POSSIBLE GENERAL SOLUTIONS
Types of Instruction:
Traditional------> Inquiry------> Project-Based Learning------> Engineering-Based Learning
Types of Instruction:
Traditional------> Inquiry------> Project-Based Learning------> Engineering-Based Learning
Type of Instruction | Definition | Teacher- or Student-Centered? | Pros | Cons |
---|---|---|---|---|
Traditional | Direct Instruction, lecture | Teacher | quick, more efficient delivery of content | low retainment, low student engagement & involvement |
Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL) | Student-centered, discovery-based | Student | students have more ownership of knowledge, more student involvement | (the most) time |
Project-Based Learning (PBL) | Similar to inquiry-based, but utilizing larger projects | Student | ownership, student involvement and engagement | time |
Engineering-Based Learning (EBL) | Similar to PBL, but specifically utilizes the Engineering Design Process | Student | teachers specific problem-solving process, relevant to students’ lives | time |
POSSIBLE EBL IMPLEMENTATION SOLUTIONS
The solutions below differ in both scope of content and time required for implementation. We have attempted to give a general outline of how much content the projects might cover and how long they might last, though this could vary quite a bit from teacher to teacher. The implementation solutions are listed from smallest to largest in general:
Activities - one to a few class periods, may only focus on only certain parts of the EDP
Small projects - could last up to a few weeks, covers multiple topics, but not an entire unit
Unit projects (*) - either (1) a culminating project at the end of a unit, with students applying all (or many) of the concepts learned in the unit or (2) a project that is worked on throughout a unit while content is learned
Course projects (*) - either (1) a culminating project at the end of a course, with students applying all (or many) of the concepts learned during the course, or applying specific skills important to the course or (2) a project that is worked on throughout a course while content and skills are learned
Interdisciplinary projects (*) - any of the previous four solutions (though likely larger projects are more applicable) that have teachers working together across content areas to require students to apply content and/or skills from multiple content areas to solve one problem.
*NOTE:
Unit, Course, and Interdisciplinary projects could be considered “Capstone” projects, usually a term used for the larger-scale culminating projects requiring students to solve a complex and open-ended problem.
The solutions below differ in both scope of content and time required for implementation. We have attempted to give a general outline of how much content the projects might cover and how long they might last, though this could vary quite a bit from teacher to teacher. The implementation solutions are listed from smallest to largest in general:
Activities - one to a few class periods, may only focus on only certain parts of the EDP
Small projects - could last up to a few weeks, covers multiple topics, but not an entire unit
Unit projects (*) - either (1) a culminating project at the end of a unit, with students applying all (or many) of the concepts learned in the unit or (2) a project that is worked on throughout a unit while content is learned
Course projects (*) - either (1) a culminating project at the end of a course, with students applying all (or many) of the concepts learned during the course, or applying specific skills important to the course or (2) a project that is worked on throughout a course while content and skills are learned
Interdisciplinary projects (*) - any of the previous four solutions (though likely larger projects are more applicable) that have teachers working together across content areas to require students to apply content and/or skills from multiple content areas to solve one problem.
*NOTE:
Unit, Course, and Interdisciplinary projects could be considered “Capstone” projects, usually a term used for the larger-scale culminating projects requiring students to solve a complex and open-ended problem.