PROJECT-BASED BLENDED LEARNING 1

Project-Based Blended Learning

Kelsi Edgell

EDLD 5314

Lamar University
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Abstract

The purpose of this review is to present findings from published articles and other

resources exploring the idea classrooms structured by Project-Based (Blended) Learning.

Project-Based Learning provides students with a learning environment that allows them to fully

reach their academic capabilities. Students will find themselves working well with others,

becoming a critical thinker, maintaining their confidence, as well as managing their time and

work effectively. Students will see a substantial amount of growth within themselves with the

idea of “learning by doing”. Within this learning method, students will take charge of their own

learning environment.
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Bridging the Gap through Project-Based Learning

The world around us is evolving at a very fast rate. One major element that is allowing

the world to evolve so rapidly is technology. Technology is allowing the education system to

have endless possibilities for both students and educators. Keeping students engaged in today’s

world is a challenge to say the least. Many educators find themselves at a cross-road when it

comes to technology usage in the classroom because they are not sure how to effectively

incorporate it into their lessons. A favorable teaching method that allows students to incorporate

technology and allows your classroom to be more student-focused, rather than teacher-focused,

is Project-Based Learning. Project-based learning is an instructional approach designed to give

students the opportunity to develop knowledge and skills through engaging projects set around

challenges and problems they may face in the real world (Schuetz, 2018). Students today are

struggling to maintain an education that will follow them throughout their entire life. Educators

are constantly trying to figure out a method to ensuring that each student is provided the

opportunity to a lifelong education. With Project-Based Learning, students will be equipped with

all of the skills needed in order to be successful in the real-world.

Benefits from Project-Based Learning

Project-Based Learning and the use of technology enable students, teachers, and

administrators to reach out beyond the school building. (Edutopia, 2007). This is extremely

important when you look at society’s workforce in today’s age. Students are expected to graduate

and have a specific skill set that goes beyond the general classroom. Employers want their future

employees to be able to work in a group setting, have personal and social responsibilities, a

strong set of communication skills, and know how and when to use technology while being able
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to choose the most appropriate tool for a specific task. A major advantage for providing students

with a Project-Based Learning system is that is provides students with an in-depth knowledge of

how the real world will work. The goal of Project-Based Learning is to equip students with the

knowledge they will need to overcome specific challenges. Students work on a project over an

extended period of time – from a week up to a semester – that engages them in solving a real-

world problem or answering a complex question. They demonstrate their knowledge and skills

by creating a public product or presentation for a real audience (Institute, 2019).

It is known that children have various learning styles. They build their knowledge on

varying backgrounds and experiences. It is also recognized that children have a broader range of

capabilities than they have been permitted to show in regular classrooms with the traditional text-

based focus. PBL addresses these differences, because students must use all modalities in the

process of researching and solving a problem, then communicating the solutions. When children

are interested in what they are doing and are able to use their areas of strength, they achieve at a

higher level (Edutopia, 2007). This will allow students to become more engaged in the learning

process. By allowing students to have a “say” in how they learn, it will result in a higher

performance outcome. Students will be excited to learn and show their capabilities when it

comes to solving real life problems and presenting them. Schools where PBL is practiced find a

decline in absenteeism, an increase in cooperative learning skills, and improvement in student

achievement. When technology is used to promote critical thinking and communication, these

benefits are enhanced (Edutopia, 2007).

The project-based curriculum had a strong positive effect on students' scores in social

studies, and a positive effect on scores in literacy. Students whose teachers used the project-
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based-learning curriculum made gains that were 63 percent higher than their peers in the control

group in social studies and 23 percent higher in informational reading. Students in the project-

based-learning group's test scores drew closer to the students in the more-affluent school, while

the control group did not close the gap (Zubrzycki, 2017). This data shows how educators can

effectively use technology within the classroom. By providing students the opportunity to

express themselves through Project-Based Blended learning, administrators and educators are

going to see the gap close ; they are going to see a higher success rate within their classrooms.

Logical Integration

Successful project-based learning (PBL) seeks to develop models for deeper learning in

school and college by engaging students in projects. This method blends classroom teaching,

technology use, and problem solving through projects and real-world challenges. PBL marks a

point of departure from traditional classroom learning. It requires schools to invest resources into

redesigning curriculum and making outreach efforts to incorporate real-world challenges and

business partnerships. Successful project-based learning also takes major investment in terms of

time and effort from students and teachers (Jain, 2017). Many schools around the United States

are already either 2:1 or 1:1 in student ratio with technology. Most students have or share a

laptop, iPad, or Chromebook in order to complete activities that educators are having them do

online. With that being said, most of time, there is hardly a huge money investment when it

comes to Project-Based Blended Learning. Integrating this learning method should not be a

difficult “money” task.

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Student engagement within Project-Based Learning.

Students, just like many adults, can tune out things they are not interested in. This is a

rising issue in today’s classrooms. Educators are trying to scramble to find different ways to

engage students for 55 minutes or longer. Project-Based Learning is just what districts need. Not

only is it allowing students to stay engaged for the entirety of the lesson, but it is also allowing

students to solve real-world problems. “They really are interconnecting the disciplines but also

connecting it to the outside world” (Mathewson, 2019). When students are in a traditional

classroom, they are not given the ample amount of opportunities the deserve. By placing students

in a Project-Based Learning classroom, educators are equipping students for the real-world. This

method will allow students to be enjoy being engaged into each lesson. PBL is a great way to

make learning relevant, hands-on, and engaging. If you want to give your students lessons that

will last beyond a single class period, PBL is a great way to give them something to think about

in a deeper, more substantial way. Giving them agency over solving a real-life problem helps

them understand the purpose behind their educational pursuits, and it gives them a natural,

meaningful drive to learn what they need to learn to accomplish the goals they have set for

themselves (Eduplanet21, 2018).

Implementing Project-Based Learning with technology (Project-Based Blended Learning).

An important aspect of project-based learning is that it should keep the student at the

center of learning design. Students should be actively involved in the direction and management

of the course, and should feel directly invested in the course activity. It is also beneficial to

incorporate a technology platform that succeeds in encouraging students’ curiosity and that helps

them take charge of the course activity. The technology platform should also enable teachers and
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parents to effectively track the student’s course progress. The ability of teachers to use the

technology platform greatly determines the success of blended learning. For this

reason enhancing the capability of teachers to effectively use technology is very important (Jain,

2017). Implementing Project-Based Blended Learning should take time. This process cannot

happen overnight. It is very important to implement an “outline” of what will take place in order

for this learning method to be successful.

There are five specific key needs in order to successfully implement Project-Based

Learning within your classroom. Real world Connection - Start by introducing your students to

a real world problem that applies in their everyday life. Core to Learning - This is where the

meat of the material needs to be presented and learned. Structure Collaboration - If you have

your students divide into groups for a project based lesson make sure you provide them with

guidelines on how to work together. Leave it up to the students to assign tasks to one another and

launch into theory development, researching, and presentation of solutions. Student Driven - In

PBL the teacher becomes more of a facilitator and provides students with necessary structure and

guidelines to operate within. The students become the driving force behind the project, which

means it's in their control. They are responsible for taking the necessary steps to finding a

solution to the problem and successfully presenting that solution to the rest of the class. Multi-

faceted Assessments - While the teacher is considered more of a facilitator, it is still the teacher's

role to remain involved and to check in with students to ensure projects are moving along

successfully. Throughout the project, spend time with each group of students observing and

asking questions to ensure they understand their roles in the assignment. Question them about

their research and findings to determine whether or not they understand the material. Encourage
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further exploration and creativity in the presentation of their findings. By doing this, you as the

teacher will be able to assess students to ensure they are on task and keeping up with the material

and the project (Johnson, 2018).

Global Lessons Learned from Project-Based Learning

All over the world, educators are trying to stay up to date with learning/teaching tactics in

order to best serve students. One way educators have found to keep students engaged is Project-

Based Learning. Project-Based Learning has allowed educators to see the benefits of life-long

learning that it has provided to students. Although there has been a number of success stories

with Project-Based Learning, there have been numerous defeats. In order to make Project-Based

Learning successful, educators and students must know the trial and error process. It is vital to

learn and too grow from others’ defeats and achievements.

Whats Worked?

According to a number of studies and research : planning, organization, and obtaining

proper materials is key when trying to incorporate Project-Based Learning. Project-based

learning, as with all lessons, requires much preparation and planning. It begins with an idea and

an essential question. When you are designing the project and the essential question that will

launch the activities, it is important to remember that many content standards will be addressed.

With these standards in mind, devise a plan that will integrate as many subjects as possible into

the project.Have in mind what materials and resources will be accessible to the students. Next,

students will need assistance in managing their time -- a definite life skill. Finally, have multiple

means for assessing your students' completion of the project: Did the students master the
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content? Were they able to apply their new knowledge and skills? Many educators involve their

students in developing these rubrics (Why Is Project-Based Learning Important?, 2007).

Successful project-based learning (PBL) seeks to develop models for deeper learning in

school and college by engaging students in projects. This method blends classroom teaching,

technology use, and problem solving through projects and real-world challenges. PBL marks a

point of departure from traditional classroom learning. It requires schools to invest resources into

redesigning curriculum and making outreach efforts to incorporate real-world challenges and

business partnerships. Successful project-based learning also takes major investment in terms of

time and effort from students and teachers (Jain, 2017). Project-Based learning takes time and

effort coming from all parties in order for this learning method to be successful.

What Could We Have Done Better?

After doing research, there are A TON of success stories, but on the other hand, there are

many times were educators and students have experienced defeat while trying to implement

Project-Based Learning. There are a few disadvantages when it comes to Project-Based

Learning. Those disadvantages include:

1. Potentially Poorer Performance on Tests

Devoting too much time to problem-based learning can cause issues when students take

standardized tests, as they may not have the breadth of knowledge needed to achieve high

scores. Whereas problem-based learners develop skills related to collaboration and justifying

their reasoning, many tests reward fact-based learning with multiple choice and short

answer questions. Despite offering many advantages, you could spot this problem develop if

you run problem-based learning activities too regularly.

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2. Student Unpreparedness

Problem-based learning exercises can engage many of your kids, but others may feel

disengaged as a result of not being ready to handle this type of exercise for a number of

reasons. On a class-by-class and activity-by-activity basis, participation may be hindered

due to:

• Immaturity -- Some students may not display enough maturity to effectively work in a

group, not fulfilling expectations and distracting other students.

• Unfamiliarity -- Some kids may struggle to grasp the concept of an open problem, since

they can’t rely on you for answers.

• Lack of Prerequisite Knowledge -- Although the activity should address a relevant and

tangible problem, students may require new or abstract information to create an effective

solution.

You can partially mitigate these issues by actively monitoring the classroom and

distributing helpful resources, such as guiding questions and articles to read. This should

keep students focused and help them overcome knowledge gaps.But if you foresee facing

these challenges too frequently, you may decide to avoid or seldom introduce problem-based

learning exercises.

3. Teacher Unpreparedness

If supervising a problem-based learning activity is a new experience, you may have to prepare

to adjust some teaching habits.For example, overtly correcting students who make flawed

assumptions or statements can prevent them from thinking through difficult concepts and

questions. Similarly, you shouldn’t teach to promote the fast recall of facts. Instead, you

should concentrate on:

• Giving hints to help fix improper reasoning

• Questioning student logic and ideas in a constructive manner

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• Distributing content for research and to reinforce new concepts

• Asking targeted questions to a group or the class, focusing their attention on a specific

aspect of the problem

Depending on your teaching style, it may take time to prepare yourself to successfully run a

problem-based learning lesson.

4. Time-Consuming Assessment

If you choose to give marks, assessing a student’s performance throughout a problem-based

learning exercise demands constant monitoring and note-taking. You must take factors into

account such as:

• Completed tasks

• The quality of those tasks

• The group’s overall work and solution

• Communication among team members

• Anything you outlined on the activity’s rubric

Monitoring these criteria is required for each student, making it time-consuming to give and

justify a mark for everyone.

5. Varying Degrees of Relevancy and Applicability

It can be difficult to identify a tangible problem that students can solve with content they’re

studying and skills they’re mastering. This introduces two clear issues. First, if it is easy for

students to divert from the challenge’s objectives, they may miss pertinent information.

Second, you could veer off the problem’s focus and purpose as students run into unanticipated

obstacles. Overcoming obstacles has benefits, but may compromise the planning you did. It

can also make it hard to get back on track once the activity is complete. Because of the

difficulty associated with keeping activities relevant and applicable, you may see problem-

based learning as too taxing (Game, 2016). Even though educators and students are faced with
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these disadvantages when trying implement Project-Based Learning, we are presented with so

many benefits from using Project-Based Learning in the classroom.

Applying Lessons Learned

The main lesson that we can take away from researching Project-Based Learning is that

the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Project Based Learning professor and author

Peggy Ertmer suggests that there are five key building components to developing and

implementing PBL in the classroom. Those include real world connection, core to learning,

structure collaboration, student driven, and multi-faceted assessments. These five keys need

to be the driving force behind your development of project-based lesson plans.

1. Real world Connection - Start by introducing your students to a real world problem that

applies in their everyday life. For example, in a BIE.org example of PBL teaching, one

teacher developed a project on micro-organisms by asking his students why they thought

so many of their classmates were getting sick. Students responded with numerous answers

and additional questions. These questions became the basis of a project all about micro-

organisms in relation to the common cold.

2. Core to Learning - This is where the meat of the material needs to be presented and

learned. Based on the answers and suggested theories given about a cold, the teacher in

the example presented his students with the task of finding ways to help children learn how

not to get sick. Students were asked to research their theories, collaborate with one

another, and develop the best solutions to the problem. This is the part of the project where

most of the learning took place.

3. Structure Collaboration - If you have your students divide into groups for a project based

lesson make sure you provide them with guidelines on how to work together. Leave it up to

the students to assign tasks to one another and launch into theory development,

researching, and presentation of solutions.

4. Student Driven - In PBL the teacher becomes more of a facilitator and provides students

with necessary structure and guidelines to operate within. The students become the driving
PROJECT-BASED BLENDED LEARNING 13

force behind the project, which means it's in their control. They are responsible for taking

the necessary steps to finding a solution to the problem and successfully presenting that

solution to the rest of the class.

5. Multi-faceted Assessments - While the teacher is considered more of a facilitator, it is still

the teacher's role to remain involved and to check in with students to ensure projects are

moving along successfully. Throughout the project, spend time with each group of students

observing and asking questions to ensure they understand their roles in the assignment.

Question them about their research and findings to determine whether or not they

understand the material. Encourage further exploration and creativity in the presentation of

their findings. By doing this, you as the teacher will be able to assess students to ensure

they are on task and keeping up with the material and the project (Johnson, A. 2018). Project-

Based Learning is the way to learn in the 20th century. We have to take charge and let our students be

the dictator or their own learning environment.

Gaps in Research

As far as the gaps in research go, it is hard to come across many. Project-Based Learning

is a widely talked about learning method and more and more schools are starting to implement

this wonderful way of learning. Project-Based Learning allowing students to have enhanced

performance, as well as, increase student motivation and engagement. Not to mention that it

improves teacher/student interaction.

One thing that can be added to the research of Project-Based Learning is how it can be

incorporated into each subject of learning. There is an overview of how one can implement

Project-Based Leaning in a general manor but it could be more beneficial by going into detail

with each content of learning. As more districts and schools incorporate Project-Based Learning,

this research will be added.

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Conclusion

Presenting real-world problems that students face in their own life motivates students to

take on a role of genuine interest and a desire to find solutions (Johnson, 2018). Project-Based

Blended Learning allows students to achieve their highest level of potential. Students will

understand the importance of real-world problems and they will be able to tackle them head on

with all of the skills they will learn through Project-Based Blended Learning. Although Project-

Based Blended Learning may come as a challenge at first, the outcome is very beneficial. If

administrators stand behind this method, educators will be able to implement Project-Based

Blended learning seamlessly into their everyday classroom. It is time for students to take charge

in their own learning environment.

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Duke, N. K. (2017, June 20). New Study Shows the Impact of PBL on Student Achievement.

Retrieved May 1, 2020, from https://www.edutopia.org/article/new-study-shows-impact-

pbl-student-achievement-nell-duke-anne-lise-halvorsen

Game, P. (2016, December 14). 5 Advantages and Disadvantages of Problem-Based Learning [+

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www.prodigygame.com/main-en/blog/advantages-disadvantages-problem-based-learning

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www.nmc.org/pdf/2012-horizon-report-K12.pdf

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what-is-pbl

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