Abstract
Abstract This article reports the lessons learned using a project-based learning (PBL) approach for teaching the project-based learning methodology itself. This study was conducted with 33 graduate students from the Faculty of Education of the University of São Paulo, Brazil. This paper explains the course goals, design, and curriculum. Data were collected by means of focus group activities, electronic surveys, and students’ project websites, and analyzed to determine recurrent themes. The main findings were the following: (1) The course design, which followed the seven essential project design elements proposed by Larmer, Mergendoller, and Boss (2015), was very effective; (2) Centering learning around a meaningful project – the creation of a book about PBL experience – motivated students to do their best. However, the hard work came at a price: students reported experiencing fatigue and stress; and (3) The learning dynamics provided students with the experience of combining theory and practice, interviewing subjects, reflecting about the learning process, and sharing knowledge.
Highlights
This article presents the findings of a course using the Project-Based Learning (PBL) approach to teach PBL concepts to graduate students
The course was designed to follow the seven essential project design elements proposed by Larmer et al (2015), namely: the course should present (1) a challenging problem; the product created should be (2) authentic and (3) public; the course should stimulate (4) sustained inquiry, (5) reflection, and (6) critique and revision processes; and the students should have (7) voice and choice
Two recurrent themes emerged from the focus group activities: RT7: Answering the electronic surveys and updating the website fostered reflection about the learning processes
Summary
This article presents the findings of a course using the Project-Based Learning (PBL) approach to teach PBL concepts to graduate students. Named “Project-based learning,” the course was taught by the author himself to 33 students from the Faculty of Education of the University of São Paulo and lasted twelve weeks (from March to July 2018), with one threehour class per week. The course aimed to teach the concepts of PBL through the development of a practical project: creating a book about the experiences of using Project-Based Learning in secondary schools and universities in Brazil. Working in teams of four (on average), the students developed nine projects in total, each resulting in the creation of a fifteen-page book chapter describing the experience of implementing PBL (courses and/or projects) in a different educational institution (Appendix 1)
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