Putting both rigor and relevance into Project Based Learning

Thom Markham Buck Institute for Education CUE Annual Conference Palm Springs, CA March 12, 2005

Use Design Principles

Begin with the end in mind Manage the process Craft the Driving Question Map the project Plan the Assessment

Create a Learning Community

A strong teacherstudent relationship Rigorous, shared standards Opportunity for student voice and choice
Under these conditions you will also promote resiliency in students and help build a culture of engagement in your classroom and school.

Require authentic academic work

Construction of knowledge
Disciplined inquiry Build on prior knowledge In-depth understanding Elaborated communication. Value beyond school
- Newmann, 1995

Plan Backwards
Who is the audience for the work?
What are the outcomes for students? What products will students create? How will you assess the student work? How should activities be organized?

Use the power of projects

Personal Strengths
1 Habit of Mind/EQ

Personal Strengths
Intrapersonal Independence Assertiveness Self-awareness Mood regulation Interpersonal Empathy Listening Conflict resolution Social responsibility Stress management Working with deadlines Impulse control

Adaptability Problem solving Flexibility Reality testing

Skills
Communication: speaking; presenting; publishing.
Group process: leadership; teamwork; collaboration. Self-management: time and task management; self-monitoring.

Content/standards
Include: State and national content standards. School-wide or District outcomes. Literacy Think about: Coverage vs. uncoverage.

The power standards: What are they and how do you teach them? How many?

Organize tasks and activities

Consider
Direct instruction: What content knowledge do students need to succeed? Skill-building: Do students know how to succeed in the project? Culture-building: Are students ready to manage themselves?

Projects vs. Project Based Learning

Projects Loose set of activities Supplements the curriculum Thematic Broad assessments No management structure Standards-focused PBL

Inquiry-based. Use Driving Question as a focus.

Part of the curriculum Focused Aligns specified outcomes with assessments Uses project management tools to structure learning

The Debate
Students in a 9th grade English are told that they will be doing a 2-week unit of study designed to build their oral language skills (use of persuasive arguments, evidence to support an opinion, rhetorical devices, etc.). They are divided up into teams to prepare for a debate on one of three topics: school uniforms, curfews, and homework. Each group does research and prepares arguments for both sides, since they will not know which position they will take until the day of the debate. Their performance in front of the class is scored with a performance assessment and their written notes and arguments for both sides are turned in for grading.

Need more?
Thom@bie.org. Buy the Handbook. www.bie.org. http://edtech.boisestate.edu/FIPSE
Click on Designing Your Project. Use code 200 to enter site

Use the Handbook

Five sections with resources:
Begin with the End in Mind skills, standards, and habits of mind Craft the Driving Question samples Plan the Assessments -- rubrics Map the project -- the scope Manage the Project -- project tools

Project examples What do PBL teachers say?

The lighthouse for the Project: A Powerful Driving Question

Inspiring
Provocative Open-ended Authentic

Focused
Concrete Requires core knowledge to answer

Consistent with standards and curriculum

Refining a Driving Question

How is nature interconnected?

How does the biological data collected in the Indian Valley watershed inform us about the interconnectedness of natural systems?

Refining a Driving Question

What is a safety shed?

How can we design and build a costeffective, fireproof safety shed that can be used in all high schools in the district?

Refining a Driving Question

What is a heart-healthy meal for seniors? What is the history of our community?

How do heart healthy meals nurture seniors and extend longevity?

How do oral histories help us interpret our past and predict the future of our community?

Using the Driving Question to focus the inquiry process

Brainstorm multiple perspectives or points of view on the question Anticipate need to knows and teachable moments Track knowledge gaps with formative assessments Have students keep a problem log or journal to reflect on the question during the project

Plan the Assessment

Best practices in assessment

Provide assessment criteria at beginning of project Create rich descriptors for criteria Provide exemplars

Offer ongoing feedback

Capture process as well as product

Use assessments to support the success of all students, rather than sort and select

A balanced assessment plan with multiple products

Daily Homework Weekly Quiz Early milestone Journal Self-reflection Informal assessment Mid-project milestone

Essay Artistic product

End of project

Exhibition and oral presentation Exam

Include artifacts in the assessments

Email records, library record searches, telephone logs, minutes of meetings, journals, self-report measure, reflections, observations, interview notes, etc. Document the process of learning Evaluate skills and habits of mind Encourage meta-cognition Allows you to assess all work

Step 1: Align products with outcomes

Outcomes
Content standards

Products
Early

Middle
Skills
research
oral presentation

Late

Habit of mind
reflection

Step 2: Know what to assess

Break down content and skills into specific elements. Oral Presentation Voice Eye contact Content Establish performance criteria.

Volume
Length of time Quality

Posture
Response to questions

Body language
Knowledge and poise

Use products that assess project outcomes

State standard:

Product: Plate tectonics operating over Visual display and geological time has oral presentation changed the patterns on volcanoes of land, sea, and mountains on earths Assessment: surface Oral presentation must demonstrate and use vocabulary relating to: (1) three kinds of plate boundaries; (2) properties of rocks and how they were formed;, and (3) volcanoes on ocean floor.

Step 3: Use rubrics to evaluate skills and performance

Fulfill conditions for good assessment Provide a tool for precise feedback. Increase fairness while decreasing grading time. Reduce quibbling over grades. Acknowledge subjectivity of grading.

Use core management tools

Task lists Daily goal sheets/briefs Time sheets Reflections in journals or problem logs Debrief with team leaders Have groups report out to whole

Evaluate and reflect

Evidence shows robust correlation between reflection and retention. Using a cycle of inquiry helps to prepare for the next project and develop an inquiry-based classroom.

The methods: whole class debrief; fishbowl; survey; self-report.

Reflect on process and outcomes

Student performance. Student engagement. Clarity of instructions. Clarity of process. Clarity of evaluation.
(Reeves, 1999)