“Project Based” Learning in Secondary Science

1. “Project Based” Learning in Secondary Science Trials, tribulations and triumphs! Patrick Wells (pwells@bishops.ntc.nf.ca) Presentation site: http://www.bishops.ntc.nf.ca/science/project2/index.htm

2. The Commitment - The Reasons • The Bishops College Science Department has made a commitment to fit project based learning into our curriculum. • The benefits of this type of learning are very positive for the learners. • We have developed web pages to support both term projects and science fair projects. Students have the right to chose either. • Students must use some technology during the project and write a formal paper.

3. The Science Fair Project Page • Student science projects follow a model posted on web pages developed by all department members. • These pages provide ideas, search tips, email addresses of experts and provides students with ideas for a project. Lets Look.

4. Project Pages - the guide • The sequence of required projects steps closely reflects the style of research used by professional scientists . • We provide the students clear expectations. • The content of each part of the project is clearly outline as are the deadlines. • The support links they need are supplied. • Again, most importantly, we follow a pattern of successful model of project development. The model page

5. Trials and Tribulations • This project style took about 5 years to develop and development continues. • Science Fairs are very labor intensive and require a lot of outside support. • Equipment problems can cause troubles for high end projects. • Students can get in over their heads - this makes more work for everyone.

6. Triumphs! • We have developed partnerships as a result of our quest for support and equipment. • Students struggle and succeed as a result of the efforts of our special science teachers. • All students leave better equipped for the next level of their education. • This project style has been very successful on a national level. Time to brag….

7. The other half: Term Projects • As stated previously students have a choice to do Science Fair or a Term Project. • Students must do a term project for each science course or one science fair project for a several of courses (recruiting….) • Each science teacher has their own type of term project they offer to students. • All the projects I offer involve creating web pages or power point presentations

8. The Challenge • Without question the internet is growing into a huge entity that cannot be ignored (parents and students will not let you!). • How can you tame this huge beast that is full of all humanity; both good and evil? • Answer: create your own beast and make it suit your own curriculum needs.

9. Making the beast is the lesson! • Use the constructivist project based learning strategy to get maximum results for your efforts. • What is this? • Getting students to construct their own understanding of concepts based on their own experiences.

10. The Basic Steps (works for all subjects) • Engage the students by offering a variety of topic possibilities that would interest them. • Model your expectations (through written directions or using previously submitted works) • Set them free to explore with reasonable expectations of results in place. • Now they are the builders - good things happen!

11. Examples • Lets look a few examples of online projects from the Biology Page and then the Science Page

12. Biology Online Project • Main objective - to increase student appreciation of local habitats, plants and animals (within Newfoundland).

13. Keeping this project within the Biology 3201 curriculum • Project subjects: Newfoundland Ecosystems, Invertebrates, Vertebrates and Plants. • These were directly from Units I and II of the course. • We were careful to outline our project objectives and expectations in great detail. • We produced multiple topics which allowed for greater selection flexibility for students.

14. Love that page, hate that page! • Once a topic was selected, the real work could begin using the project page. • The page was a great method of keeping the students on track. • All needed information was posted and easily available, even to students without computer access at home. • Deadlines for the projects were posted after the projects were selected.

15. What did we get? • Some good quality projects. • We were happy that project based learning could be fit into our busy curriculum. • Students developed collaboration skills, increased software proficiency and increased the knowledge and confidence. • Group work - it was nice to see the students learn about human nature along with Biology and Technology.

16. Results!

17. Conclusions • Project based learning using technology has all the positive attributes of this style of learning with the added bonus of opening up the internet to students. • Ownership - The student builders not only construct an understanding of concepts, they own the resource they developed. There is pride in ownership! • Process - The lesson models a process for acquiring and organizing knowledge.

18. Thoughts... • The requirement of the term paper before the creation of the web page was very important. Why? • The knowledge base of the students must be developed before they can create a useful web site. Proof….. • Students who performed poorly on the term paper section often had difficulty producing a quality web page

19. Fixes for the future • Many students did not like the paper, but the teachers feel this skill development will serve them well later in life (post secondary). • Email was submission great, however, we are still converting some Mac created projects to Html. • The project submission for this year is a powerpoint presentation which is converted to Html (option).

20. Micro-projects • This year we started using a number of smaller projects to increase student usage of our web pages. • Why? • Look at our Biology Page.

21. Small scale building • Using existing pages we can now have students take on sites to fix them. • Using small groups students are assigned to pages in a site. • They use online or in school resources to build edit the page. • Take a look..

22. Some other nifty things…. • Field Trips! These things are scary. What can you do to make the lesson more effective? • I have built a web site for a field trip to the intertidal zone. This has been great for outlining trip objectives and safety. • Let look at the trip. Go!

23. Other Biology Site Features • Online notes • Online tracking • Guides for study habits • Useful link pages • Lab support pages • Go and see

24. Classroom ideas • Stamps!

25. Classroom ideas • Portfolios

26. Classroom ideas • Group work

27. Classroom ideas • Student Expression

28. Classroom ideas • Fun stuff

29. Classroom ideas • Be yourself!

30. Brain Storm • Lets get some ideas cooking! • In groups at your tables, lets figure out some technology related student projects. The ideas should be student centered! • Comments…. Please pass make some comments on my presentations. I would love to here any of the ideas you have!

31. Computers: These devices are not the enemy, be patient they are useful!