What Happens in Project-based Learning?

Abstract

There is an accumulating literature over the last decade on collaborative learning in various types of settings, from more focussed learning tasks to open enquiry to problem-based projects. Project-based teamwork was valued as students were required to work together for knowledge sharing, knowledge building and problem-solving, and thus provide them with opportunities to be acculturated as members of a knowledge community. Over the last couple of years, it has also become extremely popular in Hong Kong schools to assign group projects to students. This was often justified on the grounds that project work promotes the information retrieval and self-directed learning abilities of students; collaborative learning is good and students should learn to collaborate with each other. However, as a pedagogical strategy, very little is known about the actual impact of group projects on learning in Hong Kong and whether the assumed advantages and expected learning outcomes do come about. Is group-based projects the panacea for the evils of teacher-centred delivery?

This paper explores the question “what happens in project-based learning?” based on the observations made during the SLITS (Self-directed Learning with Information Technology Scheme) project. The project involved 40 groups of students working on projects of their own choice, each group being facilitated by a teacher. There were several key findings from this study: 1. Participation in such a project may not necessarily lead to deep learning; 2. Learning to collaborate in a group is in itself an important part of the problem-solving process; 3. There are different models of collaboration and only those models which engage the students continuously in interactive decision making during the learning process would lead to collaborative knowledge building; 4. Effective collaboration is in itself crucial for sustaining motivation and interest in the learning process; and 5. Facilitation is required for guiding both the collaborative as well as the enquiry processes. This paper will report on these findings as well as describe the key features of good collaboration and good facilitation identified through the study.