Project-based learning is a pedagogical approach that involves students in a long-term,
in-depth investigation of a real-world challenge.
So instead of memorizing established knowledge or
following an instruction that offers a fast path to facts,
students actively work on a problem that allows them to develop several skills simultaneously.
To understand the difference, we can look at the experience pupils have in a conventional
class led by Mr. Listen and compare that to what they take away from doing
a project with Mrs. Do. The objective: learn how to engineer a tall tower.
In the conventional class, the students sit at their desks and look at the blackboard.
Mr. Listen first goes over some principles of physics, and then instructs the students that
are still able to pay attention, to design the optimal structure for a high tower.
When doing project-based learning, or PBL, the students sit in groups. Mrs.
Do then gives each group 20 strands of uncooked spaghetti, scotch tape,
a cotton thread, and some marshmallows. Then they are told they have 18 minutes
to build the highest possible structure that could hold up the spongy confection.
So what will the kids in the different classes learn? And what do their minds remember?
With Mr. Listen, all kids might learn something about towers,
a few might learn some engineering and one could, in theory, learn to construct
an ideal tower structure. But, just a week later, most will have forgotten everything.
Mrs. Do’s marshmallow tower challenge activated the kids’ brains in various
areas and taught the children something about construction, creativity, physics, and teamwork.
Maybe more importantly, they learn that if they fail the first time, they can try again
and still succeed. They learn to learn. And even decades later, some might still remember that day.
The benefits of project-based learning include high engagement and a greater
depth of understanding. They practice communication, critical thinking,
and creativity, and as a result, often experience better learning outcomes in general.
Randomized controlled trials involving thousands of students demonstrated that
project-based learning significantly outperformed traditional curricula,
raising academic performance across academic disciplines.
The best teachers often combine projects with traditional instruction or run what's known
as active learning classrooms. So that students get to make sense of trying,
failing, doing, and the theory from the educator.
What are your thoughts about learning through projects? Since education is allegedly not
about what the teacher covers, but what the students discover, is it the better way to learn?
If you found this helpful, check out our other videos and subscribe.
If you want to support our work, join us on patreon.com/sprouts.
For more information and additional contents, visit sproutsschools.com