Module 6 Project Based Learning

Reflection: Module 6 Project Based Learning

This module promises to be an exciting one given the fact that projects are becoming a permanent feature on the curriculum and now form part of the Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment, the examination which replaces the Common Entrance exams. This module could not have come at a more opportune time, as the readings and activities provide greater insight into project writing and opportunities to practice various aspects of project writing.

The readings that I have done to date indicate that there are benefits to be had from adopting a Project Base Learning (P.B.L) approach to teaching. Some of these include among others increased motivation, self direction and collaboration and so on and so forth.

Having said that, I am also cognizant of the fact that P.B.L pose some challenge to teachers, especially to those of us who are new to it. The present curriculum which is teacher centered and the high demand it places on teachers and students must be addressed. Building on the issue just raised, is the time factor. Projects take up a lot of time and the demands of the present curriculum makes adopting P.B.L a bit of challenge but it can be done.

My advice would be for us to start small until we have gotten a hang of it (P.B.L) with at least one project per year throughout the school. In our planning, careful attention must be paid to each phase of P.B.L. In the first or planning phase, attention is paid to goal setting, developing curriculum framing questions, planning of assessment and designing of activities. The second or investigative phase sees children working through the activities and producing representations of their findings. And in the third and final stage pupils will be in involved in culminating activities such as presentations and debriefings.  In all of this we must be mindful of the content we wish to cover, the processes involved and the final product we want our children to produce.