Project-based learning

Project-based learning consists in organising the learning of a subject or topic around a project. The project is based on a real-life situation related to students' future careers and is generally worked on as a group. Projects may be of different types, such as investigating a complex question, solving a real problem or making a product. They are generally long-term (from weeks to months) and interdisciplinary in their approach. Learning is practical and inductive, and the professor introduces concepts as difficulties and needs arise. A specific form is the product development project (PDP), in which teams design and implement the functional prototype of a product whose requirements have been provided by an external agent.

SPACE REQUIREMENTS: 

Large, flexible and versatile classroom, with mobile modular tables or shovel chairs, in which groups of students can work simultaneously, computers can be connected and the teacher can reach all the groups easily, and good sound design to prevent excessive noise. The project can also be worked on in small classes and group tutorials, but this requires more teachers. In the case of PDPs, laboratories in which to work on the prototypes are needed.  

NUMBER OF STUDENTS PER GROUP:

Students work on projects in small groups (5 - 10 students). Work can be done in groups of 20 - 30 students divided into 4 - 5 groups or groups of 5 -1 0 students for each professor. 

OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

The projects must be stimulating for the students, the project development process must be well planned by the professor, space for reflection and feedback must be built into the process and, whenever possible, the projects must transcend the classroom, that is, the final products must be of interest outside the classroom and beyond the subject. 

DURATION:

1 or 2 hours. In the case of PDPs, longer sessions lasting 3 or 4 hours may be useful.

TECHNOLOGICAL FACILITATORS:

Collaborative work tools.