 21st Century: the education of
head, heart & hand’
19. What is PBL?
‘PBL is an instructional approach built upon authentic learning activities
that engage student interest & motivation. These activities are designed
to answer a question or solve a problem and generally reflect the types
of learning and work people do in everyday world outside the classroom’
( PBL online)
The Buck Institute for Education further defines it as learning that
embeds the teaching of 21st century skills of communication, critical
thinking and collaboration.
The projects should give purpose and necessity to student’s learning.
20.
21. Enquiry dimensions present in PBL
From To
❏ Teacher directed
❏ Strong teacher
support/scaffolds
❏ Internal audience for
work
❏ No community
involvement
❏ Short ( one lesson)
❏ Single subject
❏ Problem/issue focus
❏ Individual
❏ Written product
❏ Subject knowledge
focused
❏ Student directed
❏ Limited teacher support
❏ External audience for
work
❏ Extensive community
involvement
❏ Extended
❏ Interdisciplinary
❏ Curiosity focused
❏ Collaborative
❏ Performance or concrete
product
❏ Skills or experiential
learning focus
22. Characteristics
Whilst they draw upon subjects (often deeply) they cross
traditional subject boundaries.
● They deal with substantive issues and challenges, which
often require bigger blocks of time than are usually
offered by traditional school timetabling.
● They offer students more scope for controlling and
shaping their work and thinking.
● Learning is fed by acknowledging other perspectives or
voices which open students, and teachers, to having their
perspectives changed
23. Important aspects
Authentic audience & public exhibition
It brings student work into the community, it increases student
accountability & motivation.
Problem solving ( Real World Problems) & being a good citizen
John Dewey ( 1933)- ( influential figure in progressive education)
He believed in the importance of curiosity & the importance of experience,
which emanates from taking responsibility & actively participating.
He regarded inquiry as much more than a problem-solving process; it was
also fundamental to becoming and being a good citizen.
Rhizomatic learning ( Deleuze & Guattari, 1993)
Unpredictable learning, which responds to situations & has no beginning or
end. It is constructed by the learning community and thus the community
is the curriculum’.
28. “People never learn
anything by being told; they
have to find it out
themselves”. Paulo Coelho,
author of the Alchemist
29.
30. Examples
The Blood Bank Project undertaken by High Tech High on a commission to educate people about diseases of the
blood (such as leukaemia and sickle cell).
An art teacher, a biology and multi-media teacher collaborated in inter-disciplinary style. It was carried out by 17-18 year olds
for 15-20 hours per week over 15 weeks resulting in an art gallery exhibition in which the student-generated animated
video was shown as a means of public education. Thus this project had a moderate degree of teacher control and
support, was strongly pitched towards external audiences.
K’Nex earthquake project - HTH 6th graders investigated
building designs, costs. Finally presenting their designs
at the local University.
31. Monuments Project by the
American School of Paris
KS3 Food Slam Project ( food poverty)
Set by literacy teachers in Liverpool. They
researched the world wide issue, visited local food
kitchens, spoke to local community. Then wrote &
performed plays / wrote letters to MPs about the
issue.
34. Yr9 Microfinance Project @ BSB
The experts visit -
Sparkles.lu
Students given 3 lessons by their
teachers & then a presentation on
the topic before the project.
Authentic
audience
Real World Issue = being
good citizens, highly
motivated. Candy Grams
raised 650 euros . Able to
Support X2 ladies in
Kenya
4 weeks
given to the
project,
worked in
tutor
groups.
35. Collaborating Providing support
Working independently on a
task.
Gaining feedback & advice
If your students are sharing their
work with the world, they want it to
be good. If they’re just sharing it
with you, they want it to be good
enough.
Effective use of technology
Yr9 Microfinance project
Visual evidence
38. Summary of tensions from the
survey
❏ 18 high ability students didn’t like PBL as they felt some
group members didn’t work hard, but still got credit.
❏ 5 high ability students preferred working alone.
❏ Credit was still an issue for 9 low ability students.
❏ Noise wasn’t mentioned by high ability, but 6 low ability
students struggled with the noise level.
39. Student comment box
•Most students didn’t bother filling in this section, as it wasn’t
compulsory. But the following was noted down by students:
● Group members not working hard enough can be frustrating -
6 students
•Really liked having Sparkles explain microfinance to us -
•I like a mix of both teacher led and project based topics - 4
students
40. Other tensions associated with PBL
❏ Some students struggle to work independently and stay on task.
❏ ‘Enquiry-based learning runs up against the whole
fixed and immoveable school machinery’.
❏ Not easy to collapse timetables and work cross-curricular at the
same time.
❏ Time is also needed to dedicate 4 weeks or more to one topic.
41. Have a FEDEX Day
Set aside an entire school day and ask kids to come up with a problem
to solve or a project to tackle.
In advance, help them collect tools, information and the supplies they
might need.
The following day, ask them to deliver - by reporting back on their
discoveries and experiences.
It’s like Project Runaway - only the kids come up with the project
themselves, and the reward at the end of the day is the chance to share
what they’ve created and all they’ve learned along the way.
43. Boosting collaboration in student projects
• Get the students to design the
mark scheme so they feel
empowered.
• Ensure from the beginning that
the students know they own the
project.
• Ensure it has real purpose & an
authentic audience.
• Provide structure.
• Vary the groupings.
44. Sources:
❏ Leat, D. (2017) Enquiry & project based learning: students, schools and society, Routledge
❏ Richardson, W http://wcsd21.com/docs/richardson/closing.pdf 20/08/2018
❏ Hyman, P. 2017 ‘Success in the 21st Century: the education of head, heart & hand’www.ippr.org/read/success-in-the-21st-
century#
❏ Sherrington, T.( 2017) The Learning Rainforest, J.Catt Ed Ltd
❏ Leat D, Lofthouse R, Thomas U. Implementing Enquiry and Project Based Learning - Revolution or Evolution?. Education
Today 2015, 65(2), 12-17.
❏ Pink, D (2012) ‘Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivate Us’, Riverhead Books
❏ McLeod & Shareski 2017, dangerouslyirrelevant.org Deeper Learning Schools: 4 Big Shifts
❏ Expeditionary Learning Schools https://eleducation.org/what-we-offer/our-school-network/overview 20/8/2018
❏ PBL - Online.org https://www.bie.org/object/offsite/pbl_online_org/ 20/08/2018
❏ Cara Littlefield ‘ Importance of audience in PBL’ in Leat (2017) Enquiry & project based learning: students, schools and
society, Routledge
❏ Buck Institute - What is PBL? http://www.bie.org 20/8/2018
❏ Work that Matters (Patton & Robin, 2012) publication by the Innovation Unit
❏ High Tech High examples of student projects https://www.hightechhigh.org/student-work/student-projects/ 20/8/2018
❏ Dewey, J. (1933) How We Think. A restatement of the relation of reflective thinking to the educative process (Revised edn.), Boston
❏ Mayer, A www.friEdTechnology.com Project Vs PBL table
❏ Spencer, J http://www.spencerauthor.com/three-ways-to-boost-collaboration-in-student-projects/ Three ways to boost
collaboration 21/10/18
❏ Spencer, J http://www.spencerauthor.com/seven-ways-boost-collaboration-p-b-l/ 7 ways to boost collaboration in P.B.L
21/10/18
I hope to challenge you as a teacher today-- it’s a funny video but I think it gets at how pushing ourselves out of our comfort zone can be a real catalyst for change.
I hope to challenge you as a teacher today-- it’s a funny video but I think it gets at how pushing ourselves out of our comfort zone can be a real catalyst for change.
If you want a job, you must be as unlike a machine as possible: creative, critical and socially skilled. So why are children being taught to behave like machines? …..Children learn best when teaching aligns with their natural exuberance, energy and curiosity. So why do we place them in rows and stuff them with facts? We succeed in adulthood through collaboration, so why is collaboration in tests and exams called cheating? ( Sherrington, T.( 2017) The Learning Rainforest, J.Catt Ed Ltd) Google’s Project Oxygen – Project which reviewed their hiring process – assumed best predictor of employee success would be University program and grades, but results showed soft skills top the list instead – being a good coach, communicating, listening well, equality, generosity and curiosity.
Growing movement in the US education system that places special emphasis on the ability to apply knowledge to real-world circumstances and to solve novel problems. A number of U.S. schools and school districts serving a broad socio-economic spectrum apply deeper learning as an integral component of their instructional approach. First introduced by the Hewlett Foundation in 2010.
Peter Hyman – Co Founder of State 21 a state funded non – selective school in Stratford, E.London. School opened in 2012
PBL - Online.org https://www.bie.org/object/offsite/pbl_online_org/
Cara Littlefield ‘ Importance of audience in PBL’ in Leat (2017) Enquiry & project based learning: students, schools and society, Routledge
Buck Institute - What is PBL? http://www.bie.org 20/8/2018
Leat, D. (2017) Enquiry & project based learning: students, schools and society, Routledge
Leat D, Lofthouse R, Thomas U. Implementing Enquiry and Project Based
Learning - Revolution or Evolution?. Education Today 2015, 65(2), 12-17.
Cara Littlefield ‘ Importance of audience in PBL’ in Leat (2017) Enquiry & project based learning: students, schools and society, Routledge
Dewey, J. (1933) How We Think. A restatement of the relation of reflective thinking to the educative process (Revised edn.), Boston
Mayer, A www.friEdTechnology.com
Swiss psychologist who worked on child development / cognitive development
Work that Matters (Patton & Robin, 2012) publication by the Innovation Unit
High Tech High examples of student projects https://www.hightechhigh.org/student-work/student-projects/
Pink, D (2012) ‘Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivate Us’, Riverhead Books
