In this age of rapid technological change and innovations, it has become imperative that we re-consider the way we plan, design and deliver learning to 21st century learners. According to Kokotsaki, D. and Menzies, V. and Wiggins, A. (2016) 'Project-based learning is, “an active student-centred form of instruction which is characterized by students’ autonomy, constructive investigations, goal-setting, collaboration, communication and reflection within real-world practices.” Margaret Holms (2011) describes project based learning as “student-centered instruction that occurs over an extended time period, during which students select, plan, investigate and produce a product, presentation or performance that answers a real-world question or responds to an authentic challenge.”

The key elements of project based learning are that it is:

Interdisciplinary
Student centred
It integrates the 4 C’s i.e. collaboration, critical thinking skills, communication and creativity.
It is linked to real life problem solving and
Promotes 21st century skills in students
It develops reflective and critical thinking skills

As we move towards the 21st century, our students enter into an ever changing world of scientific innovations, global connectivity, rapid developments and unlimited sources of information. 21st century has been described as the ‘new machine age’. In our age more information and development has taken place than it had in 5000 years of human history. Keeping this in mind, it is not enough to just impart knowledge but to prepare students for the ever changing and an unpredictable future. For this we need them to develop 21st century skills such as problem solving, collaboration, critical and reflective thinking and most importantly creativity, so that they can change, develop and evolve according to the needs of time and be able to meet the challenges they might have to face.

Project based learning may involve a teacher providing opportunities to students to think of a problem linked to real life and relevant to them such as ‘How can we reduce wastage of water, keep our environment clean, promote tourism in our country etc.’ Students work collaboratively and collect information from a variety of sources. They are given the freedom to come up with their own solutions and present them in any form they want to. It can be a movie, a talk, a concept map, a prezi or an MS power point presentation. Later they can be allowed to implement the project and collect evidence of the processes they went through. A criteria and timeline should be shared with them in the beginning so that they progress in a meaningful way and achieve the learning outcomes within the given time. Such projects involve meta-cognitive thinking and a holistic, inter disciplinary approach.

Links:

https://www.bie.org/object/document/project_based_learning_a_review_of_the_literature_on_effectiveness

https://blog.definedstem.com/what-is-project-based-learning/

https://www.edutopia.org/blog/what-heck-project-based-learning-heather-wolpert-gawron