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How Access to Technology Contributes to Project-Based Learning Outcomes

Learn by doing.

John Dewey, the philosopher and education theorist wrote in the 1930s:

This is roughly what Project-Based Learning, or PBL, is based on. Rather than the teacher as a transmitter of static facts and the students as passive vessels for knowledge, PBL aims to make learning continuous with life outside of school.

In PBL, the process of solving real world problems offers a much more dynamic and useful body of knowledge to students. Rather than learning by memorizing, students learn by doing – they make mistakes and correct them (or deal with the consequences), they share their findings to contribute to a larger body of knowledge, and they acquire actionable problem-solving skills that carry them into life after school.

Here are some common components of Project-Based Learning:

• Students tackle a realistic problem as it would be approached in the real world
• Students work in groups
• Students share their work as they go
• Students bring knowledge of different skills and subjects to the task. For instance, one project might involve subject areas of mathematics, language, and history, and use skills related to public speaking, group communication, graphic design, and research methods.
• Students have more control over how they wish to learn.
• Teachers are seen as facilitators rather than lecturers.

PBL is a common part of most curricula nationwide. It has taken hold from early education to higher education as a model for learning that enables students to see the big picture. And its benefits are well documented in studies that are reviewed here and here.

Integrating Technology Seamlessly

When we talk about how education prepares students for the real world, we should also recognize that the real world is full of technology. Many of the projects we work on and the problems that we solve in the real world – involve computers. So Project-Based Learning is better when it uses the real tools of the world to solve real world problems. From communication to presentation, from research to solution modeling, computers are invaluable tools for so many aspects of PBL.

Here are a few of the ways that access to technology can serve PBL outcomes.

Collaboration

As we’ve learned with social media and email, computers make fantastic tools for collaboration. Chat rooms, instant messenger, Google Docs and Facebook groups allow students to continue to put their heads together, share their findings and track progress over long periods of time and when they are not in the same space. With more dedicated apps like Asana, Podio, Basecamp (free for teachers!), students can make to-do lists, schedule deadlines and delegate assignments, they can upload and exchange documents, instant message and ping each other when tasks are crossed off, and can notify teachers as they progress through a project.

Presentation

Sometimes PBL tasks might involve bringing in experts or sharing student work with the outside world. In these cases, communication and presentation apps help to bring the world into the classroom and the classroom into the world.

One teacher describes a project in which he asked students to help solve the problem: “What can we do to help soldiers returning from war?” In this project, he used Skype to allow students to hear directly from a U.S. soldier about his or her challenges. Skype is just one great tool to connect students to the outside world. Join.me, Glogster & Nearpod offer unique interactive ways of presenting work that engage students both as learners and as creators.

Design

Educator Suzie Boss describes walking into a classroom in which students were working on a project about redesigning a local bank to be more environmentally friendly. They were using SketchUp to make 3-D models of their designs, and Excel spreadsheets to show the energy saved over time. She asked one student how he learned SketchUp and he replied: “Just by using it.” That’s one of the amazing things about PBL. Students aren’t told to learn a program; they learn a program because they’re trying to do something bigger. They’re trying to solve a real world problem and share their solution. Students engage and learn these programs out of their own interest and drive.

The Importance of Technology Access For PBL

All of these tools require that students have access to computers and other devices. Without a supply of computers, PBL projects look less and less like the real world and more like a complicated lesson. When schools execute 1-to-1 initiatives and bring more computers into the classroom, the possibilities for PBL engagement skyrocket. As they solve problems, collaborate and share their work, students also become good digital citizens and prepare for life after school, when real world problems won’t be simulated.

By: Compugen Education | Category: Education and Technology