Project-Based Learning in Freshman Reading and Vocabulary by Joseph Cassim

Introduction

GENERAL DESCRIPTION The aim of this handout is to explain what is Project-Based Learning (PBL). Hopefully, if you attend the demonstration, you can also observe how we are trying to implement this kind of learning in our classroom. The benefit of learning PBL is that it helps you to understand how to prepare your learners to think critically, collaborate, and communicate as you prepare them for success in their course and for work and life.

OBJECTIVES Hopefully, at the end we can achieve the following objectives: A.Understand what PBL is B.Understand how PBL is practically implemented C.Understand the advantages and disadvantages of implementing PBL D.Know some resources for further assistance on PBL

OUTLINE In order to achieve our objectives, the following topics have been prepared: A.PBL and its 8 essential elements B.PBL in the Freshman Reading and Vocabulary course C.Observations on implementing PBL D.Further resources on PBL

A. PBL and its 8 Essential Elements

1. Project-Based Learning Unlike the traditional classroom setting, where students set in class, memorized as much as they could, and tried to pass a test, PBL tries to get students to focus on work that really matters. PBL gets students to engage in a collaborative study over a short or extended period of time and to demonstrate their results. In this way, PBL tries to create a match between what students learn and what they need to do in the future. To appreciate PBL, we need to know what students will do in the future. Let’s take a look.

The following situation was encountered by Claire at work: Claire’s company, Super Suds, asked her to come up with an idea on the most earth-friendly way of producing soap.

Claire had to solve the problem by organizing and managing a team to explore the options and summarize the issues.

Claire’s team asked for feedback

Eventually, they presented their findings to the boss. The boss’s approval made Claire and her team feel chaffed, and they learned so much about the environment.

Claire’s approach involved the following critical skills that are not taught in the traditional classroom: problem solving, collaboration, and communication. PBL tries to replicate Claire’s experience at work in school for students. Using PBL, teacher’s try to put students on a path that deepens their knowledge of the subject matter AND helps them build the critical skills mentioned above.

2. The 8 Essential Elements of PBL PBL is sometimes confused with having students perform an activity or make something, but to really be PBL, a project must have 8 essential elements. These are depicted in the diagram on the next slide and explained thereafter.

8 essential elements of PBL

The 8 essential elements explained 1. Significant Content: A project should be focused on teaching students significant concepts that need to learned in the course. The concepts learned should be significant to the students and also in terms of what is expected on important qualifying tests st Century Skills: In the process of learning the subject matter, students should be applying 21 st century skills. 3 of those skills are problem solving, collaboration skills, and communication skills. These are skills that all young people need for success in school, their life and in the workplace.

3. Driving Question: This is a question that organizes the whole project. It frames the project as sort of answering a question. The question should be open-ended, should be understandable to students, and should be linked to what you want students to learn in the course. 4. Need to know: The project should create in students the need to know. If students are exploring an interesting question, it creates in them the motivation to learn. Need to know usually starts with an event around us that highlights issues that are important now and in the coming future and this event is somehow linked to the course students are currently studying.

5. In Depth Inquiry: Involves asking questions, finding resources, developing arguments to support the points you make, and making more questions along the way. 6. Voice and Choice: Students should be able to express their voice and make some choices. They should be able to choose their process of learning and how to present their final outcomes. Students with less experience on PBL and lower motivation may not get as much voice and choice.

7. Revision and Reflection: There should be frequent opportunities for students to get feedback from their peers, teacher, and other academics or experts if they are involved. The culture of critique should be developed in every PBL classroom. 8. Public Audience: Students must present the results of their work to an audience. They need to ask themselves who are we speaking to, what’s best for the audience, what questions will we be asked, and so forth.

So, if you’re using the PBL approach, ask yourself if your project: □ Focuses on significant content related to the course □ Develops 21 st century skills (problem solving, collaboration, and communication) □ Is organized around a driving question □ Engages students in In Depth Inquiry □ Established a need to know □ Encourages voice and choice □ Incorporates revision and reflection □ Includes a public audience

B. PBL in the Freshman Reading and Vocabulary Course

BACKGROUND OF STUDENTS The students in this class are from the College of Management. They come from the departments of Accounting, Business Administration, Industrial Engineering and Management, and Information Management. They took my class in the first semester, so this is Freshman Reading and Vocabulary 2. In their first semester, they did the TOEIC pre-test, and their average score was around 450. A detailed account of their English ability follows on the next slide.

Reading ability - The students in this class can easily understand straightforward personal and business correspondences and straightforward articles. But they are still in the process of developing their understanding of articles which have a level similar to those that appear in Reader’s Digest and the newspaper. Listening ability – Similar to reading, they can understand simple messages but require help and more time in understanding more complex messages. Speaking ability - They speak very slowly, with simple vocabulary, do not project their voice, and make frequent grammatical errors when communicating. Writing ability – They make frequent errors in grammar, word choice, and tone.

PBL Approach to Learning The flowchart on the next slide shows how PBL is implemented in the Freshman Reading and Vocabulary course. In this class, I teach through a set of mini-projects, with each project lasting 2-3 weeks. Before projects are decided, though, the specific learning goals of the course in the context of the general learning goal of the English curriculum for non-English major students are decided. The general learning goal of the English curriculum of non-English major students seems to be to improve their ability to use English for common work purposes and routine social interactions. This is the same ability being assessed on TOEIC. Hence, the specific learning goals of the course are extracted from the Can-do guide provided by TOEIC. Projects are decided after the specific learning goals, and are implemented after students’ receive some instruction on project- based learning.

SIGNIFICANT CONTENT General Goal: English for common purposes at work and routine social interactions Specific Goals: 1. I can understand standard business communications 2. I can understand complex articles similar to those that appear in Reader’s Digest and the newspaper. 21 ST CENTURY SKILLS Problem-solving skills Collaboration Communication DRIVING QUESTION Focuses on a relevant issue IN DEPTH INQUIRY Class brainstorms what they would like to know about topic and study material to answer their questions need to know is established PUBLIC AUDIENCE Students present their results. Presentation methods are NOT limited to ppts. Students have voice and choice, but teacher makes key decisions because of unfamiliarity of PBL and low motivation of students

C. Observations on implementing PBL

This is the second semester for me to use PBL in my classroom. In my first semester, I brought PBL into my classroom as mini-projects. I only did a few mini projects because the aim was to gradually bring in PBL into the classroom. Nonetheless, I’ve already been seeing some really positive results and also some negative ones. Keep in mind though, any teacher who wants the same results using PBL, must include the 8 essential elements for this to happen. Positive 1.Students take their learning more personal because there is more personal investment into their learning. 2.Students gain a deeper understanding of the topic. 3.Students feel like they are learning to be more independent and responsible and to develop better time management and self-control. 4.Students learn to work with others and to respect their opinions and needs, even when those others are very different from them.

Negative 1.PBL seems to reduce the chances for uniqueness and individuality and working alone. Hence, introverted students can feel left out at times. 2.Assessment can seem very subjective at times. 3.Students don’t prefer doing projects when the mid-term and final exams are approaching. 4.Group work and project work seems to be becoming too much for students since many of their course are doing this. This makes students feel exhausted and sometimes as if they are working in a factory.

Reponses to negative results 1.Build chances for uniqueness and individuality and working alone into the PBL model. 2.Use well-defined rubrics to enhance evaluation ability, and keep using the TOEIC test as a more objective assessment. 3.Do not conduct any project work in weeks Conduct some of the work for the project in class to reduce students’ workload; reduce the complexity of the mini-project, but work toward learning goals; and think of the possibility of having just one big project for the whole semester and even merging projects from various courses.

D. Further Resources on PBL

If you’re interested in using PBL in your classroom, you might find the following resources very useful: 1. Edutopia: 2. Buck Institute for Education: These websites easily link you to videos and classroom guides. You can get a lot of creative ideas from looking at the amazing results other teachers are achieving, either individually or through cooperation with other teachers.