There are many differences between 'doing' projects and taking a project-based learning (PBL) approach. But what are they?
The chart below by Amy Mayer of friEdTechnology is helpful to clarify the important differences between projects and project-based learning – the main difference being the process itself. As you can see, this view of projects vs. project-based learning is slanted in favour of PBL, but it’s interesting nonetheless.
You can also download the table as a printable word document here.
Projects…
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Project-based learning…
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Can be done at home without teacher guidance or team collaboration.
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Requires teacher guidance and team collaboration.
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Can be outlined in detail on one piece of paper by the teacher.
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Includes many ‘Need to Knows’* on the part of the students and teachers.
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Are used year after year and usually focus on product (make a mobile, a poster, a diorama, etc.).
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Is timely, complex, covers many TEKS**, and takes a team of highly trained professionals significant time to plan and implement.
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The teacher work occurs mainly after the project is complete.
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The teacher work occurs mainly before the project starts.
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The students do not have many opportunities to make choices at any point in the project.
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The students make most of the choices during the project within the pre-approved guidelines. The teacher is often surprised and even delighted with the students’ choices.
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Are based upon directions and are done ‘like last year’.
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Is based upon driving questions that encompass every aspect of the learning that will occur and establishes the need to know.
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Are often graded based on teacher perceptions that may or may not be explicitly shared with students, like neatness.
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Is graded based on a clearly defined rubric made or modified specifically for the project.
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Are closed: every project has the same goal.
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Is open: students make choices that determine the outcome and path of the research.
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Cannot be used in the real world to solve real problems.
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Could provide solutions in the real world to real problems even though they may not be implemented.
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Are not particularly relevant to students’ lives.
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Is relevant to students’ lives or future lives.
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Do not resemble work done in the real world.
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Is just like or closely resembles work done in the real world.
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Do not include scenarios and background information or are based on events that have already been resolved.
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The scenario or simulation is real or if it is fictitious, is realistic, entertaining, and timely.
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Are sometimes based around a tool for the sake of the tool rather than of an authentic question. (Make a Prezi.)
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Use technology, tools, and practices of the real world work environment purposefully. Students choose tools according to purposes.
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Happen after the ‘real’ learning has already occurred and are just the ‘dessert’.
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Is how students do the real learning.
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Are turned in.
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Is presented to a public audience encompassing people from outside the classroom.
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Are all the same.
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Is different.
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Example:
Make a model (or diorama or mobile) of the school/town/local site of interest.
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Example:
Design a fortification that would take your community through a bio or other non-traditional attack and make a recommendation to the city council for future planning.
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© Amy Mayer, @friEdTechnology, The Original WOW! Academy www.friEdTechnology.com. Please copy and use freely!
* ‘Need to knows’ – things that will need to be learned or discovered during the process of creating the product.
** Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) – the state standards for what students should know and be able to do. The Texan equivalent of the National Curriculum or Common Core Standards.
