What is Project-Based Learning & What Are Its Benefits?

Project-based learning (PBL) is a word that has been the mainstay of educational institutions and pedagogical approaches for quite some time now. Also, what is project-based learning is a question that has been perplexing to today’s parents, as they might not always know what to expect from educational institutions that utilise this method for their child’s teaching-learning process. Nevertheless, the benefits of project-based learning are many, and every student stands to gain from this educational method that has been used widely by top schools across the globe.

What is Project-Based Learning?

Project-based learning is an educational approach that prepares students for real-life challenges well in advance. It is an educational approach that links the learning of students with the external world. Moreover, it is an educational approach that integrates technology and real-life applications into the curriculum and makes it more relevant to the needs of students in this dynamic 21-st century world that awaits them after school.

Project-based learning is indeed so much more. You might be wondering, what is project-based learning when seen in the context of classrooms.

In the context of a classroom, there are some project-based learning ideas that would give parents a fair idea about how this kind of learning takes place.

✔ To begin with, students are encouraged to work on a project that relates to real-life complexities

✔ They might be asked to find new solutions to the crisis of global warming or climate change in a group setting.

✔ The deadline for the project may be within a week, two weeks, or the entire semester.

What Are the Benefits of Project-Based Learning? 

There are quite a few advantages and disadvantages of project-based learning. Talking about the advantages/benefits, they are as follows:

✔ When students are engaged in a short-term/long-term project, they assume a sense of responsibility/autonomy for their own learning

✔ Students get an opportunity to exhibit their creativity and learning for the world to see

✔ While working in a group, students gain a chance to improve their teamwork, collaboration, communication, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills, which are extremely crucial to develop in today’s world.

✔ Project-based learning gives students an opportunity to get continuous feedback from teachers and peers/teammates and make relevant revisions—during the process rather than at the end.

✔ Students engage better with their curriculum and learning process, and they get to make connections between different disciplines to make an amazing project.

Interdisciplinary and interpersonal learning is thus primarily the focus of project-based learning ideas so as to assess the real knowledge and skills of students.

However, there are both advantages and disadvantages of project-based learning, and one of the main disadvantages is that projects can be time-consuming due to their very nature. Also, students might lose motivation over time.

The role of parents and teachers is hence immense in guiding the students such that they do not lose direction along with motivation.

Conclusion

Like everything in the world, what is project-based learning if there are no pros and cons attached to it? Nonetheless, the advantages of project-based learning far outweigh its disadvantages, and given the right guidance, students can make it big in life and career through this educational approach in contemporary times.    

(Also, Read: What is Peer Pressure & How is It Affecting Your Teenager?)