4 Teachers Tools
  Checklists to support Project Based Learning and evaluation

Building Motivation

    Project Based Learning allows teachers to create tasks whose complexity and openness mimic problems in the real world. Students can see the interdisciplinary nature of these tasks, and see that each task may have more than one solution. Students who have the freedom to choose different strategies and approaches may become more engaged in the learning process, and these students will be more likely to approach other problems with an open mind.

    In addition, students who are involved in creating the project assignment or the project checklist gain valuable experience in setting their own goals and standards of excellence. This gives students a sense of ownership and control over their own learning. Learners have the added opportunity to identify related sub-topics and explore them in a project based scenario. Teaching with the project based method enables students to work cooperatively with peers and mentors in a student-centered environment where learners are encouraged to explore various topics of interest.

yellow divider vertical line

    Projects that have depth, duration, and complexity will challenge students and motivate them towards construction of knowledge. They will acquire problem-solving, communication, collaboration, planning, and self- evaluation skills. After completing a project, ask students to create a self-evaluation of the project. This enables the students to focus on their learning process and allows them to see their progress. Self-evaluation gives students a sense of accomplishment and further instills responsibility for learning.

    Learners who can see the connection between a project based task and the real world will be more motivated to understand and solve the problem at hand. Students enjoy learning when learning makes sense. Project Based Learning lends itself to many disciplines. It provides learners the opportunity to have a voice in how and what they learn, while building intrinsic motivation towards problem-solving.

 
Project Based Learning