Project-Based Distance Learning

Project-Based Distance Learning for High School Students

We are currently neck deep in a pandemic and I am not seeing light at the end of the tunnel. Schools have been closed down, and many are about to start the '20-'21 school year entirely distance learning. My district is one of those.

How do I motivate students to work effectively, productively, and independently from home? With student directed project-based learning. Students are intrinsically motivated to learn when they find purpose in the process and the outcome, when they are given choices, and when the experience is interest-driven.

Implementing project-based learning from a distance will be different than facilitating the experience in-person, no question. Authentic presentations will likely be digital, final products will be created using standard household/office materials or computer programs, community experts will share their expertise virtually, and teacher/student communication and feedback will be done entirely online.

But if you are heading into a situation of 100% distance learning with your students, project-based learning is an ideal instructional approach to the alternatives. Give students the tools now to successfully work through content in a fun, exciting, interesting, interest-led and independent way while they are distance learning, and when they return to a face-to-face learning environment they will know exactly what to do. 

What Students Need for Project-Based Distance Learning: 

• Computer and internet - Google Suite is ideal. My digital PBL resources are Google Slides that can easily be assigned to students using Google Classroom.
• Class website - In addition to Google Classroom, I recommend setting up a class website. Students can share or view project work on a website, visit the site for updates, get recommendations, and more. 
• Some basic household materials for final products. 
• Experiential Learning Depot resources (optional) - students can do project-based learning without my resources. The benefit of my PBL resources is that they reduce prep on your part and provide all of the guiding templates needed for student-led projects. This is especially helpful for beginner PBL students and educators. If you were to purchase one resource, I would recommend my Project-Based Learning Tool Kit. You could also check out all of my free resources for PBL guidance. 

For access to my free experiential learning resource library, subscribe to ELD's mailing list, open your welcome email, locate the password, and click here to enter your password and gain access to the growing library.

Distance PBL Implementation: 

• Determine Content and Gather Materials: If you have a specific topic or standard that you need to cover, consider the PBL tool kit mentioned above. You can write-in standards or general themes that you would like students to focus on. For example, you can ask students to design projects around the theme of sex-linked traits. You would ask that each student choose a subtopic around that theme, such as hemophilia  or color blindness, and design their projects around that project topic using my digital PBL tool kit or your own PBL planner. 

 

• Off-Site Communication and Assessment: I highly recommend Google, particularly Google Classroom. My digital resources are created using Google slides, which can be assigned on Google Classroom. Students can fill in their own copy of the resources and share their plans and final products with you. They can ask you questions or send an alert that they are ready for project approval. You can answer their questions and provide feedback by typing your response directly into their copy of the digital resource. You can also set up forums for student presentations, questions, and group discussion. Google resources are collaborate by nature, so it works well for distance project-based learning.

 

• PBL Process: 
  • Project Design: Students can design projects around specific parameters that you set, or you can let students design and direct their own projects. Use E.L.D.'s digital PBL resources for time-efficiency and implementation guidance. 
  • Connect with Community Experts: In a typical project-based learning scenario, students would be encouraged to have in-person interviews and meetings with experts in the community. Students working from home can still communicate with experts on their topic from afar. Check out this post on distance learning community expert collaborations for more details. 
  • Final Products: Students demonstrate new skills and knowledge with innovative final products such as blogs, comic books, art pieces, etc. As I said earlier, G-Suite offers a variety of options. Students can make campaign fliers, advertisements, brochures, infographics, and more, using Google Drawings alone. Check out this post on digital final product ideas. 
  • Authentic Presentations: With project-based learning, students share their new skills and knowledge with a relevant, public, audience. In a distance learning situation, students could share written or video-documented information with progressional vlogger or bloggers, participate in online art and writing contests, share work with local businesses to post on their websites, write editorials for online newspapers, and more. See this post for more ideas and details.
  • Reflection and Assessment: Reflection is an important piece of a project-based learning experience. All of my digital PBL resources include a reflection and rubric that students can fill out directly on the resource. Students can also type their reflection answers using Google Documents and share it with you that way. 

Each of the talking points above has been elaborated on in my distance project-based learning blog series. Head back a few posts to get details or click on the links provided here. 
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Good luck to everyone, and stay safe out there!