In the November 2008 issue of The Creative Educator magazine, there is the first of a two-part article on project- based learning by Gary Stager and illustrated by Peter Reynolds.
What Makes a Good Project? covers eight elements of projects that make them worth doing:
- Purpose and relevance
- Sufficient time
- Complexity
- Intensity
- Connected to others
- Access to materials
- Shareable
- Novelty
Stager concludes with questions teachers can ask themselves to improve the design of project-based learning experiences for students.
Project-based learning does take extra work to design and implement, but the results are worth it for everyone involved. So if you make the effort, it’s worth doing it right. As Stager says, “Making things is better than being passive, but making good things is even better!”
Sylvia
May 1, 2009 update - Part 2 of this article is now online! Part 2: What Makes a Good Project
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