State content standards dictate what students will learn. Constructivism is a theory about how people learn. In a constructivist classroom, the teacher asks questions and guides students toward possible solutions. The focus is on the student and their construction of knowledge. “Students must be permitted the freedom to think, to question, to reflect, and to interact with ideas, objects and others – in other words, to construct meaning,” according to Martin G. Brooks and Jacqueline Grennon Brooks. Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe state, “If we don’t give students sufficient ongoing opportunities to puzzle over genuine problems, make meaning of their learning, and apply content in various contexts, then long-term retention and effective performance are unlikely…” I also like their idea that, “The textbook should serve as a resource, but not as the syllabus.

I have heard repeatedly in my educational career that I have to get my students to be able to perform at higher levels on Bloom’s taxonomy. Bloom’s taxonomy was developed to describe intellectual behavior that is important in learning. There is a list on the Concept to Classroom website (a 2002 selection for the Eisenhower National Clearinghouse’s Digital Dozen, a list of exemplary Web sites for educators) that lists the benefits of the constructivism. In reviewing the benefits I noticed that many were the higher levels of Bloom’s taxonomy. The benefits included application (apply, demonstrate, illustrate, interpret, use), analysis (compare/contrast, question), and synthesis (drawing inferences). I am not sure if reflection is quite as high as evaluation but it is important in learning.  Research shows that students were more likely to transfer skills learned in PBL. Perhaps the reason is that they are operating at higher levels of Bloom’s taxonomy.

Justifications for using Project-Based Learning:

Greater transfer of learning to new situations

Engaged learners – more time on task means more time devoted to learning

Decrease in absenteeism means more time devoted to learning 

Opportunity to work on higher order thinking skills—critical thinkers

Promotes intrinsic motivation to learn

Students learn collaboration skills – learn how to work together

Increase oral and written communication skills

Learning for understanding, which it true knowledge

Independent workers

Promotes lifelong learning

Research show that it also improves test scores

Related reading used in this blog:

Concept to Classroom

http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/constructivism/index.html

PBL Research Summary:  Studies Validate Project-based Learning – Edutopia

http://www.edutopia.org/project-based-learning-research