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Project based learning

Could somebody explain to me how project based learning works? I would like to know if you have any good examples of projects that worked well with young learners.

This question is from Munawar Sultana, Pakistan

Comments

joe's picture

joe
Submitted on 18 March, 2008 - 06:11
Cheryl, Wales
We use project based learning to explore issues and topics through on-line collaborative learning circles. These learning circles usually include 5-8 groups of learners from different schools within a country, across a country or across different countries around the world. After an introductory period each group 'hosts' a question for the other groups to investigate. After every group has hosted a question, the groups prepare a report/song/poem/play etc to summarise what they have learned. Take a look at the results of some projects on 'water water everywhere?' and find out more about learning circles at www.iearn.org
Have fun
Cheryl Morgan
 

Mohamed Hassan, Egypt
One of the simple projects that I suggested for my students in prep schools is designing a family tree, which has a lot of potential to be expanded. Also writing their autobiography is a nice project to get young learners to do.

Silvana, Brazil
I developed several project-activities with children. One of those was creating a book with the alphabet involving all the animals, from A to Z. We made copies for all our students to keep, which made it very popular.

Rashid Nawabdin, Pakistan
For project work, I asked my students to design a newsletter of their class in which they worked in groups of 4 to 5. First, they were given topics e.g. writing poetry, book reviews, writing stories and essays, an eye witness account, different school activities or functions held at the school and the like. They were expected to write on whatever topic they liked and later on after they finished their writings, the group leader was to collect their texts and either type them or get them typed and edit them or get them edited by one of his group members and combine them in a form of a booklet. They also prepared the title page and the blurb of their newsletter. I did not select the group, rather, I asked them to form groups on their own, therefore a keen interest was observed in their work.

The following references will be useful for project works:
Diana Fried Booth; Project Work, 1986, Oxford University Press
Wicks. M; Imaginative Projects, 2000, Cambridge University Press

Mohamed Falah, Morocco
Project based learning is one way of giving students the chance to develop their learning outside the classroom too. They should feel they are responsible for this process and contribute to it. One example of project learning, after covering food, is to ask students to choose their favourite food , write a recipe, the ingredients and the way it is prepared. This, of course can be illustrated with pictures. The objective, for me, is to encourage students to relate what is learnt in class with real life.

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