Motivating Project-Based Learning: Sustaining the Doing, Supporting the Learning

Blumenfeld, Phyllis C.; Soloway, Elliot; Marx, Ronald W.; Krajcik, Joseph; Guzdial, Mark; Palincsar, Annemarie Sullivan

doi:10.1207/s15326985ep2603&4_8

Cited by 1,059 publications

(914 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…In that sense, learning activities are driven by projects that the students carry out in order to answer a question or problem that they choose themselves or that it is posed by a teacher or instructor (Blumenfeld, Soloway, Marx, Krajcik, Guzdial et al, 1991). The outcome of these activities is typically a product or an artefact that addresses the objective of the project (Blumenfeld et al, 1991). Usually projects are complex tasks that involve students in design, problem-solving, decision making and resources management within a social context, i.e., working together with peers to achieve a common goal (Thomas, 2000).…”

Section: Project Based Learningmentioning

confidence: 99%

“From Making to Learning”: introducing Dev Camps as an educational paradigm for Re-inventing Problem-based Learning

Chounta

Manske

Hoppe

2017

Int J Educ Technol High Educ

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Dev Camps are events that enable participants to tackle challenges using software tools and different kinds of hardware devices in collaborative project-style activities. The participants conceptualize and develop their solutions in a self-directed way, involving technical, organizational and social skills. In this sense, they are autonomous producers or "makers". The Dev Camp activity format resonates with skills such as communication, critical thinking, creativity, decision-making and planning and can be considered as a bridge between education and industry. In this paper we present and analyse our experience from a series of such events that were co-organized between an industrial partner acting as a host and several university partners. We take this as an indication to envision new opportunities for projectbased learning in more formal educational scenarios.

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Section: Project Based Learningmentioning

confidence: 99%

“From Making to Learning”: introducing Dev Camps as an educational paradigm for Re-inventing Problem-based Learning

Chounta

Manske

Hoppe

2017

Int J Educ Technol High Educ

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“…Reliance on IT requires both convenient access to the appropriate hardware, software and connectivity, as well as knowledge of relevant websites, both of which place additional demands on teachers. 303 Inquiry-based teaching through projects is much more difficult than traditional teacher-centered instruction. Helping students create the right-size problem requires teachers who fully understand the concepts embedded in potential projects, and who can model thinking and problem-solving strategies effectively.…”

Section: Students At the School Of Science And Engineering Magnet In mentioning

confidence: 99%

Reforming a Large Foundational Course: Successes and Challenges

Talanquer

Pollard

2017

J. Chem. Educ.

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The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) is a Washington, D.C.-based think tank at the cutting edge of designing innovation policies and exploring how advances in information technology will create new economic opportunities to improve the quality of life. Nonprofit, and nonpartisan, ITIF offers pragmatic ideas that break free of economic philosophies born in eras long before the first punch card computer and well before the rise of modern China. ITIF, founded in 2006, is dedicated to conceiving and promoting new ways of thinking about technology-driven productivity, competitiveness, and globalization for the 21st century.ITIF publishes policy reports, holds forums and policy debates, advises elected officials and their staff, and provides an active resource for the media. It develops new and creative policy proposals, analyzes existing policy issues through the lens of bolstering innovation and productivity, and advocates against policies that hinder digital transformation and innovation. The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.

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“…Other important elements are that the topic be of personal interest to the students (Grant, 2011) and that the assignment center on a "driving question" and conclude with a tangible artifact (Blumenfeld et al, 1991;Grant, 2011). This driving question should not have a predetermined answer, and should structure and motivate the steps of the project.…”

Section: Grounded In Project-based Learningmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Project-based learning also encourages and facilitates collaboration and cooperation among students (Mitchell, Foulger, Wetzel & Rathkey, 2009;Blumenfeld et al, 1991).…”

Section: Grounded In Project-based Learningmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Empathy Project: Using a Project-Based Learning Assignment to Increase First-Year College Students’ Comfort with Interdisciplinarity

Hutchison

2016

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

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IntroductionOur university is diverse in a number of ways, including the more traditional categories of race, ethnicity, religion, and socioeconomics. This contributes positively to students' intellectual and emotional development, and adds quality and depth to discussions in class. The University's academic and political diversity are also important assets and encourage interdisciplinary courses to truly span departments and to promote the critical thinking of our students. Part of the University's commitment to interdisciplinarity is evident in the existence of and support for the required interdisciplinary first-year course, Focused Inquiry.Focused Inquiry is a required year-long seminar-style class that develops and hones the core skills deemed necessary for success in college and beyond: critical thinking, written and oral communication, ethical reasoning, civic responsibility, quantitative reasoning, information fluency, and collaborative learning. Focused Inquiry is housed in its own department, with full-time faculty from many different disciplines. The faculty members are committed to the interdisciplinarity of the course and to teaching in a learner-centered manner.Interdisciplinarity is often a new concept for our students-one that is a recurring theme in our course-as can be seen below in a reflection on a conversation with one of my students. Empathy and interdisciplinarity are both concepts that are current and relevant-across professions, in research, and in academia. This paper describes a large, interdisciplinary, project-based assignment, the Empathy Project, which allows students to delve into and increase comfort and skill with interdisciplinary thinking and collaborative learning, while improving the core college skills of written and oral communication, ethical and quantitative reasoning, and critical thinking. As I revised the assignment based on student feedback and results, I found that group conferences and time in class to work collaboratively were beneficial. Additionally, building increased scaffolding into the assignment, including greater student and group accountability, helped students develop and maintain self-direction. Students reported that the project was interesting and challenging and appreciated the opportunity to work with other students, to create something entirely different, and to be able to bring creativity into their projects.Keywords: interdisciplinarity, active learning, pedagogy, first-year students, project-based learning, constructivism, student While our specific targeted skill set of Focused Inquiry, described previously, might not explicitly appear in the freshman curriculum at other universities, the skills are likely woven into many courses at other institutions, especially for first-year students. Thus, the experiences in this relatively small (22 students) face-to-face class could be applicable to classes at other levels and in other learning environments, as well. In Focused Inquiry, one of our core skills is collaborative learning. As I discuss furth...

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Motivating Project-Based Learning: Sustaining the Doing, Supporting the Learning

Cited by 1,059 publications

References 41 publications

“From Making to Learning”: introducing Dev Camps as an educational paradigm for Re-inventing Problem-based Learning

“From Making to Learning”: introducing Dev Camps as an educational paradigm for Re-inventing Problem-based Learning

Reforming a Large Foundational Course: Successes and Challenges

The Empathy Project: Using a Project-Based Learning Assignment to Increase First-Year College Students’ Comfort with Interdisciplinarity

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