Project Based Learning Online
Project based learning encourages our students to collaborate and work together. Now that they are at home and working by themselves, PBL is a great tool to use in your online classroom as it helps them to stay connected with one another while we are apart. It acts as a means of communication and collaboration during a time that can be lonely and isolated for many.
Setting up PBL online
Grouping
Every project starts with an activity where there is a question, problem or challenge that is posed to your students. Remember, the project can be tweaked for the variety of learning levels within your classgroup. This is where groupings come into play. Strategically planning groups based on ability will allow you to differentiate for your students with ease. Groups of mixed ability students are also beneficial and help students to learn from each other.
Tech Tools
Technology is obviously a key part of PBL online. Before you start any project with your students make sure that you have set out the tools that you would like them to use throughout. Every school has a platform that they work on and are familiar with and that is always a great place to start as they offer a number of collaborative tools. During lesson time breakout rooms are a great way to accommodate group work away from the main class group but still allow students to link in with their teacher for guidance and advice. Outside of this it can be a good time to look at some new tools for students to use throughout the project. Having these laid out and explained will help them to choose technology that will benefit their project and collaboration the most. Find a list of some useful collaborative tools below.
Google Classroom
Microsoft Teams
Padlet
Project Pals
Notability
TodaysMeet
Twilda
Socrative
Wakelet
Loop
Feedback and Reflection
Both giving and receiving feedback during a collaborative process such as PBL is essential to its success. Feedback can come from the teacher and their peers. It’s a great way to check in on the group progress and also allows the students to continually improve their work and working process. Reflective questions are a great tool to promote self reflection also. Encourage your students to ask questions such as: What have I learned so far? Where do I want to take my learning next? And What will my next steps be? Often when they feel that they are stuck or don’t know what to do next, questions such as these will help them to continue their exploration and learning
Commenti