Advantages of Project-Based Learning in the Classroom

KEY POINTS

• Develop a question to build a project around.
• Narrow the scope of the project.
• Build on what’s out there.
• Leave room for student creativity.
• Seek feedback on your project ideas, implement your project, and assess its effectiveness.

In the world of STEM education, hands-on, project-based activities are one of the best ways to engage students with creative and exciting learning experiences. Project-based learning has become an integral part of the STEM classroom, offering students the opportunity to truly invest in and reflect on their own learning.

SET THE FOCUS OF YOUR PROJECT

While projects offer students the opportunity to explore and be creative, the real challenge is initially getting students moving in the right direction. It is important to provide a framework for each project, and the easiest way to do this is to focus on a particular question. Find topics of interest and allow that to guide your students. From there, narrow the scope of the project by determining a reasonable timeframe. While extended projects may offer students an opportunity to learn more, it is important that students remain interested throughout. Typically, completing a project over a few weeks is a very workable timeframe.

GET INSPIRATION FROM SIMILAR PROJECTS

A great way to get started is by exploring which projects have been done before. Research online, especially on platforms like Pinterest, or even our own free lessons and worksheets, to gather a wide variety of ideas. From there, adjust a project of interest to work for your classroom. You might change some of the criteria, broaden or narrow the scope, or adapt aspects to fit the needs of your classroom. Regardless of your final selection, ensure there is room and flexibility for student innovation and creativity within the project. These skills play an important role in the STEM learning process, and utilizing previously-done projects will eliminate the sometimes-daunting task of starting from scratch.

SEEK INITIAL FEEDBACK AND TEST IT OUT

Nothing comes with the guarantee of success, and of course, perfecting any teaching method takes time. Once you have formulated your project, seek advice from other educators about the implementation of your ideas. After you have added any finishing touches, assign the project to your class. Once it has been completed, assess its effectiveness. Ask students what they liked, what they found most challenging, and how they think the project could be adjusted for future use. After a few semesters, the project will likely evolve naturally and you will have successfully incorporated project-based STEM learning into your classroom.

— Dr. Jake Roark