How can We Design Projects Effectively to Promote Student Learning?

Enhanced student performance may be achieved through active learning or self-directed learning. Encouraging students to undertake projects is one method by which teachers can stimulate the process of active learning.

Project-based learning allows students to expand and fine-tune their knowledge and skills as it stimulates them to dive deeper into the contents, develop analytical thinking and learn to collaborate, organize and tackle problems effectively.

Hence, it is crucial that teachers design projects effectively in order to develop and foster self-directed thinking and learning among students.

Steps to design projects effectively

Here are some key steps to keep in mind while designing a project.

• Plan with a purpose

What is the purpose of the project? What should the students learn by engaging in this task? These are few thoughts that a teacher should bear in mind while designing the project. Always consider the end product while planning. A clear vision about the project may help the teacher structure the various steps involved and also in explaining the task to the students.

Choose an idea for your project from books, the internet, blogs or other resources available to you. Decide the standards and outcomes for the assignment. Teach students at least two or three standards and simultaneous outcomes for effective learning of content and skills to occur. Other factors to be considered include the duration of the project and the medium to be used.

• Generate a project question

Formulate a challenging and intriguing question that will motivate your students to excel. As the question is the driving force, create one that facilitates inquiry-based learning, is interesting to the students, cannot be easily solved and requires them to use their skills and various resources. The project question can be more than one and is framed to direct the student’s line of thought and efforts to master the material presented to them.

• Assess the learning

The word “assess” is invariably related to a “paper-pen test”. However, while assessing learning in projects, it is important that teachers evaluate both the process of learning and the end product. The content, mastering of skills and application of knowledge and skills in the task are three factors that are to be assessed.

Assessment of these factors should be an ongoing process rather than just after the completion of the project. Prepare criteria against which the outcome and standards are measured. Demonstrations, oral presentations, discussions, quizzing in class, etc, inform teachers about the quality and quantity of learning.

• Know your project

Know each and every component of the project. Prepare a project map by which you can plan the activities involved, the resources to be collected, and the duration for each activity. Creating such project maps allow a teacher to be prompt, efficient and armed with instructional needs, knowledge of probable difficulties and assistance that might be required.

• Guide the learning process

In this stage, the teacher may make use of their facilitation skills to direct students in the right path, oversee difficulties, solve problems and ensure that learning takes place. This role requires them to manage the project, follow the milestones and achieve the various project goals.

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Discuss Here: What are some strategies that you use to design effective projects?