Blended Learning Blog #8 : Project vs. Problem-Based Learning
Blended learning models are a great way to rethink the way classes are given. It’s a great way to develop a robust learning method as well as robust exercises to encourage students in becoming more active learners.
There are different types of in-class exercises, but in this article we will focus only on a couple of them. Keep in mind that there are many other types that exist and more on the way to be designed.
First, let’s explore the group work. With blended learning, students have more time to interacts with each other in class. Therefore, you should give more chance to students to participate in group discussions, collaborative problem-solving activities or group projects. In this way they collaborate and can give each other constructive feedback.
Keep in mind that in order for this to work effectively, students need clear guidelines and sets of norms to scaffold students’ interactions. Collaborative projects are one type of group activity you can definitely implement in blended classrooms. These types of projects can either be problem or project-based.
- Problem-based learning tasks are there to challenge groups of students so that they can explore the problematics together as well as work hand in hand to find a solution. These types of activities are convergent in nature in which students explore a variety of different solutions to problems but end up choosing one.
- Project-based learning activities, on the other hand,have more to do with students applying specific sets of skills in order to complete a project. These activities tend to be more divergent and open-ended.
What are the similarities and differences between both learning activities?