I.

INTRODUCTION TO PBL

1. Definition of Project-based Learning?

The Project-based learning has been part of the educational practice approximately at the
beginning of the 1980s and it was greatly influenced by the communicative approach.
Nowadays, as an appropriate and effective method, it is widely used in the teaching of English as
a second language.
The history of PBL can be traced back to the progressive tradition advocated by John
Dewey. Dewey insisted on the idea of “learning by doing”. He argued that the classroom should
be a kind of society and the students should be encouraged to become the center in the learning
process.
Legutke and Thomas (1991) define project work as a learner and task-centered mode of
teaching and learning which results from a joint process of discussion between all participants.
Project is an extended task which usually integrates language skills through a number of
activities (Hedge, 1993). It involves a number of features: the use of authentic English language
materials, an emphasis on integrity and student-centered activities, the importance of students’
participation and the use of different skills. It is also defined as “an instructional approach that
contextualizes learning by presenting learners with problems to solve or products to
develop” (Moss & Van Duzer, 1998). Project work encourages creativity, critical thinking,
collaboration, self-study, and other study skills.

Project-based learning is a very effective approach that allows the students to throw out
opinions about the topics covering fields of interest, to ask questions, to estimate, to develop
theories, to use different tools, to use the skills acquired in the context of a real and meaningful
life and allows learner to solve problems and answer questions in a creative way in the classroom
and outside (Katz & Chard, 2000) .
Thomas’s adopts five criteria to define PBL: 1) “Projects are central, not peripheral to the
curriculum”; 2) “projects are focused on questions or problems that ‘drive’ students to encounter
(and struggle with) the central concepts and principals of the discipline”; 3) “projects involve
students in a constructive investigation”; 4) “projects are student-driven to some significant
degree”; and 5) “projects are realistic, not school-like”. Collaboration, as a matter of fact, should
also be included as a sixth criterion of PBL (Thomas & Mergendoller, 2000) .
Stoller (2006) defines PBI as: 1) having a process and product; 2) giving students
(partial) ownership of the project; 3) extending over a period of time (several days, weeks, or
months); 4) integrating skills; 5) developing students’ understanding of a topic through the
integration of language and content; 6) collaborating with other students and working on their
own; 7) holding students responsible for their own learning through the gathering, processing,
and reporting of information from target language resources; 8) assigning new roles and
responsibilities to students and teacher; 9) providing a tangible final product; and 10) reflecting
on both the process and the product. Thus, it is different from the traditional English teaching in
that it lays great emphasis on the communicative and functional aspect of language learning and
it also pays attention to the integrity of language and content learning.
It is obvious that the definition of PBL is changing from time to time. This diversity of
defining features coupled with the lack of a universally accepted model or theory in Project-
based learning has finally led to a variety of PBL researches and development activities, which
rendered great complexity to this issue. Fortunately, there are still some overlaps in these design
features.

2. Benefits of Project-based learning

Too often, traditional learning never ventures beyond the realm of the purely academic.
Project-based learning connects students to the world beyond the classroom and prepares them to
accept and meet challenges in the real world in a way that mirrors what professionals do every day.

Instead of short-term memorization and summative regurgitation, project-based learning

provides an opportunity for students to engage deeply with the target content, bringing about a
focus on long-term retention. PBL also improves student attitudes toward education, thanks to
its ability to keep students engaged. The PBL structure lends itself to building intrinsic
motivation because it centers student learning around a central question or problem and
a meaningful outcome. Students end up wanting to understand the answer or solution as much or
more than the teacher wants to know what they know, understand, and are able to do!
Daniel Pink, in his TEDTalk and influential book, Drive, says people are intrinsically
motivated by three things—autonomy, mastery, and purpose. Popular terms like grit and rigor
become embedded dispositions when learners sink their teeth into meaningful endeavors, like
those provided during project-based instruction.
A recent collaborative study conducted by the University and Michigan and Michigan
State University suggests the implementation of project-based learning correlated positively with
student achievement, particularly in schools serving high-poverty communities. This research
emphasizes the importance of projects being standards-aligned and supported with research-
proven instructional strategies.

Because of its focus on 21st-century skills, the PBL model also enhances students’
technology abilities. Project-based learning helps students develop teamwork and problem-
solving skills, along with the ability to communicate effectively with others. The collaborative
nature of projects also reinforces the Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) programs being
implemented at progressive schools around the world.
These interpersonal aspects of PBL dovetail perfectly with the use of technology in the
classroom. Technology-based projects are interdisciplinary, collaborative, inquiry-based, self-
directed, motivating, and address the full range of student needs and learning
styles. Additionally, digital literacies and digital citizenship objectives become ingrained in tech-
based projects, especially when the PBL opportunity is conducted seamlessly within the friendly
confines of your school’s learning management system.
 A quick review of ISTE’s recently revised standards for students will disclose the
relevance of PBL to modern learning. By highlighting standards including empowered learner,
innovative designer, creative communicator, and global collaborator, you would think these
standards were tailor-made with PBL in mind. International standards for technology skills and
project-based learning objectives absolutely go hand in hand.

3. Essentials project design elements

Although definitions and project parameters may vary from school to school, and PBL is
sometimes used interchangeably with “experiential learning” or “discovery learning,” the
characteristics of project-based learning are clear, constant, and share the spirit of John Dewey’s
instrumentalism.
In essence, the PBL model consists of these seven characteristics:

• Focuses on a big and open-ended question, challenge, or problem for the student to
research and respond to and/or solve

• Brings what students should academically know, understand, and be able to do into the
equation

• Is inquiry-based, stimulates intrinsic curiosity, and generates questions as it helps

students seek answers

• Uses 21st-century skills such as critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and

creativity, among others.7

• Builds student choice into the process

• Provides opportunities for feedback and revision of the plan and the project, just like in
real life
• Requires students to present their problems, research process, methods, and results, just
as scientific research or real-world projects must stand before peer review and constructive
criticism

Following fifteen years of literature review and distilled educational experience, the Buck
Institute for Education identified seven essential elements for PBL that focus on project design.
Collectively these elements are called Gold Standard PBL. According to the BIE, the key
elements to project design include:

• A challenging problem or question

• Sustained inquiry

• Authenticity
• Student voice and choice
• Reflection
• Critique and revision
 • Public product

All of these elements, if combined well, result in students learning key knowledge,
understanding, and skills for success.