Can Project-Based Learning be used to successfully teach Physics?

Incorporation of 21st Century Skills

What is Project-Based Learning

This could be your students –

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgA1wZhW5TE&feature=email

Or, they can be mine –

http://www.flickr.com/photos/36110178@N05/sets/72157617246676319/

What is Project- Based Learning?

Project -Based Learning is an instructional approach built upon authentic learning activities that engage student interest and motivation. These activities are designed to answer a question or solve a

problem and generally reflect the types of learning and work people do in the everyday world outside the classroom.

Project -Based Learning is synonymous with learning in depth. A well-designed project provokes students to encounter (and

struggle with) the central concepts and principles of a discipline.

What is Project- Based Learning?

Project -Based Learning teaches students 21st century skills as well as content.

These skills include communication and presentation skills, organization and time management skills, research and inquiry skills, self-assessment and reflection skills, and group participation and leadership skills.

“ Anytime you ask students to collaborate and create, you are touching on 21st century

skills”.

What is Project- Based Learning?

Project -Based Learning is generally done by groups of students working together, collaboratively, toward a common goal. Performance is assessed on an individual basis, and takes into

account the quality of the product produced, the depth of content understanding demonstrated, and the contributions made to the ongoing process of project realization.

Finally, Project -Based Learning allows students to reflect upon their own ideas and opinions, exercise voice and choice, and make decisions that affect project outcomes and the learning process in general.

How does PBL incorporate 21st century skills?

Creativity and Innovation Creative thinking

Communication and Collaboration Supports learning of others

Research and Information Fluency Apply digital tools

Digital Citizenship Understanding human interests

Technology Operations and Concepts Understanding -

▪ Technology concepts

Traditional Approach to Teaching Physics

Teacher – Directed Teaching by Telling Format: Lecture Organization: Each unit addressed in the same way. Alternative Instruction: Problem – Solving Hands-on: “Cookbook” Labs

▪ Step-by-step procedures given in detail.▪ No room for inquiry.

“Critical thinking is not in the picture!”

“Teaching by Telling” is Ineffective

Presentation of facts and skills, with the assumption that students will see the underlying structure in the content. They systematically miss the point of what we tell them. They do not have the same “schema” associated with key

ideas/words that we have.

Students passively listen while Teacher works. Watching the teacher solve problems does not improve student

problem-solving skills.

TRADITIONAL ASSIGNMENT

RESEARCH PAPERRequired Elements:

Select a topic to study Go to library and do

research Write ten pages Use proper essay form Include a bibliography

PBL ASSIGNMENTPhysics PROJECTRequired Elements:

Understand the history behind catapults. Understand the application of projectile motion. Write a proposal discussing projectile motion. Design and test a catapult or trebuchet, Keep research log, including citations Keep an engineering log. Build a catapult. Develop lesson plans and materials for class . Present to real audience

TRANSFORMING PRACTICE

Traditional Assignment

Student works alone Context is school Assessment by teacher

only

PBL Assignment

Student works in teams Context can be school,

family and community

Assessment by real audience and teacher

12

What works with Students?

• Interactive engagement.• Student discourse & articulation.• Cognitive scaffolding.• Multiple representational tools.• Consensus-based model building.• Explicit hierarchal organization of ideas.

and concepts into models.

Beginning PBLAlign Products with Outcomes

Unpack the content standards and objectives Series of specific statements of what needs to be

learned. Define the “habits of mind” or learning skills and

technology tools by specific statements or indicators. Identifying culminating products for the project. Using multiple products and providing feedback to

students Using artifacts – evidence of the process of student

thinking – to assess learning skills or habits of mind.

Establish Performance Criteria

How well do the students know the content?

What is their skill level?

How well did they apply their knowledge and skills as they prepared their product?

Artifacts

Notes Journal entries E-mail/Telephone records Records of conversations, decisions,

revisions Interviews using a structured set of

questions developed by the students Short reflective paragraphs

describing the progress of a project.

Task chart Project Team Contract Meeting notes

Culminating Products

Research papers Report to school staff or authentic

audience Multimedia shows Presentations at school-wide

assemblies Exhibitions in the school or

community Websites Public service announcements

Examples of multiple products

Proposals Outlines Plans Blueprints Drafts Edited drafts

revised drafts models

Product critiques Videos Final versions of

papers Field guides Biographies Websites

Advantages to using exhibitions

Participant involvement in establishment of criteria

Demonstration of progress toward different goals or criteria

Teamwork that provides emotional support and feedback

Exercises in meta-cognitive training

Students as knowledgeable practitioners

Multiple assessors

ASSESSMENT PRACTICES

Exhibitions of work Variety of

assessment tools Professional

standards of performance

Student involvement in creating criteria for project (rubric)

WHY ASSESS?

What role does assessment play in project-based

teaching and learning?

PURPOSES OF ASSESSMENT

Help students become aware of areas of need

Formative -- help students along the way, ongoing

Proof of learning, growth

Feedback helps create better product/project

Opportunity to test depth of understanding

Helps to define lesson design and performance

Helps teachers determine what to reteach

Allows for natural adult connections

Helps to share the workload

Checkpoint for integration

DESIGN FOR ASSESSMENT

CONTENTPLANINSTRUCTION

ASSESSINSTRUCTIONPLANASSESSMENT

OUTCOMEPLANASSESSMENT

ASSESSPLANINSTRUCTION

INSTRUCTION

Traditional Approach:

Outcome-Based Approach:

The Rigor/Relevance Framework

AAcquisition

BApplication

CAssimilation

DAdaptation

KNOWLEDGE

TAXONOMY

6

5

4

3

2

1

Evaluation

Synthesis

Analysis

Application

UnderstandingAwareness

APPLICATION MODEL

1 2 3 4 5Knowledge Apply in

discipline

Apply acrossdisciplines

Apply toreal worldpredictable situations

Apply to real-worldunpredictable situations

What does the research say about project-based learning?  Research reports say that students engaged in project-based

learning improve their test scores, reduce school absences, and have fewer disciplinary problems.  

A 1997 study of two schools in the U.K., by Jo Boaler from Stanford University, showed that one school that used project-based learning and one that used traditional, direct instruction, had large differences in understanding math and in the test results in mathematics. 

The project-based learning students did much better on math problems requiring analysis and those requiring memorization of a rule or formula. Three times as many students at the project-based learning school received the top grade. 

What does the research say about project-based learning?  A 1992 study of students in Tennessee, USA found

that students using project-based learning performed better in several academic areas.

  The study was done by a Technology Group from

Vanderbilt University and studied skills in basic math, word problems, planning, attitudes toward math, and teacher feedback. 

Educational Psychologist, 27 (3): 291-315. 

Wikispace and Blogging What I learned (e.bernat)

What I have learned from this Rube Goldberg experience is that a task that at first is seemingly impossible can be achieved through teamwork, organization, and the great group of students we have in our period eight class.Posted Apr 6, 2009 6:33 pm –

energy, transformations, simple machines (e.venino)The Rube Goldberg encompasses all of my previous knowledge of energy types, energy transformations, and simple machines. Our project demonstrates all of these things in a real life project that can be viewed in action! It's quite amazing to see the energy transformations occurring, resulting from different steps in the design.Posted Apr 7, 2009 10:05 am

http://physicssec01.wikispaces.com/

PBL and Rube Goldberg