What if my high school teachers were as informed on the method of project based learning (PBL) as I am currently, after completing this research project? It is possible that they did not have access to the endless sources available so readily on the internet, or maybe the technique just wasn’t researched and/or published as much when they were furthering their education.
Throughout the course of this assignment, I have been inadvertently reflecting on my own experiences which I thought mirrored a PBL approach; however, these projects were missing a crucial aspect required to be included in this category of instruction. The fourth and final step of PBL strives to get students involved a greater community: advocating for something that they believe in or presenting a product of their hard work of are both ways in which to accomplish this.
The sad reality is that many “group projects” do not come full circle and develop into true “project based learning”. In a perfect world, these terms are interchangeable, but unfortunately this is not what we see most commonly in schools today. Maybe this is the result of overwhelmed, unmotivated, or uninformed teachers. Whatever the cause may be, I will personally advocate for this approach in classrooms when discussing teaching philosophies or preferred techniques with peers, other educators, and anyone else who will listen.
I will never forget one assignment from my tenth grade biology class. I made my own “Play-Doh Fun Factory” if you will. The project required that we were creative in making a representation of the cellular cycles mitosis and meiosis. Everyone went different directions, some students using foods, dioramas, etc. Basically, the idea was to avoid a rendering of the processes on a poster board, and to think outside of the box.
I had so much fun creating my project, using an empty syringe to squeeze out noodle-like pieces of Play-Doh to form the chromosomes, chromatin, and more. (My mom is a doctor, so this is nothing to be concerned about!) This experience helped me to learn about the stages of each process in a hands on, tactile, and enjoyable way, which is an obvious benefit of doing a project to supplement the learning of a new concept.
As helpful this project was for me, it was not technically a PBL structure for many reasons. First of all, it was an individual project. For argument’s sake, let’s say that I worked on it as an individual, brought it to class to share what I learned and how I went about constructing my model in small groups, and then presented it to the class. These would be the first three steps of a PBL approach.
To seal the deal and make this officially PBL (assuming that the first three criteria are met), there needs to be some aspect of community involvement and student advocacy. This can sound like a daunting task to implement, but it does not have to be complicated in the slightest.
My suggestion for this particular project, and something that I hope to implement some day in my own classroom, is to have the assignment culminate in a family night at the school where the students would have their projects on display. Students could stand beside their creations, answering questions and explaining what they had learned. It would be my hope that this would serve as motivation for students to produce a project that they would be proud to share with others. I foresee this working best in a middle school setting.
As for a high school setting, I would take it one step further. I would have students create a model of some type in small groups, but with the main project being to research something that might affect the processes of cell division, and the consequences. For example, uncontrolled cell production is the called of cancer, and the mass of new cells produced is the tumor. Students could research topics surrounding this idea or anything else that sparks their interest, and ultimately present their findings to the class.
Finally, to reach step four, and provide students with an opportunity to interact and advocate with a greater community outside of their classroom walls, we could host a science fair. Again, the hope is that students are genuinely interested because they have some freedom to choose a direction for their projects and are excited to share their discoveries with others.
-MM
Project Based Learning 