Project-Based Learning (PjBL)
Project-based learning (PjBL) involves students working on a project. Depending on the goals of the instructor, the size and scope of the project can vary greatly. Students may complete their project over the course of many weeks, or within a single class period.
The project should engage them in solving a real-world problem or answering a complex question. Typically, PjBL takes students through the following phases or steps:
1) Identifying a problem 2) Proposing a potential solution 3) Designing and developing a prototype 4) Refining the solution based on feedback from experts, instructors, and/or peers.
Advantages of this approach include:
Some challenges of this approach include:
Example 1: As a group, students pick a public health topic they will engage with. They research the problem and identify one element they would like to focus on. As a team, they develop a public health social media campaign to address the problem.
Example 2: As a group, students generate a research question and a hypothesis. Over the course of the year they design an experiment to test the hypothesis, conduct and analyze data, and then present their research findings.
Remember that PjBL is more than a final project. The majority of the learning process is occurring as students research their topic, develop solutions, and present their results.
Use the Google Plug-in below to find articles about educators who have implemented PjBL in your discipline.