Provide learners with scaffolding for the project process.
This video is part of a series on the principles of project learning. This episode is about
the value of providing scaffolding for the project process. The first two episodes of
this series explored the importance of giving learners freedom to choose when they are engaged
in project work. This does not mean, however, that we should expect them to work completely
independently. Evidence from educational researchers suggests that an approach in which learners
are guided through a learning process is more effective than unguided learning. Teachers
should provide learners with advice, guidance, suggestions and support. Careful supportive
assistance will help them to progress well. At the same time, ownership of the project
should remain with the learner. The key is for the teacher to act as a mentor, or guide,
rather than an instructor or director of the project. One very effective form of supportive
guidance is to provide learners with a scaffold for the project process. A scaffold is a framework
organised around the central stages in the project process. In this video, we will explore
a general scaffold that can be used with many different types of project.
Scaffolding the stages of the project process: Projects can be broken down into 4 stages:
plan, research, develop and review. Plan: Projects begin with the choice of an
aim. This should be in the form of a question or practical challenge. Once the central question
or challenge has been decided, learners should plan how they will use their time and consider
the resources they will need for their project. Research: Once a question or challenge has
been established, the next stage is to investigate to find source materials that the learner
can use in developing their project. Research will usually involve looking at relevant ideas,
topics and techniques as well as exploring examples of similar projects done by others
that can be used as sources of inspiration. It is a good idea if learners write up a record
of their research, including details of the sources.
Develop: A project is a personal response to a question or challenge. Drawing on their
research, learners should engage in a process of creative development of their own ideas.
A successful project will involve evaluation of a range of different ideas. The process
of evaluation of alternative ideas can help the learner to create their own response to
their question or challenge. Review: A project is a learning journey and
the final stage is for the learner to reflect on the project process. The review is an opportunity
to reflect on the project itself, as well as to think about lessons that have been learned
for the future. Reviews should address questions such as:
- Were the original aims met? - What lessons have been learned from the
project process? - What would the learner do differently next
time? An example of a 4-day project:
Day 1 - Plan Zak decides to design a 1 week long training
programme for his family to help them maintain their physical fitness. He looks at online
training programmes, gathers a list of sources and writes a list of ideas for his programme.
Day 2 - Research. Zak gathers information from online sources
about suitable training activities. He decides to create a series of short recorded messages
plus an infographic of the whole programme. He looks online for infographic templates.
Day 3 - Develop. Zak writes scripts for the messages and edits
these. He records the messages. He experiments with a range of different templates before
he designs his infographic. Day 4 - Review.
Zak sends his project to his family and asks them for their comments. He includes these
comments in his project review. Keeping a record of a project is valuable
for both learners and their mentors. Recording the project process helps the learner to reflect
on what they are doing as well as providing a record of achievement. If the learner produces
this record as they are working on their project and shares it with their mentor, the mentor
can review it and make suggestions as the work unfolds.
A template for creating a project record accompanies this video.