In this post, I would like to address the following question that has been posed:
Is it still PBL without an authentic audience?
Of course we know that having a public audience is one of the essential elements of project based learning according to the Buck Institute for Education. This speaks to the importance of this key element. In my opinion, a project without an authentic audience suffers in other key areas as well. These key areas include the building of 21st century skills and the need to know element of the project that keeps students motivated and interested.
Research by Boaler supports that project based learning helps students to see the application of their learning instead of viewing the material in isolation (as cited in Bell, 2010). I think having an authentic audience that consists of relevant stakeholders helps students to make these connections, stay motivated, and develop crucial life skills. Bell (2010) explains that "students instinctively reach further when they are highly motivated and interested in their inquiry topic. Motivation is sustained through meaningful, real-world problems and projects.Real-world projects deepen learning for students" (p. 42).
In my mind, perhaps the greatest strength of project based learning is its ability to thrust students into real-world problem solving and decision making. Having an authentic audience provides motivation through the project and serves as a constant reminder to students that the work they are doing really matters. It matters to them and to the people who are waiting to hear their findings, test their products, or learn more from them. Removing an authentic audience from PBL cripples this instructional approach and leaves it as a shell of what it is intended to be.
References
Bell, S. (2010). Project Based Learning for the 21st Century: Skills for the Future. Clearing House. 83(2), 39. doi:10.1080/00098650903505415
Boaler, J. (1999). Mathematics for the moment, or the millennium? Education Week. 17(29): 30–34.
No comments:
Post a Comment