The Key Element of Project Based Learning

The key elements of Project-Based learning

There is more to project-based learning than just giving students a project to do. Most practitioners agree that in order to satisfy the requirements of being a genuine PBL lesson a number of key elements need to be present.

A challenging problem

The project should be based around a problem or question of some kind that students need to answer or solve.

A Public Product or outcome

The students should produce some form of end product such as a video, play, presentation or document that can be shared publicly

Key skills and knowledge

During the project, students should develop key knowledge and a range of skills.

Sustained inquiry

The project should run over a number of lessons and involve a range of tasks and activities that lead to the final product.

Authenticity

The project should focus on ‘real world’ problems and goals that have genuine relevance to the lives of the students..

Student voice

Students should have some choice in deciding what problem they try to solve and what the final project outcome will be.

Reflection

Students should be encouraged to reflect on their work and think about the obstacles they encountered and how they overcame them

Critique and revision

Students should give and receive peer feedback, both from each other and the teacher, in order to improve what they do and how they do it.

Adapted from: Buck Institute for Education/PBLWorks