Педагогические науки/Современные методы образования

Senior Instructor, Toimbaeva B. M.

Karaganda State Technical University, Kazakhstan

Integrating project based learning

There has been increasing emphasis in recent years on moving away from traditional teaching towards more student-centered learning. Projects are an integral part of student-centered learning process. There are many benefits of project work. Use of projects ‘establishes a direct link between language learning and its application’, as well as allows learners to develop their interactive and communicative abilities, fostering independence, enhancing cooperative learning skills; developing decision-making, critical thinking. Project-based learning is a dynamic approach to teaching in which students explore real-world problems and challenges. With this type of active and engaged learning, students are inspired to obtain a deeper knowledge of the subjects they’re studying.

The article highlights the practice and experience of implementing project work and how projects and related activities can be integrated into English classes. The paper attempts to describe a science project designed for engineering students at Karaganda state technical university. The groups are composed of students of mixed levels of English proficiency and they are introduced to a one-semester course of Technical English. The overall goal of the Foreign Languages Department is to provide students with a foundation in English scientific terminology so they can do presentations on their scientific and laboratory work. Students are focused on communication tasks that can be applied in research work, such as brainstorming ideas, testing theories, demonstrating processes, and giving presentations.

Well-designed projects ask students to:

1. Deal with real problems and issues that have importance to people;

2. Actively engage in their learning and make important choices;

3. Demonstrate learned key concepts and skills

Whether students work individually, in pairs, or in groups, the instructor’s role is to serve as a coach, guiding students to use a variety of resources, employ a strategy that is fun and motivating, and uncover content with depth and breadth. If we examine project-based learning in the most general way, we can break it down into the following three steps:

1. Classroom planning;

2. Carrying out the project;

3. Reviewing and monitoring the project work.

In the classroom planning stage, the learner and instructor negotiate the project theme, language needs, and various ways to reach the outcome. It is in this stage that learners engage in controlled and then, less controlled linguistic practice. The second stage focuses on outside work where learners have autonomy in performing “real” tasks such as taking part in interviews and preparing materials. The final stage involves reflection and obtaining student feedback.

The other project guide, a journal article written by Alan and Stoller (2005) provides a ten-step procedure that can be adapted and applied to project planning:

1. Students and instructor agree on a project.

2. Students and instructor determine the final outcome of the project.

3. Students and instructor structure the project.

4. Instructor prepares students for information gathering.

5. Students gather information.

6. Instructor prepares students for compiling and analyzing data.

7. Students compile and analyze information.

8. Instructor prepares students for the final activity.

9. Students present the final product.

10. Students evaluate the project.

The basic framework for designing the science project for engineering students consists of both in-class and out-of classwork. The in-class activities focus on the learning and production of content material for presentation. The out-of-class work requires students to gather information, divide responsibilities, assign tasks, and organize the presentation. The remainder of the class period is allocated for project planning and weekly briefings. Once the project teams are set up, the group leader is responsible for providing periodic updates on their progress and reporting any change in plans. For their presentations, students explain a particular process, design a review, and give a technical report. For example, students describe how to set up an electronic circuit board or how to light a bulb using wires.

Any project work needs evaluation. Quality project assessment involves both formative and summative feedback. During the project, students reflect on their own progress, receive formative feedback from peers and teachers, and have opportunities to improve their work and address issues raised by reviewers. At the end of the project, summative evaluations of student products and performances are provided by instructors who judge student work in relation to predetermined quality indicators as described on project rubrics.

Project-based learning has earned the endorsement of many practitioners, largely because of its reported positive effects on students’ motivation, language skills, ability to function in groups, content learning, self-confidence, autonomy and willingness to take responsibility for own learning, and decision-making abilities.

References:

1. Andi Stix & Frank Hrbek (2006). Teachers as Classroom Coaches: How to Motivate Students?

2. Carney, N., & Foss, P. (2008). Student-produced video: Two approaches.

English Teaching Forum, 2, 14-19.

3. Gulbahar H. Beckett and Tammy Slater (2005). The Project Framework: a tool for language, content, and skills integration. ELT Journal, vol.59/2, pp. 108-116.

4. Stoller, F.L. Project work: A means to promote language and content. Forum 35/4, 2002

5. Alec Patton. (2012)Work That Matters: Teacher’s guide to project-based learning. High Tech High, California. http://www.educause.edu/library/resources/work-matters-teacher’s-guide-project-based-learning