The document traces the history and development of project-based learning (PBL) from its early influences of Confucius, Aristotle, and Socrates' emphasis on learning by doing, to John Dewey's view of learning through experience in the 20th century. It then discusses how the 1957 launch of Sputnik led to a crisis in education and a focus on problem solving. Doctors at McMaster University coined the term "problem-based learning," though later the focus shifted more to test taking. The document defines PBL and quotes Benjamin Franklin on the benefits of involvement in learning.

1. The History of PBL

2. Early
supporters
of learning
by doing.
Confucius and Aristotle were
early proponents of learning
by doing.
Socrates modeled how to
learn through questioning,
inquiry, and critical thinking.

3. John Dewey
supported
learning
through
experience.
John Dewey, 20th-century
American educational theorist
and philosopher, challenged
the traditional view of the
student as a passive recipient
of knowledge and argued for
active experiences that
prepare students for ongoing
learning about a dynamic
world.

4. "Education is not
preparation for life;
education is life itself.”
-John Dewey

5. What do you think
classrooms looked like at
this point?

7. October 4, 1957, 7:28 PM

8. Sputnik was
launched.
On October 4, 1957 at
7:28pm the Soviet Union
launched the first artificial
satellite.

9. Crisis in
Education
“The schools are in terrible
shape, what has long been
an ignored national problem,
Sputnik has made a
recognized crisis.”

10. PBL gets its
name.
Doctors from McMaster
University labeled their
approach to learning as
Problem Based Learning.

11. The focus
changes.
The focus changed from
problem solvers to good test
takers.

12. What is Project-
Based Learning?

13. In Project Based Learning
(PBL), students go through
an extended process of
inquiry in response to a
complex question,
problem, or challenge.

14. “Tell me and I forget,
teach me and I may
remember, involve me
and I learn.”
Benjamin Franklin

15. Why Use PBL as a Teaching
Method?
An effective way to learn content knowledge and
skills
Making a school curriculum more engaging and
meaningful
Building readiness for 21st century work, life and
citizenship