Discussion Thread: Project-Based and Problem-Based Learning

After reviewing the content and links for this week, compare and contrast project-based and problem-based learning and what these two approaches look like in the classroom.

Then, consider one or more of the questions below: 

• • How would classroom planning and instruction need to change in order to fully capitalize on the strengths of problem-based learning?
  • What if students could move on to the next skill or concept or dive more deeply into a topic when they were ready, instead of sitting through lessons and taking tests over material that they already know? (iNACOL)
  • What if students spent less time preparing for high-stakes testing and more time on problem-solving, critical thinking, meaningful projects, and collaboration? (iNACOL)
  • How would you encourage students to use technology effectively for collaboration to solve the problems presented by cases and case studies? Provide some specific examples.
  • What are the challenges of promoting new approaches to teaching and learning in an existing curriculum, especially in an online learning environment?
  • What core elements need to be included in the evaluation of the case-based learning approach in order to assess students’ critical thinking?