Pitfalls of Project Based Learning

Pitfalls of Project Based LearningProject-based learning can be a good alternative to traditional classroom-based instruction. It has the advantages of less supervision and more hands-on experience with the material. However, it also has some pitfalls as well. Read on to discover what those pitfalls are.The first pitfall of project-based learning is that some instructors (not all) have little experience with using project-based materials. In other words, they may only recently come across them or only have experience in a very limited range of scenarios. For example, if the instructor has learned how to use a PowerPoint presentation to communicate project goals for a group, that person may not be prepared to use one for project-based learning. He or she may worry that the students will do everything on their own, instead of collaborating and following instructions.Another pitfall of project-based learning is that many instructors do not have project-based curriculum. This is importan t because a typical project will involve students acting as experts in a particular field. That requires the students to learn a set of skills beyond their usual classes. Some people think that they can continue using textbook knowledge in order to learn these skills. That is not necessarily the case, because when you're solving a problem, you do not want to be lacking knowledge about the subject matter.The third pitfall of project-based learning is that there is often no set teacher or grading system. For example, you could be trying to teach a group of children to design an essay, but no teacher would be able to tell you whether the project was successful or not. Or you might be trying to teach a group of senior high school students a series of essays. You might be frustrated by the number of different grades given, which can be quite arbitrary. You will want to make sure that the people you hire to have a clear set of expectations.Fourth, many instructors may not be suited to pro ject-based learning. They might feel too busy to devote a lot of time to projects, which means that the projects they do undertake tend to be far more varied than the ones you would find in traditional classrooms. Because of this, project-based learning could become less interesting for them and less enjoyable for students.Fifth, the educational environment is not conducive to the project-based methods used in project-based learning. An atmosphere where problems can be solved is a problem-solving environment. Learning from projects is not just about conceptual knowledge.Sixth, it's difficult to assign a good project. A good lesson in project-based learning will always have some problems, because the students will have discovered how to do something on their own, and the process will continue to be iterative. The key is to create a rubric for tasks that the students will need to complete in order to move on to the next step in the lesson.Finally, in order to make your project-based l earning more effective, it's important to increase the quality of the materials provided. There are so many different types of project-based learning resources, from new kinds of web-based materials to innovative versions of classic texts. Make sure that the materials you select are created by experts in the field, and you will improve the quality of your project.