Name: Jessa M.

Ejorcadas
Module 8. Project Based Learning

Overview
In this module, you will learn the concept of project based approach, enumerate the
key features of project based approach, discuss the examples and challenges of project
based approach and explain the guide on the implementation of project based
approach. This module is organized into four (4) lessons as shown below.
Module 8 – Project Based Learning
Lesson 1.Concept of Project based learning.
Lesson 2. Key Features of the project based approach.
Lesson 3. Examples and challenges of project based approach.
Lesson 4. Guide on the implementation of Project based approach.

Learning Outcomes
In this module, you are expected to:
a. discuss the concepts of project based approach;
b. enumerate the key features of the project based approach;
c. discuss the examples and challenges of project based approach; and
d. explain the guide on the implementation of project based approach.

Learning Activities

Please briefly answer this question:

1. For you, what is project based approach?
 Project-based approach is an instructional approach designed to give students the
opportunity to develop knowledge and skills through engaging projects set
around challenges and problems they may face in the real world.

2. What do you think are the reasons of the spread of project based approach in each
discipline?
 I believe the reason for the spread of project-based approaches is that they are
necessary in all disciplines. Because a project-based approach to learning
can help educators engage students in thinking deeply about content, while also
learning essential critical thinking, communication, and collaboration skills.
Furthermore, Project-based learning engages students in ways that conventional
instruction often does not.
3. As a student, have you experienced working on a project based approach? Provide
support.
 Yes, one example is our recent group project research, in which we have to work
as a group to accomplish our task.

1. What are the difference between project based approach from problem based
approach?

 The difference between problem-based learning and project-based learning is that

students who complete problem-based learning often share the outcomes and
jointly set the learning goals and outcomes with the teacher. On the other hand,
project-based learning is an approach where the goals are set.

2. What are the key features of project based approach? Discuss each.
 Most of the key features of PjBL are included in the concept of an
approach whereby “students pursue solutions to non-trivial problems by asking and
refining questions, debating ideas, making predictions, designing plans/and or
experiments, collecting and analysing data, drawing conclusions, communicating their
ideas and findings to others, asking new questions and creating artifacts [sic]”
(Blumenfeld et al., 1991: 371). As will be discussed below, other key features
highlighted in the literature are the importanceof collaboration between students; that
the problem investigated should be authentic (relateto the real world), and that the
inquiry covers more than one discipline (Blumenfeld et al.,1991). The stated
advantages of PJBL are numerous and include the development of skillsrelated to
professional practice, some evidence of
improved academic achievement,

3. Describe the philosophy and drivers for project based approach.

 Helle, Tynjälä, and Olkinuora (2006) highlight four main drivers for the adoption
of PjBL in education: pedagogic; professional; democratic and humanitarian; and
fostering critical thinking. While the first three categories align broadly with the
drivers identified in the literature, the fourth, critical thinking was less evident,
whereas the need for cross-disciplinary approaches to complex contemporary
problems was emphasised.

4. Discuss the educational philosophical roots of project based approach.

 PjBL, according to Morgan (1983: 68), is not just a “technical’ teaching method
“but a curriculum design that can raise fundamental questions about the nature of
higher education”. He traces PjBL to the educational and psychological theories
of influential US twentieth century thinkers including John Dewey (the
 importance of learning from experience); Jerome Bruner (learning as an active
process in which the students’ transformation of information engenders
motivation, retention and personal development); and Carl Rogers (the
importance of the perceived relevance of the topic for motivation) (Morgan,
2008). More recent influences cited are the experience of hands-on learning in
Outward Bound classes, insights from ‘problem-based learning’, and insights
from cognitive science regarding the importance of context to learning (Thomas,
2000); while de Graaf and Kolmos (2007) trace the origin of project learning to
influential 20th century American teacher William Killpatrickwho noted the
correspondence between motivation and choice over subject of study. Closely
aligned to these pedagogical theories is an adherence to social constructivism in
which emphasis is placed on students’ awareness, through active learning, of the
role of social context in the creation of knowledge systems (Frank, Lavy & Elata,
2003; Frank & Barzilai, 2004; Lehamnn et al., 2009). PjBL is seen to offer a
“construction site of learning” to which participants bring diverse voices, ideas
and methods to co-create socially useful knowledge (von Kotze & Cooper, 2000).
PjBL may therefore be seen as one response to developments in pedagogical
thinking over the past fifty years which have advocated a shift away from a
model where teachers impart knowledge to relatively passive students, to one in
which learners became engaged and active participants in the co-construction of
knowledge (Blumenfeld et al., 1994). As Donnelly and Fitzmaurice (2005)
explain, the approach aims to foster active, motivated learners and to encourage
initiative, and independence of thought.

1. What are the advantages of project based approach?

 The main advantages of PjBL identified from the literature include: claims of
improved academic results, the development of wider skills, increased student
motivation and enjoyment, enhanced outreach and engagement beyond academia
and advantages for lecturers. These will be discussed in turn below before
attention is turned to the challenges of the approach.

2. How can project based approach develop skills for the 21st century?
 Adoptation of PjBL in HE also takes place in response to a perceived need for
university graduates to be equipped with skills relevant to future employers
(Kolmos, 2009). These calls derive from government, industry and professional
accreditation bodies as well as students facing highly competitive job markets
(Lehmann et al, 2008). Traditional lecture-based teaching, particularly in subjects
such as engineering, is widely believed to no longer provide the broad
professional skills needed by contemporary graduates; whereas PjBL, with its
hands-on experience, real world problems and group work is seen as providing
these wider transferable skills (Mills and Treagust, 2003). Demands for graduates
with skills relevant to the workplace sometimes derive from specific industries
(de Graaf and Kolmos, 2007). For instance Dzan et al (2013) developed their HE
 level boat design and building project in response to a shortage of skilled boat
builders in Taiwan; and the business studies projects described by Botha (2010)
were created partly to help meet a need for more trained entrepreneurs in South
Africa. Professional bodies such as the Accreditation of European Engineering
Programmes and Graduates (Lehmann et al, 2008) may also drive the demand for
changing or widened skill sets; while welfare reforms and intense competition for
graduate jobsmean students need skills over and above traditional academic
qualifications – including creative thinking, teamwork, and project-management,
which are argued to be enhanced through PjBL (Green, 1998).

3. How can project based approach increase complexity of contemporary issues?

 The need for critical thinking has been identified as an important driver for PjBL.
The approach has been argued to highlight the process and power structures
behind knowledge creation, engendering critical thinking and helping students
consider alternative ways of thinking and acting (Von Kotze and Cooper, 2000).
However a more commonly motivation is the ability of PjBL to provide the type
of skills, behaviours and understanding needed to tackle challenges in a
contemporary context of increasing complexity, where problems and projects
transcend well-defined disciplines and sectors. For example Lehmann et al. (2008:
284) discuss PjBL in the context of the skillsets required “in a world where
systems gradually become larger” and the “boundaries for engineering knowledge
and skills are increasingly difficult to identify and define”. These include not just
technical skills but also “interdisciplinary skills of cooperation, communication,
project management and lifelong learning abilities in diverse social, cultural
andglobalised settings” (Lehmann, 2008). The literature emphasises a new
relationship between science and societywherein “science has become
contextualized”, requiring people-orientated skills and behaviours 10 such as
communication and team work (Kolmos 2009: 263-264). This recognition of
“increased complexity, connectedness, and speed of transformation in the
research objects” is particularly pertinent in the study of the environment and
sustainability, located at the interface of social, economic and natural systems
(Stauffacher et al., 2006: 253; Du, Su & Liu, 2013). PJBL, with its
interdisciplinary focus and embrace of open-ended questions and exploration, is
seen as well suited to explore these interconnections and complexities
(Stauffacher et al., 2006).

4. Discuss the democratic and humanitarian principle of project based learning.

 A further driver behind the adoption of PjBL is a commitment to what Helle,
Tynjälä, & Olkinuora (2006) describe as democratic or humanitarian ideals.
Kolmos (2009) locates the origins of PBL and PjBL in student protests and
demands for greater democracy in HE in the 1960s and in the early adoption of
the approach in universities in Germany, Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark.
These principles and how they may be put into practice are described by von
Kotze and Cooper who adopt a PjBL model developed at the Katholieke
Universiteit of Leuven in Belgium (2000). Applying the model in adult education
in Southern Africa, these authors emphasise the importance of working in and for
the community for social democratic ends (2000). Students’ prior knowledge and
experience gained through community engagement and “nurtured in collective
struggle” (Von Kotze & Cooper, 2000: 214) is valued and brought to bear upon
the creation of socially-relevant new knowledge. However, while several
 approaches discuss the importance of interactions with and contributions to the
world outside academia (Nation, 2006; Botha, 2010; Cheung & Chow, 2011;
Green, 1998) the Leuven Model discussed by Von Kotze and Cooper (2000) is
exceptional in its explicit emphasis on social responsibility and the importance of
learners and the researchers contributing to the privileged.Furthermore, De Graaf
and Kolmos suggest that the project approach has not realised its aims for social
change and that more emphasis is now placed on its ability to develop valuable
professional skills (2007).

1. What are the advantages of project based approach? Explain each.

 The following are the advantages of project based approach:
 Improved academic achievement - While there is some evidence in the
academic literature of PjBL leading to enhanced academic achievement,
very few studies measure this effect at the HE level, most seeking
instead to either describe the process of projects or understand student
perceptions of the approach. Nonetheless there are some claims of
improved academic results.
 Wider skills - PjBL helps students develop a wide set of skills beyond
traditional academic subject knowledge. For instance, Team
work/collaboration , Problem solving skills, Increased motivation ,
Communication skills (oral) , Communication skills (written) and many
more.
 Motivation and enjoyment - The studies reported on in this review
generally emphasised students’ enjoyment of PjBL activities and linked
this to motivation to learn. Some of these conclusions were not based on
research butinstead draw on practical experience and observation of the
technique in schools or HE institutions over a number of years (e.g. de
Graaf & Kolmos, 2007; Bell 2010).

2. What are the examples of project based approach? Describe each.

 The following are the examples of project based approach:
 Research project - Research Project means a discrete scientific
endeavor to answer a research question or a set of research questions. A
Research Project must include a description of a defined protocol, clearly
 articulated goal(s), defined methods and outputs, and a defined start and
end date. The description must demonstrate that the Research Project
will comply with all requirements in the M 1900 Series – Licensed
Research Businesses. All research and development conducted by a
Licensed Research Business must be conducted in furtherance of an
approved Research Project.
 The construction project - A construction project, sometimes just
referred to as a 'project', is the organised process of constructing,
renovating, refurbishing, etc. a building, structure or infrastructure. ...
That is, a project team, brief and financing are put together to produce a
unique design that delivers a single project
 The real-world project - Real world projects attempt to integrate
various technical and soft skills in order to solve real business
problems.The additional use of real world projects reportable to real
clients has its unique potential benefits and challenges.
 Staff input to projects - The literature provides scant concrete detail on
staff input into PjBL and where examples are given they vary widely.
For instance Nation (2006) describes class time as for giving students the
tools they needed to learn, guest speakers and providing formative
assessment on the final report (Nation, 2006). Conversely, others provide
detailed break-downs such as Frank and Barzilai (2004) who researched
an in-service teachers BSc course in science and technology which lasted
across a 14 week semester and each week included: a one-hour lecture,
two hours’ microteaching and three hours’ team project.

3. What are the challenges of students undertaking project based approach? Describe
each.
 The following are the challenges of students undertaking project based approach:
 Group work
Group work was frequently identified in the academic literature as the most
significant challenge faced by learners undertaking PjBL. A study by Meehan and
Thomas (2006), for example, found students undertaking environmental management
projects in Vietnam reported team work as being the hardest element of their project
work. Similarly Stauffacher et al., (2006) found the majority of challenges came from
group work processes and Frank and Barzilai (2004) discovered from reading students’
personal reflective reports that they were exposed to situations of conflict in their
projectbased work. Free-riding by a group member was often the most significant
issue identified (Mills and Treagust, 2003). Furthermore, a lack of experience and a
lack of understanding of the value of collaborative work, especially where learners
had a background of high individual achievement in order to secure places in high
ranking institutions (Pawson et al., 2006), were important factors impeding successful
collaboration.
  Preference for traditional teaching styles
As Stauffacher et al. explain this type of learning “is a completely new environment
with a spectrum of unknown challenges. There are pressures from many sides: peers,
transdisciplinary partners, the project leaders, the tutor and the learning goals. The
students perceive themselves as being in the middle of these pressures” (2006: 268).
The new burden of responsibility often starts right from the off as many students may
find it problematic to have choice over topics or projects (see Morgan, 1983; Frank &
Barzilai, 2004). Students also have to cope with new content in a relatively
unstructured learningenvironment (Frank & Barzilai, 2004) and a review of PjBL for
teaching sustainabilityin institutions in six countries found that degree programmes
were rarelydesigned to prepare students for the demands of project work and seldom
required prior relevant course completion (Brundiers & Wiek, 2013). Nation (2006)
found students’ adjustment to new types of learning and assessment as one of the
most significant challenges of PjBL while Spronken-Smith and Kingham (2009)
reported physical geography students in New Zealand needed considerable course
scaffolding and staff support. Conversely, students participating in PjBL in other
settings felt that felt there were too many over-long lectures in too traditional a format
(Frank, Lavy & Elata, 2003), suggesting student experiences depend on the methods
of implementation.

 Evaluation
These focused mainly on one course where lecturers evaluating different groups each
used their own criteria, giving rise to questions of transparency and equity (Van den
Berg et al., 2006). Other studies found that students often undervalued what they had
learned “particularly in the social and process domains” through lack of
communication by staff regarding the aims and objectives of PjBL (Stauffacher et al.,
2006: 269); and it is suggested that a lack of clarity around evaluation may be
unsettling for students, particularly when they are used to a traditional system where
grades orrespond to correct answers given (Blumenfeld et al., 1991). A study of
industry-partnered PjBL undertaken with Australian engineering anddesign students
noted that the use of ongoing reviews of student work mirrored professional feedback
practices and allowed for timely reflectionand revision but had the drawback of
requiring that students perform consistently across the semesterlong project (Lockrey
& Bissett Johnson, 2013).

 Weight of work
The adoption of PjBL has been linked with student and staff perceptions of
demanding workloads for staff and students (Stauffacher et al., 2006). For instance,
Van den Berg et al. noted that students perceived the workload as heavy, while
instructors reported students found the workload “overwhelming” (2006: 354).

4. What are the challenges of academic staff undertaking project based approach?
Describe each.
 The following are the challenges of academic staff undertaking project based
approach:
 New role of facilitator for the tutor. While lack of adequate content
knowledge is identified by just two studies as a challenge for teachers
 implementing PjBL (Blumenfeld et al., 1991; Frank & Barzilai, 2004),
most difficulties centred on anxiety and resistance towards their new role
as facilitator in student-centred PjBL. As Green explains “For the
instructor, the challenges lie, not so much in carrying out the actual
project, but in being able to effectively assume the role of advisor and
guide rather than a dispenser of information with all the answers” (1998:
15).
 Time and resources needed for PjBL. The time and resource intensive
nature of PjBL was also another significant challenge identified in the
literature. Identifying and developing appropriate problems and projects
is also noted as time-intensive (Danford, 2006). In the school setting,
Blumenfeld et al. (1994) found teachers worried about time management
as projects or activities overran classes and deadlines. They expressed
“conflicts about whether to cover curriculum or to allow students time to
take ownership of their learning by designing investigations and thinking
carefully about the science concepts involved” (Blumenfeld et al., 1994:
543). Time pressures on staff in HE may be particularly acute due the
demands of the Research Excellence Framework (REF) or similar
institutional pressures (Graham, 2010).
 Other challenges. Another issue concerns the lack of status and value
attached to the role of the tutor, a role identified as important for group
supervision but which Stauffacher et al. (2006) argue is neither well
recognised nor rewarded within academia. Furthermore, research by
Edelson, Gordin and Pea (1999) highlighted problems including lack of
adequate resources, timetabling issues and inappropriate technology
while class sizes and constraints of the curriculum are also noted
(Blumenfeld et al., 1994).

1. What are the advices and suggestions that worked well in project based learning?
Discuss each aspect.
 The following are the advices and suggestions that worked well in project based
learning:
 Group work. One of the most significant challenges identified in PjBL,
group work, prompts a broad range of guidance in the literature. Most
commonly suggested is the allocation of roles to group members. These
may be management roles for some individuals (Meehan and Thomas,
2006) or more specific roles for each group member (Cheung & Chow,
 2011). Stauffacher et al, (2006: 263) recommend assigning rotating roles
to including: workflow coordinator (project management); logistics
(looks after petty cash, equipment, transport, rooms); editors; content
manager (for updating files and resources) and others.
 Assessment. Assessment has been identified as problematic in PjBL but
the advice from the literature is of a fairly general nature. Key is the idea
that the assessment should be in keeping with the enquiry and the
abilities being developed (Kahn & O’Rourke, 2004). A range of
assessment is recommended, including those that evaluate indicators of
process, such as meeting notes, presumably to capture the different
learning outcomes and to cater for different learning types (Kahn and
O’Rourke, 2004). In a questionnaire of students using PjBL, Frank and
Barzalai (2004) found the majority appreciated having the assessment
criteria clearly stated at the beginning of the course and supported
ongoing assessment throughout the course as it helped students evaluate
their own progress and work on problem areas
 Tutors. The importance of having module leaders and tutors who
understand, support and are trained in the PjBL approach is underlined in
the academic literature. According to Graham (2010), successful
examples of PjBL in the UK HE engineering sector have in common
module leaders who are “personally committed to excellence in
education, benefit from a high level of autonomy in the design and
operation of their modules and often draw from significant levels of
experience in engineering industry” (Graham, 2010: 6). Stauffacher et al
(2006) found the choice of tutors to be crucial, with success dependent
on choosing those with a background in transdisciplinary research and
who had undertaken the project-based module in previous years. Due to
the centrality and challenges of group work, teachers are sometimes
chosen specifically for their group work skills (Stauffacher et al, 2006).
 Technologies and resources. The use of online technology is central to
many of the projects detailed in the literature. This includes university-
wide software such as Blackboard but also dedicated password protected
websites where students can store and share minutes from meetings and
other project data (Danford, 2006). Aalborg University researchers,
Tolsby, Nyvang and Dirckinck-Holmfeld (2002), assessed different
virtual learning technologies for supporting PjBL and isolated three key
needs for online learning in PjBL: a space for negotiation of meaning
between the students, for coordination of the project work and for the
organisation of resources. However, without adequate support and
training staff can struggle with the use of new technology (Blumenfeld et
al, 1991).

2. From the identified challenges brought by project based approach, what will be
your proposed solutions?

 The following are the identified challenges brought by project based approach
anf my prposed solutions on each challenges:
 Group work
 Allocating fixed or rotating group roles to individuals (possibly
based on members’ behavioural strengths or skill sets).
  The provision of formal training in group work for students prior to
and/or during the project.
 Providing time and support for the groups to gel and feel
comfortable together
 Staff chosen on the basis of their experience and skills in group
work
 Provision of staff training in group work and facilitation
 Between-group mentoring and review
 Clear guidelines and rules on the expectations regarding individual
contribution to group work and how this will be assessed

 Planning and preparation Piloting the project

 Using a real world problem as a driving question for the project

 Choosing projects which can be scaled up or down depending on
student numbers
 Advance identification of and negotiation with external partners

 Scaffolding and student support

 Providing a thorough briefing for students about the aims, methods

and content of the project
 Use of past student experiences to help brief new students
 Use of sample projects or written project guides
 Appropriate levels of scaffolding, often providing greater lecturer
input in the early stages and reducing as the project continues.
 Appropriate materials and resources provided

 Maintaining motivation
 Choice of projects which interest students and have real world
significance
 Use of competitions between teams and prizes
 Showcasing or performances to external or professional audiences

 Assessment
Assessment should be appropriate to the task and the learning
outcomes targeted
Inclusion of several types of assessment (summative and formative;
peer and staff; group and individual)
Formative assessment through cycles of feedback and revision
Training for staff in alternative forms of assessment
The inclusion of time and space for students to reflect on their learning
throughout the project

 Staffing
The choice of staff who understand and have experience in PJBL or
transdisciplinary work
Training for staff in PjBL approaches
The use of trained postdoctoral or PhD tutors for group work
 Time for staff to trial, evaluate and reflect on PjBL supported by
pedagogical experts
Access to materials and resources for lecturers regarding PjBL
Institutional or management recognition of the extra staff time
and resources needed for PjBL

___b__1. The hands-on element of the PjBL approach.

a. role of the tutor b. learning by doing
c. interdiscilinarity d. real world problems

___d__2. It refers to the connection between academia and external social, political,
and environmental realities is argued to engender and sustain student interest and
motivation
a. role of the tutor b. learning by doing
c. interdiscilinarity d. real world problems
___a__3. The teacher’s role changes from a distributor of knowledge to a process
manager, helping students in their learning process by initiating reflection processes
and supporting them, if necessary, on substantive matters.
a. role of the tutor: a guide on the side b. learning by doing
c. interdiscilinarity d. real world problems

___c__4. Projects often either cross disciplines or combined with the natural and
social sciences. Teachers must equip students with the adaptability and holistic
thinking to tackle issues which defy boundaries
a. role of the tutor: a guide on the side b. learning by doing
c. interdiscilinarity d. real world problems

___a__5. Student activity revolves around a complex series of interactions between

team members over time and draws on a range of key transferable skills such as
communication, planning and team working.
a. Collaboration c. learning by doing
b. An end product d. real world problems

___b__6. The production of a quality product is a distinguishing feature of PjBL and

one which drives the project planning, production, and evaluation.
a. Collaboration c. learning by doing
b. An end product d. real world problems

__b___7. Which is not the main of project based approach?

a. professional c. democratic
b. Autocratic d. humanitarian

__d___8. Among are the potential solution to the challenges of groupwork in project
based learning EXCEPT _______.
A . Provision of staff training in group work and facilitation
B. Providing time and support for the groups to gel and feel comfortable together
C. Allocating fixed or rotating group roles to individuals (possibly based on members’
behavioural strengths or skill sets).
D. Guidelines and rules on the expectations regarding individual contribution to group
work and how this will be assessed are not observed

___c__9. Among are the potential solution to the challenges of scaffolding and
student support in project based learning EXCEPT _______.
A. Providing a thorough briefing for students about the aims, methods and content of
the project
B. Appropriate levels of scaffolding, often providing greater lecturer input in the early
stages and reducing as the project continues.
C. Choice of projects which interest students and have real world significance
D. Use of past student experiences to help brief new students.

___a__10. Which is the potential solution to the challenge in planning and preparation
in project based approach?
A. Choosing projects which can be scaled up or down depending on student numbers
B. Clear guidelines and rules on the expectations regarding individual contribution to
group work and how this will be assessed
C. The inclusion of time and space for students to reflect on their learning throughout
the project
D. The choice of staff who understand and have experience in project based approach
or transdisciplinary work

DIRECTION: Answer the following question.

1. How can project based-learning be effective in teaching secondary social studies?

 For me, project-based learning is very effective in teaching secondary social

studies because, as we all know, most students always say "so boring" when they
hear the subject social studies. That’s why the integration of project-based
learning in teaching secondary social studies is very effective because it helps to
create an engaging student-centered learning experience that allows students to
go beyond just facts and deeply explore real-world issues with a focus on creating
solutions. And to put simply, project based learning is essential in social
studies because it helps to ensure student success and ability to compete in
today’s society.