PBL++History

__**PBL History **__

 PBL relies on learning groups. Student groups determine their projects, in so doing, they engage by encouraging students to take full responsibility for their learning. This is what makes PBL constructivist. Students work together to accomplish specific goals. Proven models organized by PBL educators have received funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to start holistic PBL schools across the United States. 
 * 1590-1765: The beginnings of project work at architectural schools in Europe.
 * 1765-1880: The project as a regular teaching method and its transplantation to America.
 * 1880-1915: Work on projects in manual training and in general public schools.
 * 1915-1965: Redefinition of the project method and its transplantation from America back to Europe.
 * 1965-today: Rediscovery of the project idea and the third wave of its international dissemination

__**RESEARCHERS:**__

Dewey- hands-on learning Barron, B. (1998). Doing with understanding: Lessons from research on problem- and project-based learning Blumenfeld, P.C. et al. (1991). Motivating project-based learning: sustaining the doing, supporting the learning

The roots of PBL lie in this tradition. But the emergence of a method of teaching and learning called Project Based Learning is the result of two important developments over the last 25 years. > Research shows that learners not only respond by feeding back information, but they also actively use what they know to explore, negotiate, interpret, and create. They //construct// solutions, thus shifting the emphasis toward the process of learning. In addition, cognitive research has revealed much more about the nature of problem solving. Education has benefited from this research, as teachers have learned how to effectively scaffold content and activities to amplify and extend the skills and capabilities of students. > In a sense, the need for education to adapt to a changing world is the primary reason that PBL is increasingly popular. PBL is an attempt to create new instructional practices that reflect the environment in which children now live and learn. And, as the world continues to change, so does our definition of PBL. The most important recent shift in education has been the increased emphasis on standards, clear outcomes, and accountability. But this process will continue to evolve. Remember that PBL is a field that you, as a practitioner, will help create by your actions and leadership in the classroom. > > > **__COMPARISONS OF PBL:__** > Similarly, Project Based Learning is sometimes equated with //inquiry-based or experiential learning//. Though PBL shares some overlapping characteristics with these two terms, standards-focused PBL is designed to acknowledge the importance of standards and evaluation of student learning. In an era of accountability, with testing and performance uppermost in the minds of parents and educators, it is imperative that all instructional methods incorporate high standards, rigorous challenges, and valid assessment methods. > Based on evidence gathered over the past ten years, PBL appears to be an equivalent or slightly better model for producing gains in academic achievement, although results vary with the quality of the project and the level of student engagement. Also, __PBL is not appropriate as a method for teaching certain basic skills such as reading or computation__; however, it does provide an environment for the application of those skills. > evidence shows that PBL enhances the quality of learning and leads to higher-level cognitive development through students' engagement with complex, novel problems. It is also clear that PBL teaches students complex processes and procedures such as planning and communicating. Accomplishing these goals, however, requires time for both teachers and students to master the behaviors and strategies necessary for successful PBL. In addition to research, convincing reports have come from teachers that PBL is a rigorous, relevant, and engaging instructional model that supports authentic inquiry and autonomous learning for students.
 * there has been a revolution in learning theory. Research in neuroscience and psychology has extended cognitive and behavioral models of learning–which support traditional direct instruction–to show that knowledge, thinking, doing, and the contexts for learning are inextricably tied. We now know that learning is partly a social activity; it takes place within the context of culture, community, and past experiences. This is apparent in research on problem-based learning in the medical field, an important forerunner of PBL.
 * the world has changed. Nearly all teachers understand how the industrial culture has shaped the organization and methods of schools in the 19th and 20th centuries, and they recognize that schools must now adapt to a new century. It is clear that children need both knowledge //and// skills to succeed. This need is driven not only by workforce demands for high-performance employees who can plan, collaborate, and communicate, but also by the need to help all young people learn civic responsibility and master their new roles as global citizens.
 * PBL outperforms traditional instructio
 * use of problem solving skills of PBL increased tremendously
 * higher attendance in classroom
 * unusually low disciplinary problems
 * promotion of structural changes like block scheduling, partnerships with community, authentic assessment, teaming of teachers, and interdisciplinary project based curriculum