The concept of project-based learning (PBL) has garnered wide support among a number of K-12 education policy advocates and funders. PBL is viewed as an approach that enables students to develop the “21st-century competencies” — cognitive and socioemotional skills — needed for success in college and careers. A recent MDRC working paper, Project-Based Learning: A Literature Review, draws measured conclusions: It finds that the approach holds promise for improving students’ outcomes but that much remains to be learned about its effectiveness and about how its implementation can be strengthened.

What is PBL?

  • PBL is grounded in crosscutting “design principles” related to what is taught, how it is taught, and how students should be evaluated:
  • Learning is motivated by a “driving question” that students explore and answer through a project and continually revisit as they discover new information and concepts.
  • In a PBL curriculum, students learn by working on a series of projects. The curriculum addresses concepts that are central to the subject area and builds “success skills” such as critical thinking, and self-regulation.
  • PBL engages students in in-depth inquiry and in the construction of knowledge.
  • Learning is supported by “scaffolds” — methods and technologies that help learners succeed at difficult tasks independently.

The working paper suggests that the evidence for PBL’s effectiveness in improving students’ outcomes is “promising but not proven.” Evidence for the effectiveness of PBL in improving deeper content knowledge varies by academic discipline.

Teachers must employ new classroom management skills and learn how best to scaffold the collective and individual learning of their students, using technology when appropriate. Above all, perhaps, they must believe that their students are fully capable of learning through this approach.

Read the source article about project-based learning by Janet Quint, Barbara Condliffe at MDRC.