The document discusses using project-based learning (PjBL) to engage 21st century students and promote deeper learning outcomes. It outlines challenges in modern education and the need for skills like collaboration, problem-solving and digital literacy. The author shares their experience using PjBL approaches across different courses, which improved student grades and feedback. Scaffolding tools and structuring collaboration are presented as ways to enhance PjBL learning environments and outcomes.

1. 21st Century Student Engagement & Success through Collaborative Project-Based Learning
Inaugural Big XII Teaching and Learning Conference,
Stillwater, OK, August 4, 2014
© 2014 Dr. Beata M. Jones, Texas Christian University

2. Overview
•
Welcome
•
Challenges to 21st Century Student Engagement
•
21st Century Learning Environment Setting
•
Needed 21st Century Student Learning Outcomes
•
Project-based Learning (PjBL)
•
PjBL Course Design
•
Scaffolding & Enriching PjBL Learning Environment
•
Q&A

3. Welcome!
Beata M. Jones:
•
Ph. D. in Computer Science, 1993
•
At TCU 15+ years
•
Current Teaching: BIS & Interdisciplinary Honors Colloquia
•
Coordinating 21st Century Student FIG
•
Requiring projects for past 15+ years;
•
Doing PjBL for past 5 years Contact: b.jones@tcu.edu https://www.linkedin.com/pub/beatamjones @BeataJones

4. Hello!
•
My name is…..
•
I am from the ___ university/college
•
I teach____
•
PjBL?

5. Is This Your Reality?
“I am Worried About My Grade” (4:47)

6. Or Is This Your Reality?
Michael Wesch: “Vision of Students Today” (4:44)

7. 21st Century Students
•
Shorter attention spans
•
Easily bored
•
Resist memorization and busy work
•
Self-learners
•
Embrace trial and error
•
Attached to mobile technology
•
Perceive learning as a social activity to be shared with others
•
Make Learning Relevant
•
Engage Us!
TCU Fig21 Videos: (60:00+)

8. What’s YOUR Biggest Challenge Teaching Millennial Students?

9. The Setting In Which We Teach – 21st Century Economy
Globalization & Digital Revolution
Hyper-Connected World
Accelerating Innovation
Economy Transformation

10. •
“It’s a poor workman who blames these”
•
“What are tools?”

12. Singularity
•
The exact point in human history where machines will supersede humans -- John Van Neuman
•
Expected to occur sometime between 2030 and 2050.
•
We are already losing certain jobs to computers.

13. Ailing Economy
–
15% Underemployment Rate
–
Skyrocketing Debt

14. Dwindling Natural Resources

16. Ailing Education
•
College Graduates Not Prepared For The Job Market
•
Skyrocketing Cost Of College Education
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Shrinking College Applicant Pool
•
Proposed Federal College Score Card
•
Proposed College Programs That Are Competency-based And Do Not Rely On Seat Time

17. •
Need For More Innovation To Help With Economic Recovery & World Problems
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New Products & Services-> More Jobs -> More Wealth
•
Need To Rethink Education
–
The What? & The How?

18. How Does Education Need to Change?

19. Exercise
1.
What’s your definition of Deep Learning?
2.
What’s your experience of Deep Learning?
3.
What’s the difference?
Melissa Peet, Annual AAEEBL Conference Executive Summit, Boston, July 2014

20. Deep vs. Shallow Learning

21. Knowledgeable to Knowledge-able
Michael Wesch: “Knowledgeable to Knowledge-able” (18:34)

22. Framework For 21st Century Skills
K-12 Model Supported in 18 States; The Partnership for 21st Century Skills

23. “Cultivating the Imagination for a World of Constant Change”
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From Classroom Learning To Learning Environments
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Embracing Change
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Playing To Learn & Gaming
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Learning As Inquiry
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Engaging The Passion
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Tacit Learning – Through Doing, Watching, Experiencing
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Learning In The Collective

24. K-20 Model Supported by MacArthur Foundation

25. 21st Century Metaskills
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FEELING: including empathy, intuition, and social intelligence.
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SEEING: the ability to think whole thoughts, also known as systems thinking.
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DREAMING: the metaskill of applied imagination.
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MAKING: mastering the design process, including skills for devising prototypes.
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LEARNING: the autodidactic ability to learn new skills at will.
Neumeier, Marty (2013)

26. 21st Century Learning
fusing vast informational resources with personal motivation to learn & life outside of the classroom.
to student-driven, technology- enabled learning environment,
Transitioning from teacher- centered, classroom-based education

27. AAC&U High-Impact Practices
Collaborative Assignments & Projects

28. National Survey of Student Engagement
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Active and collaborative learning: one of the top five benchmarks of effective educational practice.
“Students learn more when they are intensely involved in their education and are asked to think about and apply what they are learning in different settings. Collaborating with others in solving problems or mastering difficult material prepares students to deal with the messy, unscripted problems they will encounter daily, both during and after college.”

29. Project-Based Learning (PjBL) vs. Problem-Based Learning (PBL)

30. Project-based Learning (PjBL)
PjBL has emerged as one of today’s most effective instructional practices.
In PjBL, students confront real-world challenges, collaborate to create solutions, and present their results.

31. Five Keys to Rigorous PBL
Real World
Core to Learning
Structured Collaboration
Student Driven
Formative Assessment
Five Keys to Rigorous Project-Based Learning
Edutopia: “Five Keys to Rigorous Project-Based Learning” (6:30)

32. My Recent PjBL Experiences
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SO Core Business Information Systems Class
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JR Business Information Systems Development Class in BIS Major
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FR-SO Intercultural Competence Study Abroad : Cultural Pathways Through Eastern Europe
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JR-SR Honors Colloquia:
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Disruptive Nature of Information Technology;
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Digital Identity & Digital Storytelling Across Disciplines

33. Course Grade Outcomes
7-10% Higher Grades in Core BIS Class
See Also Related Flipped Classroom Technology Results:
•McGraw-Hill LearnSmart Outcomes
•Pearson MyLab Outcomes

34. Student Feedback
“Everything we did for the semester project I thought was very applicable to the business world. It helped me learn the material we had covered by putting it into action.”
“I learned a lot about team dynamics as well as information systems by integrating class lessons with the project.”
“The course allowed for a lot of learning in the areas of BIS. There was a lot of variety that gave us a thorough understanding of what the BIS major has to offer.”

35. My Recent PjBL Experiences
•
SO Core Business Information Systems Class (accessible only with a username and password)
•
JR Business Information Systems Development Class in BIS Major (accessible only with a username and password)
•
FR-SO Intercultural Competence Study Abroad : Cultural Pathways Through Eastern Europe
•
JR-SR Honors Colloquia:
–
Disruptive Nature of Information Technology;
–
Digital Identity & Digital Storytelling Across Disciplines
(Links to SharePoint, Storify/Tumblr, Digication)

36. PjBL Course Design

37. PjBL Course Design: The Details

38. PjBL Course Design: The Details

39. My PjBL “Flavors”
1
2
3
4
5
Collaboration %
85
70
80
40
50
Project As % of Course Content
85
70
60
85
50
Degrees of Freedom (out of 100)
30
10
90
40
50
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
PjBL Flavors
Column1
Class
Scenarios
1
Core BIS Class
Students Select a Company for Context Given Specific Driving Questions
2
Major BIS Development
Students Propose & Develop Deliverables Within a Given Company Context
3
Disruptive Nature oF IT
Students Inquire, Design & Deliver an IT Project Based on their Passions
4
Digital Identity
Students Inquire & Design a Digital Identity Based on their Personal Identities
5
Cultural Pathways Study Abroad
Students Build Competency Based on Some Required and Some Selected Activities

40. PjBL vs. PjBL with Scaffolding & Enriching
VS.

41. PjBL Learning Environment
Course
Learning Outcomes
Project
Faculty
Teams
Resources
Technology
Classroom
PjBL

42. Course
Formulate:
Desired Learning Outcomes
Necessary Content Areas
Pedagogy (Flipped Classroom)

43. flipped classroom - Assign reading, research, speaker events, and/or video lectures for homework. Use class time to work in groups on assignments that assume familiarity with the assigned homework material.

44. Project
•Build a Real World Scenario with a Critical Driving Question
•Give Students Freedom to Make Choices
•Relate Project Assignments to Significant Portion of the Course Content
•Come Up with Deliverables Requiring Deep Learning
•Include Formative Assessments
•Require Presentation
•Compile a Project Booklet
To- Do:

45. Make the project interdisciplinary, even if the course subject matter is not, by including discipline-specific assignments involving a variety of 21st century literacies- e.g., visual literacy, critical consumption of information, digital storytelling, creativity, etc.

46. If possible, focus students on challenges with a global scope to internationalize mindsets to improve global and/or cultural awareness.

47. Classroom
Consider:
Can the Space Facilitate Work in Teams?
Can Technology Be Brought in to Facilitate Team Work?

48. Faculty
Consider:
Faculty Role as a Learning Designer, Mentor & a Coach
Synchronous Communications:
•Topic/Activity Introductions
•Discussions
•Formative Assessments In Class
•Coaching Meetings Outside of Class
Asynchronous Communications:
•LMS/Email Reminders
•Inspirations on Social Media
•Discussion Boards
•Written Formative Assessments

49. Teams
To-Do:
Select Diverse Background Teams (Do not allow self-selected teams)
Conduct a Team Building Workshop
Have Teams Write Team Contract and Team Resume
Design In-Class Collaboration Activities
Design Peer Evaluation Within and Between Teams
Conduct In-Class Team Stand-Up Meetings (What is going well, what is not going well, what can we do better, Bottlenecks)

50. Promote collaboration – within groups, between groups, between classrooms, with different universities, with professionals -- to make learning social and more rewarding. (collaborative learning; connected learning)

51. Technology
Select Technology to Support
Collaboration:
LMS
ePortfolio
SharePoint
Google Docs
Project Deliverables:
Web 2.0 Tools
Social Media
Mobile Apps
Plan on Tinkering Workshops

52. –
Build into the curriculum tinkering workshops or labs, where students have opportunities to be creative, and make mistakes without incurring penalties (encourages risk- taking)

53. Resources
Identify Resources to Support the Project:
Community Partners
University Support Staff: Librarian, Writing Center, Career Services, Student Development Services
Professionals, Organizations, Companies
Other Schools
Course Content Resources:
Readings
Videos
Images
Materials
Facilities

54. –
Require students to have the writing center review written assignments to improve written communication skills and narrative/storytelling skills;

55. If possible, look for opportunities for students to apply what they learn in the course on projects in the community that provide tangible outcomes. (service-learning- helps promote civic responsibility)

56. PjBL Learning Outcomes
“A meta-analysis conducted by Purdue University found that when implemented well, PjBL can increase long-term retention of material and replicable skill, as well as improve teachers' and students' attitudes towards learning.”

57. Great PjBL Meta-Resource
Buck Institute for Education

58. Thank You!
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