Educators from Malta, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland recently attended an ErasmusPlus-supported course on ‘Introducing Project-Based Learning in the Classroom’ that took place in Tenerife, in the Canary Islands, Spain.

During the course, the participants explored how to reimagine teaching methods by creating projects that engage students while making teaching more efficient. They learned about project-based learning (PBL) through various case-study videos. PBL is a distinct teaching approach with its own rules and methods that promotes immersive learning. Participants learned about the five phases of preparing a PBL project.

PBL is a distinct teaching approach with its own rules and methods that promotes immersive learning

Preparing for PBL: Teachers grasped the importance of equipping students with skills like curiosity, critical thinking, inquiry and collaboration before starting a PBL project. Hence even an event as simple as exposing students to a video related to the project or a visit to a site related to the project, often does the trick to introduce the project at hand.

Starting with learning outcomes: PBL is integrated into the curriculum as a vital part of the learning experience, not as an afterthought.

Creating the driving question: The ‘driving question’ encourages students to explore solutions to challenges and delve into key concepts across subjects. The driving question can spread through different subjects where the learning outcomes overlap.

Understanding assessments: The participants learned about formative and summative assessments, realising that formative assessment is crucial during PBL. Students are ‘assessed as you go’, with time for feedback while they are on the actual tasks rather than via snapshot assessments.

Using ICT tools: New technologies play a significant role in PBL projects and participants were exposed to various ICT tools.

The participants collaborated on crafting their own PBL projects, tailored to their students’ needs. This process ignited lively brainstorming sessions and the result was a sense of achievement and a commitment among the educators to implementing project-based learning in their classrooms.

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