May 21, 2012
The following blog post was written by Eye On Education's Senior Editor, Lauren Davis.
 The Common Core State Standards place an emphasis on process, not just content. We can’t merely teach students a bunch of facts; we have to show them how to learn. If we simply fill students’ heads with information, they may forget it days later. But if we teach students how to research, discover, question, and obtain new information on their own, then they will be more able to think critically on their own and achieve success in the real world, beyond school doors. Three popular ways to teach students to discover knowledge are through project-based learning, problem-based learning, and inquiry-based learning. These terms are often used interchangeably, although there are some differences among them. Eduscape’s Teacher Tap site has a great explanation of the differences. Here is a brief overview:
- Project-Based Learning is when students create a written, oral, visual, or multimedia project, often one that solves a need in their school or community. The project is usually launched with an essential or guiding question, and it involves an authentic audience. Projects can be interdisciplinary. For more on project-based learning, check out Edutopia’s Project-Based Learning Professional Development Guide, which includes tons of student examples. Don’t miss Heather Wolpert-Gawron’s blog post, “The Power of Project-Based Writing in the Classroom,” to see her creative writing projects. There is also a section on project-based learning in Heather’s book, ‘Tween Crayons and Curfews: Tips for Middle School Teachers.
- Problem-Based Learning is when students choose or are presented with a real-world problem and work on investigating and resolving it. Students have to identify what they already know and what they need to learn, and then they find and apply knowledge to solve the problem. For examples of problem-based learning, see Students Taking Charge: Inside the Learner-Active, Technology-Infused Classroom by Nancy Sulla.
- Inquiry-Based Learning is when students explore a question in-depth and ask further questions to gather knowledge. Some great examples of inquiry-based learning in the classroom can be found on Thirteen’s Edonline site. You can also learn more about inquiry in Teaching Critical Thinking: Using Seminars for 21st Century Literacy, by Terry Roberts and Laura Billings. And stay tuned for Family Science Night by Shelley Connell, out this summer, which features inquiry-based science projects.
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Have you done any of these forms of discovery-based learning in your classroom? If so, please write a comment and share your ideas!
Happy teaching!
Lauren
May 22, 2012 9:07 AM
I have used all three of these in some form in my classroom. I suggest teachers use inquiry-based methods for the day to day classroom lessons, with the focus of completing a project or solving a problem as the culmination of a sequence of lessons.
May 22, 2012 9:27 AM
Hi Amy, That's a great suggestion! Thanks so much for sharing. Best, Lauren Davis, Senior Editor Eye On Education
# Radha Krishna Lamichhane
June 07, 2012 5:29 AM
Project based,problem based and inquiry based learning are the best teaching models which inculcate creative thinking and creativity in students.These are the best models to teach social studies.
June 07, 2012 5:43 AM
Hi Radha, Good point--these teaching models do work well in social studies classes (and in other content area classes, too). Thanks for writing! Lauren Davis, Senior Editor Eye On Education
June 07, 2012 9:04 AM
As an agricultural education teacher, I use problem- and project-based learning on a daily basis. Students have some buy-in when they're involved in the design or creation of a solution or personal project. For instance, we did a small electrical wiring project where students wire a switch and a light. Some of the students were successful, while others couldn't get their light to come on. Instead of me telling them what they did wrong, students had to go back and problem solve to get their light to come on. Another example is the supervised agricultural experience (SAE) ag. ed. students are expected to complete. This project can be anything agricultural, but one particularly popular project is to raise a livestock animal (i.e., Calf, sheep, goat, hog, chickens, etc.). Students are part of the process to determine housing, nutrition, health, and exercise for that animal. This type of project-based learning allows the student to get first hand experience with raising livestock and allows students to make connections with STEM concepts they have learned in their core subject classrooms.
June 07, 2012 1:16 PM
Hi Kate, Thanks for telling us about those agricultural assignments! They are such great examples of how project- and problem-based learning can help students problem solve, think independently, and make connections to other knowledge. Lauren Davis, Senior Editor Eye On Education
July 26, 2012 4:32 AM
Hello Lauren, thank you for this insightful article and for the additional resources. I have encountered these learning techniques before but I shall definitely look more into it. Astrid
July 26, 2012 10:11 AM
Hi Astrid, Glad you found this post helpful! Best of luck to you and your students. Lauren Davis
September 24, 2012 4:09 PM
Our focus has been inquiry-based learning and teaching but want to investigate PBL. Thanks for sharing!
September 25, 2012 4:45 AM
Hi Louise, We're happy to help! For further resources on PBL, you may want to check Lauren's second post on this topic 6 Easy Steps for Designing Problem-Based Learning Assignments—http://bit.ly/OnDSgv. Good luck!
October 04, 2012 2:59 AM
I certainly respect what you (and others) believe are the differences in the two PBLs, Lauren. Frankly, I don't see what the differences. For example, for the defining paragraphs above, for each instance where "project" or "problem" are used, change to the OTHER word. I think the resulting paragraphs still describe authentic PBL. No question I could be missing something here; PLEASE help me out ... The only thing I see that could be seen as different is the is - maybe - the project from a defining question contrasted with the problem coming from choice - instructor-initiated contrasted with student-initiated. But that's just a choice in level of student responsibility or control AND could be done for either PBL.
October 04, 2012 9:43 AM
Hi John, Thanks for your comment. I understand the confusion. A lot of people use the terms “problem-based” and project-based” interchangeably. Some educators think there’s a difference, in that “project-based learning” means an actual project at the end—maybe a poster, presentation, essay, etc.—whereas “problem-based learning” can be a little more open-ended and doesn’t have to result in a final project; students can explore an issue, gather knowledge, and share/present it in a wider variety of ways (maybe not as a full “project”). It seems like a lot of people use “project-based” for English assignments, and “problem-based” for math and science assignments, although that’s not always the case. Also, some people prefer “problem-based learning” because they say projects could involve regurgitating knowledge (e.g., making a diorama about something the teacher taught you), whereas solving problems implies something more open-ended and rigorous (e.g., discovering content on your own). Hope that helps! Lauren
October 17, 2012 10:06 AM
Here is my take on the PrBL vs. PBL question: Problem-Based activities usually last 2 to 5 days and the students are finding solutions to a set problem. In Project-Based, there is a longer time period and, even if there is a common solution, there are varied ways of presenting the findings as well as different ways to get to the solution. So, the easiest way that I have found to explain this to teachers is the length of time and the manner in which the solution is demonstrated. PrBL works best with secondary math (although I've seen it in all courses including Foreign Language) while PBL works with any subject and at any level.
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