Project-Based Learning
(PBL)
What is PBL?
Project-based learning (PBL) is a student-centered method of teaching & learning that engages educators and students in authentic work through meaningful projects and experiences, grounded in real-world contexts and demands real-world solutions.
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PBL offers students the opportunity to connect standards aligned curricular content across disciplines, acquire broad and deep content knowledge and a myriad of skills or competencies, through real-world problems and challenges, allowing students to engage deeply in their learning experiences and build the capacity to self-direct their learning experiences.
Projects range in scale and type. Students focus on complex, challenging questions related to academic, community or industry problems and collaborate with external partners such as industry professionals and community members as they pursue solutions to these problems.
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(Sources: adapted from Hands & Minds: A Guide to Project-Based Learning for Teachers by Teachers, and Sam Houston State University)
Why PBL?
"PBL blends content mastery, meaningful work, and personal connection to create powerful learning experiences, in terms of both academic achievement and students’ personal growth... PBL can be transformative for students, especially those furthest from educational opportunity. Now more than ever, we need young people who are ready, willing, and able to tackle the challenges of their lives and the world they will inherit - and nothing prepares them better than Project Based Learning." ~ PBLworks.org
