Dive Brief:
- Critical thinking, creativity, communication and collaboration are hallmarks of project-based learning (PBL), a learning trend that continues, slowly, to gain momentum in K-12 classrooms.
- According to Ed Surge, certain project-based schools report standardized test scores that are 20% higher than conventional classrooms, but just 1% of U.S. schools use PBL instruction.
- One problem, says PBL platform CrowdSchool co-founder Peter Glenn, is that PBL is currently too “do-it-yourself," and educators have trouble figuring out where to start with incorporating it into their curricula.
Dive Insight:
Project-based learning is especially popular when teaching subjects like science, since it gives students a chance to both collaborate and get hands-on experience. And more schools are turning to environmental education as a way to incorporate multidisciplinary instruction, involving students in project-based learning. In Colorado, one low-performing rural district used outdoor-based experiential learning as a part of an academic overhaul.
As Glenn notes in his op-ed, teacher training is crucial. A project-based learning approach necessitates additional professional development for educators, enabling teachers to explain concepts intrinsic to project-based learning on top of regular subjects.