Richmond
December 21, 2022
A lot has been said about teaching that aims to offer memorable learning through authentic tasks, and engaging sessions. ELT professionals are always eager to learn about ways in which they can transform their lessons and improve their students’ learning of the language. This is probably why Project Based Learning has become so popular among language teachers. But what about PBL makes it so different and attractive to us?
Project-based learning makes students work with skills that they will need beyond the classroom. Using and developing skills such as communication, collaboration, time management, and leadership is part of project work. Aside from working with such skills, PBL helps students master the content. It does this by making it relevant by connecting it with current issues that students will very likely remember for more than a couple of weeks.
“Doing a project” differs a little bit from PBL. Projects are usually short and intended to consolidate what was learned in the unit. In PBL the project is the unit. The objective is that students solve a real-world problem or answer a complex question (which leads to an investigation with clear outcomes). This will require that they work together for an extended period (like a unit), with meaningful use of the language and skills such as creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking. The outcome of the project will be a tangible product that can be shared with an audience. The teacher is not at the center of the learning process but she works as a facilitator at each stage of it.
In PBL, students “learn by doing” and collaborate with others. They learn to solve problems in creative ways and build on their research skills. This is a method that makes students take ownership of their projects and feel empowered and proud of their progress and achievements.
If your students are more engaged and motivated in your class, and you can see that they are developing life skills as well as knowledge about the content, you will feel less stressed and more motivated. PBL will support different learning styles so you will feel all of your students can benefit from the work they are doing in your class. In the end, every method that helps your learners become more autonomous, better students, more confident, and happier has inherent benefits for you as their teacher and for the achievement of the goals you’ve set.
Not really, but it will demand careful preparation, commitment, and getting your students on board. Here are some tips for you to make your students excited about PBL:
Have you tried implementing PBL in your classroom? How did it go? Share your experiences with us! #RSTeachers #RichmondSolutionCommunity #ProjectBasedLearning #ActiveMethodologies
