A Primer on Project-based Learning

Understanding Project-based Learning in the Arts

My parents were both artists.?Something I inherited from them led to my rather young declaration, at nine years old, that I was going to be an artist.?Thanks to their genes, I’ve been given a talent for observation, an aptitude for tools, and a mind that is curious.?Also like them, teaching was to be part of my future.?With my parents as role models, and with a goal to make and teach art, art degrees were earned and eventually a pedagogy was developed for the courses I was assigned as a young instructor.?

Like many new teachers, my expertise was based on the work done for my degrees.?Mastery of my discipline was inextricable from the work that was done as an instructor in the classroom.?That classroom space was thought of as a learning center where my skills and knowledge were presented. My students' abilities to demonstrate the skills I imparted to them was the basis for measuring their success.?And last, like many inexperienced instructors, in those early years, I often thought of my students as passive, only there to soak up whatever was offered through my instruction.?

With age, experience, and the benefit of working with other great teachers, I began to realize that the best learning happens as a result of students' direct experiences with their own experimentation in materials and approach, and that creativity explored outside the classroom, especially when it is active and engages the truth as they know it, is durable far beyond the lesson and often even beyond the art that they make. Their experiments and experiences in experiential and project-based learning, and those shared with me by my colleagues over the years, have informed most of this article, and have been a profound influence on my teaching philosophy.

A Project-based History Primer:?

First, why develop a project-based pedagogy???It’s more work and less predictable than conventional models and presents several challenges, not the least of which are logistical hurdles such as costs, materials, schedules, and timing.?But the benefits for the students and the faculty, as well as the community, are immense.?With time and practice, a project-based pedagogy can have a profound impact on the instructor, exposing them to the broad implications and purpose for their work and demonstrating the impact that teaching can have on the individual student and the larger community.?

Before discussing the essential goals, principles and outcomes of a project-based pedagogy, it’s important to understand the history of project-based learning and its precursor, experiential learning.?Both experiential learning and project-based learning are similar in that they use so-called active learning models emphasizing “learning by doing,” an approach that was championed by the ancient Greeks.??These early academics were intent on understanding the world in a way not tied to religious dogma or doctrine; their teaching was focused on a search for truth.?

The truth as a concept, independent of doctrine, was core to the teaching philosophies of Socrates, followed by his student, Plato, followed by his student, Aristotle.??To better understand their relationships to project-based and experiential learning, all three merit a brief individual mention here:

·??Socrates defined learning as the process we use to find truth, and that what we teach is not nearly as important as how we engage students in a love of learning and the pursuit of truth.

·??In turn, Plato asserted that to be considered a learner, he or she is responsible and must have a desire to know and pursue the truth, and the learner is a person who is constantly working to engage others in the pursuit of truth.

·??Last, Aristotle defined education’s purpose in seeking truth as virtuous, and that we should not merely accept prior edicts or doctrine; and that the best model for seeking truth is to learn by doing.

Far from being just a history lesson, these philosophers' positions are important to remember because, as we examine work done a little closer to our present time, their work is still influential.?In 1938, John Dewey linked experience with education in his book called Experience and Education (Free Press; Reprint edition, 1997), which asserted that in order to maintain the motivation of the learner, learning should be inseparable from experience.?He also asserted that it is imperative that we use concrete experiences to define truth, so we ensure that our teaching, and the students’ learning, isn’t based completely on abstract interpretations.

Examining further these notions of abstract interpretation and concrete experience, David Kolb, an education theory expert, came up with what is now known as his Experiential Learning Model (ELM) which was published in 1984 in his book Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and Development (Englewood Cliffs, Prentice Hall, 1984).?Kolb’s model explained how students engage in both concrete experience and abstract conceptualization in a cycle of learning that feels very Socratic.?Kolb’s Experiential Learning Model process is a never-ending cycle and, properly executed, it effectively teaches the student how to build their own learning in a way that can be used for the rest of their lives.?

A Model for Experiential Learning in the Visual Arts:

Because art is a discipline that is inherently experiential due to the close mentoring relationship (some might even say apprentice relationship) enjoyed by the teacher and the student, and because art is a discipline where both abstract ideas and concrete thoughts exist simultaneously in the mind of the artist, I’ve elaborated on each step of Kolb’s ELM with some thoughts on how it specifically works for teaching and learning about art.?

Experiential Learning Model in the Arts (After Kolb)

The diagram demonstrates the entire cycle, and regardless of where the art student enters the cycle, the steps remain the same:

·??The student engages in an abstract process to develop or brainstorm a concept for their work.?For artists, this is what we refer to as ideation. Its intent is to come up with some way of expressing thought in some sort of visual format.

·??Next, the student moves to active experimental activity and testing of their idea with sketches and prototypes and/or material explorations to verify the ability and appropriateness of a given approach and media to support their idea.

·??After enough testing to determine its both method and media’s ability to serve the concept of the work, a more concrete or finished version is completed by the student.?The finished version has enough level of finish to convey the intended idea.

·??Next, the student typically engages others in a system of feedback (or critique) to validate the concept and the thinking behind the expression of the idea.?If done properly, the critique process inspires the next ideation stage and the process begins all over again!

While I’ve adapted Kolb’s ELM model to focus on art, all experiential pedagogies (regardless of discipline) use some variation of idea generation, experimentation, execution and reflection; and only vary in terms of their focus and where they bring their students into the cycle.?For example, within the arts, some curricula bring students into a program with the initial focus on concrete experiences that are heavily reliant on developing technique, which are then refined through a critique process that is designed so that the student eventually learns how to engage in abstract ideation.?Other programs bring the student into the curriculum with a focus on abstract ideation, with the idea that students will eventually build studio skills through concrete experiences as needed to serve their ambitious concepts.?However, the best art programs are those with a balanced approach that ensure students are successful in marrying together abstract and concrete approaches to thinking about and making art.?Their approach is to help the student internalize this process successfully so that they can make art the rest of their lives.

So how is project-based learning different??For all of the experiential model’s affinity with project-based learning, there are some critical differences.?In the arts, experiential learning mostly supports an internalized system designed to find the means for the artist to express his or her ideas and connect them with some sort of studio creation, sometimes completely independent of engaging with others.?This is, in fact, the key difference between experiential learning and project-based learning: the former develops the artist’s thinking and skills for internal use, whereas the latter always serves a purpose that’s external and intentionally moves the artist out of the studio.?

A Model for Project-based Learning in the Visual Arts:

So, while very similar to experiential learning, project-based learning (PBL) is generally thought to be focus on problem-solving that is external and associated with real world situations.?These external challenges or problems provide a unique opportunity for the artist to engage with the community.?Like experiential learning, project-based learning has Socratic roots, using a dialectical, rather than didactic approach to teaching.?But project-based learning is also somewhat different in that it moves the teacher more quickly out of a didactic role and into an intentionally facilitative role and, reminiscent of a Platonic expectation, shifts the responsibility for learning to the student.?

In a project-based learning scenario, students are presented with a problem or a challenge.?The goal of their work is to investigate the nature of the problem and develop research that would support a series of options for a solution.?The student then tests those options through a variety of scenarios with the primary audiences and communities associated with the challenge.?The feedback to the scenarios by the audience serves to develop a final solution to the project.

It’s evident that the key difference between experiential learning and project-based learning is the introduction of the problem or challenge, which serves to provide a critical context for the learning. Otherwise, the two models are remarkably similar in that they involve an iterative approach to building knowledge and competency. To visually demonstrate this idea, I’ve modified the Kolb’s model again, this time adding the idea of a problem being introduced to the learning.?So, while experiential learning has four distinct steps, project-based learning has five as demonstrated below.?Note that the four prior steps are slightly modified to consider the idea of teaming with an external audience:

Project-based Learning Model in the Arts (After Kolb)

The Ideals for Project-based Teaching: what are the key elements?

Again, with idea that project-based learning is externally, rather than internally, focused, if it is to be of value, these ideals should be considered as the project is being developed:

·??It must happen (at least partially) outside the classroom: Ideally, such an art experience cannot be delivered completely in the classroom due to its size, scale, scope or duration - in other words, the project is so large that it can't be done in the classroom, or even completed by any single student or group of students within the confines of a typical academic schedule.

·??It must involve an external audience and feedback:?Ideally, students will have enough time to hear concerns that contextualize the challenge or the problem, to understand its nature sufficiently to develop and test plans that are sensitive to others and the context for the project’s value as a solution.?The feedback and audience engagements should be sufficient for the students to develop empathy and be sensitive to the audience, the solution and the venue.

·??It must involve negotiations and iterations:?Ideally, students should have regular contact, interactions, and input from the external audiences impacted by their proposed solutions.?This becomes the key role of the instructor – the teacher needs to help the students understand that their first solution may not be the best solution.?In fact, with project-based work, the value of the students’ work should be reflected in the input of those who are not artists, just as the values of the community should be reflected in the proposed solutions - in other words, the students need to have opportunities for audience feedback at regular intervals as the project is developed.

·??It must involve teaming and competition:?Ideally, students should have teamed, competitive experiences to help them define issues and frame possible solutions - in other words, teachers need to step back and let students build enough energy and input to invest in the final solution.?Competition is a good fuel to motivate students to come up with solutions that would be more ambitious than they might otherwise be.

Goals for Project-based Teaching: what purpose should such projects serve?

With the ideals above in mind, all project-based learning should also subscribe to a set of clear goals.?Of course, some goals are specific to the nature of the problem or challenge presented, but some are universal.?In fact, it could be argued that projects which do not serve the broader goals identified below may not qualify as true project-based learning experiences:

·??Projects goals should build community (or communities):?A goal of the project should be that it can create an identity for the students, their teams and their schools.?Ideal solutions for project-based work is that it solves a problem or is in response to a challenge that helps to build community.?This idea speaks to a higher purpose for the work to be done so it’s not just a fun activity.

·??Project goals can be outrageous:?Some refer to this as “blue sky” thinking, and the more outrageous ideas may eventually have to be modified due to various constraints, however a goal of the project should be that there is enough time devoted to brainstorming and conversations about how fantastic the project might be – in other words, students need time to dream about how impactful the project might be without the teacher offering discouragement.?Students who are freed from the constraints of reality can often be guided to develop the exciting germ of an idea that can be reasonably executed.

·??Projects goals must be celebrated publicly:?A goal of project-based learning is that it happens in the public eye.?Progress steps and completion of the project should attract the attention of the community and give the students opportunities to talk about why they created the work the way they did; and as well provide the audience the opportunity to talk about how they were involved in the project and how they appreciate its outcome.

·??Project goals should include evidence:?A goal of the project should be, that by the time the project is complete, that each student can see, and it should be documented, where the individual student contributions exist in the larger work – in other words, the student needs to have some sense of their contribution and be able to talk about it.

The Outcomes and Student Learning: what do students gain they can’t learn in the classroom?

By participating in these kinds of learning opportunities, students better understand their own learning as both a process focused on skill and knowledge acquisition, and as a constantly moving goal focused on learning how to learn, or meta-cognition.?If successful, the project-based model can be repeated for other kinds of learning for the rest of the student’s life.?The only difference is that the student eventually learns to seek and identify their own challenges.?Therefore, in addition to the outcomes of the project, these kinds of outcomes should be considered:

·??Learning happens everywhere:?An outcome of the project-based approach to learning is that students will demonstrate they know that learning comes from context as much as a single source – in other words, they’ll know that their teacher is an excellent guide but that there is much to be learned based on understanding problem-solving, the audience and the venue for their solution to the problem.?Students should understand that learning comes from peers, research and experiments, and especially failure.

·??Learning is layered and contextualized:?An outcome of the project-based learning experience is that students will be able to demonstrate their ability to engage in conversations about their work at multiple levels – in other words, they’ll know how to explain why they made a project, as well as how they made a project.?In fact, if the project is successful, the teacher can just let the students explain the work.

·??Learning is about empathy and understanding how to listen:?An outcome of any good project-based learning experience is that students will demonstrate an understanding of applied problem-solving, empathy, context and how to use their listening skills to develop solutions to real life challenges and opportunities.

Some Resources for Project-based Learning in the Arts and Beyond:

If you’d like to learn more about project-based learning, visit Edutopia at https://www.edutopia.org.?The site has articles and projects designed to appeal to those who know nothing about developing a project-based curriculum, and as well, more sophisticated evidence-based articles on the impact of project-based learning on student engagement and achievement.?It is an excellent starting point for someone who’s curious to know more and someone who is looking to build support for their ideas.

Project-based lessons to help the art teacher are at Education Closet at https://educationcloset.com/pbl. This site focuses more intentionally on art-focused project-based learning and provides dozens of hours of videos that can help a teacher develop and assess a project-based approach to teaching.?Many of the teachers that contribute to Education Closet have shared examples of successful projects.

Last, a very good example of a project-based learning initiative that has the ideals, goals and outcomes noted above is an organization in California that focuses on community murals as part of a larger community rejuvenation initiative.?The Community Rejuvenation Project is an excellent resource for understanding the purpose of murals and how to pose the challenge to a group of students. The Community Rejuvenation Project works with local high schools to help them organize these projects on a massive scale, and examples of their work can be found on their website at:?https://crpbayarea.org

Conclusion:

For the new teacher who may not have been exposed to these ideas, or who has invested a lot of time developing discipline expertise that he or she is anxious to share, the idea of surrendering control of the learning (and perhaps more predictable results) can be challenging.?Also, there are often internal or systemic curricular standards that deliberately or unintentionally reinforce an institution’s approach.?If a new faculty’s students are expected to perform to a standard, then it can be challenging for faculty to implement a project-based approach to learning.?

But assuming these obstacles can be overcome, the ideals, goals and outcome of good project-based approaches to teaching art can prompt responses in students that allow them to use their creativity in memorable and impactful ways for both themselves (internal management of their art practice) and their audience (external manifestation of how that practice connects to the community).?

It also allows a student to understand how creativity can be applied to other areas of their lives and their future.?And again, the implications for the teacher can be profound, especially when project-based learning is sponsored by clients or communities.?Many teachers are worried that the economics of the project-based approach don’t make sense; however, if the problem-solving strategy of a project-based model is viewed as an actual part of the curriculum, and the intangible value of those connections to external audiences is recognized, all parties to the process benefit.?It’s a win-win-win – for the student, the teacher and the community.

About Kevin Conlon:

Kevin Conlon is currently the Chair of the ARTS department at San Antonio College. He has served as a faculty member and administrator at art and design schools for more than 25 years, with leadership posts as Dean of Undergraduate Studies at Savannah College of Art and Design from 2004 to 2008, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs at Ringling College of Art and Design from 2008 to 2011, and Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost for Columbus College of Art and Design from 2011 to 2016.

Conlon holds a BFA from University of South Alabama and an MFA from Ohio State University. He maintains his studio practice with sculptural works in concrete, bronze, cast resin, clay, and fiberglass.

Sources for this Essay:

·??Plato’s Idea of a Teacher: https://kirkcenter.org/essays/platos-idea-of-the-teacher/

·??Aristotle and Education: https://infed.org/mobi/aristotle-and-education/

·??Socrates on Teaching: Looking Back to Move Education Forward: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S187704281501201X

·??Aristotle, Plato and Socrates: Ancient Greek Perspectives on Experiential Learning: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/236896596_ARISTOTLE_PLATO_AND_SOCRATES_ANCIENT_GREEK_PERSPECTIVES_ON_EXPERIENTIAL_LEARNING

·??Dewey, J. (1938). John Dewey Experience and Education, New York, Touchstone: https://www.schoolofeducators.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/EXPERIENCE-EDUCATION-JOHN-DEWEY.pdf

·??Experiential Learning, by David Kolb: https://ptgmedia.pearsoncmg.com/images/9780133892406/samplepages/9780133892406.pdf

·??Edutopia: https://www.edutopia.org/project-based-learning

·??Community Rejuvenation Project: https://crpbayarea.org

·??Education Closet: https://educationcloset.com/pbl

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