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Project Based Learning ideas 6.74

As a teacher, my view of the learning process is further moving away from teacher centred. Of course this does not mean I have been 100% teacher centred; on the contrary I had in me the feeling that my teaching was actually learner centred until I met with Project Based Learning (PBL) which is as learner centred as it can be. Comparing this method with those I have been using, made me fall short of the paradigm I thought I had. The methodology of PBL, using webquest in this case, draws the learner from a classroom environment and plants her/him into real situations; enabling her/him to engage with real life scenarios that prompt a learner to apply and stretch abilities s/he and go on to appreciate what classroom learning has done to prepare them for the "outside world". 

In engaging learners in these real life situations, they are placed in appropriate groups that go on to allow them create and build their own knowledge in new and engaging ways - making the learner more motivated to engage in learning and to actually learn; since the learner is proud (for lack of words) of the contribution s/he is making to the world knowledge pool. 


When students complete their education and head to the workplace, they will be expected to work with their colleagues, tackle problems, and organize and present their ideas. They must also be able to manage projects and complete them on time. Students can learn these skills early on in a PBL session, where lectures and one-off individual assignments take a back seat to collaboration and real-time problem solving.

Perhaps one of the most notable benefits of PBL is its trans-formative effect on a student's thought processes. Brain research underscores the value of "meaningful problem-solving activities" as a means of developing natural inquiry, higher-level thinking and creativity. These attributes can be applied generically across board in a number of other disciplines the child is engaged in.
Beginning to use PBL can be challenging because it's hard to teach in a way we were never taught. Fortunately, as enthusiasm for PBL grows, so does the number of resources available to teachers who want to put these principles to work in the classroom. I have therefore learnt to conjure inspiration and skill about PBL by searching the internet and looking at projects that are recommended as successful. By looking at this and reading more about the method, one can become an expert in the use of PBL. Needless to mention is the inspiration from senior tutors!

Comments

  1. UMARJuly 21, 2016 at 8:43 PM

    "Pretending" does really inspire learners to be what they aspire to be. Like the saying goes: "Aspire to inspire before you expire."

    ReplyDelete
  2. MunduMustafaJuly 23, 2016 at 6:55 AM

    True there! there is a total shift of paradigm from 1. teacher centered to learner centered 2. learning objectives to learning outcomes 3. from inputs to outputs, the list is endless. i agree with you Ayo, the project work supports this kind of shifts.

    ReplyDelete

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