PROJECT-ORIENTED
LEARNING EXAMINED

NOW THAT WE’VE DONE
POL…
• Think about the
activity you just
did.
• Based on this
activity, what
are some of the
characteristics
of project-
oriented learning?

CHARACTERISTICS OF POL
Characteristic What this means
• Organizing
Issue/Question
Builds on learners’ knowledge or interests
• Real world Meaningful and authentic context for learning
• Learner
Responsibility
Learners must access and manage their own
information, design process for reaching a
solution, adapt their thinking to new
information, manage time (work readiness
skills)
• Assessment Final product is not a test, but project,
performance-based
• Collaborative Learners have to work together to complete a
project

TABLE JIGSAW: 7 X 7
• 7 people at a table—Number off from 1-7
• 10 minutes: Read “Seven Essentials for Project-
Based Learning” (Read the first 3 paragraphs and
YOUR number (for example, #5 reads ”5: Inquiry and
Innovation)
• 5 minutes: Come up with one essential idea for your
section (5 minutes)
• 10 minutes: Go around the table and summarize
your section and share the 1 essential idea

PROJECT-ORIENTED/PROJECT-BASED
LEARNING
Buck Institute of Education (US) Tons of resources on POL