Module+2

Module 2: Teaching Key Competences through Project Based Learning

__Learning objectives:__

**1**. Understand the principles behind Project Based Learning, including inquiry-based and problem-based methods;
 * 2 **. Be familiar with the preliminary checklist, basic steps and strategies recommended to design a Project Based Learning activity;
 * 3 **. Understand how to set-up a collaborative problem-solving task;
 * 4 **. Understand the cognitive and social skills learners need to apply and teachers need to observe during a collaborative problem-solving task;
 * 5 **. Be familiar with a range of Project Based Learning examples developed by teachers and students from different countries, targeting various competences and age levels;
 * 6 **. Be able to design a Project Based Learning Plan to effectively develop one or more of learners’ key competences or transversal skills.

2.3.1 How to Design Project-Based Learning Activities
> **Step 2. Having defined the topic,** in discussion with the class break it down into different tasks. Discuss which technologies to use and how they will be integrated > **Step 3. Plan well, set goals, define outcomes**. Above all be concrete, students need goals to work towards and responsibility of tasks in order to achieve them > **Step 4. Proceed to put pupils into small groups with responsibilities for a particular task.** Encourage pupils to ask personally relevant and socially significant questions regarding the topics chosen. Work to the strengths of each pupil. > **Step 5. Create a tangible artifact** that addresses the issue, answers questions, and makes learning visible and accountable. > **Step 6. Arrive at a conclusion**...take a stand...take action. > **Step 7. Document,** justify, and share conclusion with larger audience. (parents, school etc)
 * inquiry-based learning - problem based learning - to develop students comptencies
 * ** inquiry-based learning ** questioning, investigation, finding a solution, drawing conclusion, making decision, applying new knowledge/skills - used explore deep questions - in inquiry-based classroom all ask questions, non Google-able = questions which can not be easily answered -> develop high order thinking skills
 * ** problem-based learning = ** students are given real life problems to investigate = authentic problem => solutions which can be discussed - problem solving, critical thinking and information processing skills - group work - no right or wrong answer, each solution has its merits and demerits
 * tell me-> I forget; show me -> I remember; involve me -> I understand
 * preliminary checklist for the teacher: what is your project idea? The time frame proposed? Is it manageable? Between you and your class or other teachers in your school/other countries? Working language of the project? What subjects could be integrated into the project? What technical tools, if any, you will use? What are the planning stages in relation to the school year?
 * **Step 1. Involve your students from the very beginning.** Start with a guided exploration of some topics you have in mind as a whole class; but also be prepared to change if better ideas are emerging from the class. It is important to establish certain ground rules regarding behavior with them in advance.

2.3.2 How to Develop Learners’ Collaborative Problem Solving Skills

 * differentiate between group work and collaborative work
 * collaborative problem solving = two or more people, working together with a problem of which they have a common understanding
 * collaboration, critical thinking, communication skills
 * social skills = participation, perspective-taking of another person, social regulation,
 * cognitive skills = problem analysis, recourse management, analyzing the problem space = patterns of relationships, rules and contingencies, generalisation, testing hypotheses
 * individual participant = contribution, everybody must contribute,
 * difference to individual problem solving => communication, observable and evidence-based, = 1. what we do = other people can see, 2. What we say = other people can hear, 3. What we write = other people can read, 4. What we produce = other people can use
 * Teaching collaborative problem solving face-to-face works well. especially if you get students to reflect the process afterwards,
 * assessing collaborative problem solving using technology can be helpful
 * Key questions: What is the problem? What are the resources we can distribute among the students. get students to document the process. when students are finished challenge them: could you do it another way?
 * formative assessment = always to improve students performance, BUT also change the teaching practice. teachers need to be able to recognise evidence produced by students10.40

2.3.3 A Teacher’s Experience of using Project-Based Learning to Teach Mathematics

 * Challenges: timetabling, team teaching organisation, IT resources, training facilitation, meeting time allocation (
 * whole school support, new content (the syllabus was changing) - no books for new content -
 * changing perception of the teacher's role: new topic, new pedagogies, new assessment, new technology
 * 5 effective strategies: 1) Collaboration among the departments (sharing resources. discussion among teachers) 2) intensive school support (professional development, collaborative learning) 3) Supportive leadership 4) Team teaching (learn each others expertise, collaborative sharing resources and skills = support and flexibility of management) 5) Use of IT to support learning (peer learning environment)
 * TOP 4 TIPS: 1) **use project based learning**group learning and investigational tasks - 2) **create an environment where students can make connections across the subjects -** no topic is stand-alone, device your own resources with cross-curricular links (helps to develop problem solving skills, higher order thinking, reasoning) 3) **create rich tasks and ecourage students to use different strategies -** introduce new topics through a problem, allow student to choose to in which format to answer 4) **encourage students to discuss maths and justify their solutions-** collaborative problem solving, relate maths to real life concepts.

2.3.4 Examples of Project-Based Learning from across Europe

 * eTwinning -projects - collaboration between teachers and students - project learning and problem solving, often real life problems as a starting point
 * 1. example = social and civic competence
 * 2. example = developing learning how to learn - digital competence, communication in mother tongue and in foreign language
 * Mini companies programme = students and teachers manage real companies = learning by doing, practical application of basic skills - key factors for success = the volunteer business mentors, teachers have to become learning facilitators and work in teams with business mentors - teachers should have active, learner-centered pedagogies and use real world learning activities - in 21century school teachers should apply enterpreneurial learning to any subject or age group - virtual guide for enterpreunial learning = tools recommended by teachers for teachers