Project-Based Learning
Muhammad Usman Awais
Expert in Large Language Models and Natural Language Processing
The Problem of Learning
At some point in our evolution, human beings figured out a way to learn new things and use that knowledge to make our lives better. The difference it made in the history of our planet is inevasible.
How that process must have started is a very important question. More important is the question of how we were able to create a process of passing on the knowledge to our young ones. The mystery around the question is impactful, intriguing, and inevitable at the same time.
We know for sure that if we were not able to write down our findings and save them for recreating the experience, we had not have been able to enjoy the progress we are seeing now. Though, the problem of the modern era is different. We have so much written material that it is becoming difficult for us to keep the children on track. Another problem is speed. With greater ambitions and greater problems to solve, the children of the modern era have to learn a lot more at a much greater pace than their ancestors. The problem has forced the teachers to go back and investigate how the process must have started. The process that changed a bipedal mammal into a race that probably would soon become interplanetary must be potent and germane.
Learning By Doing
Many teachers are of the point of view that we start to learn by doing. We are also a race that is great at mimicking others. We do this even when we do not know about it.
One striking characteristic of human social interactions is unconscious mimicry; people have a tendency to take over each other's posture, mannerisms and behaviours without awareness (source).
Our power to mimic others catalogs our power of learning by doing. Of course, there is no silver bullet, and the same applies here, but in my opinion, there is no better way to initiate the learning process except Project Based Learning.
Just ask yourself, how do you start riding a bicycle, driving a car, or flying an airplane. Your mentor must have demonstrated in front of you, then must have put you on the seat and asked you to put the pressure on the pedal. In the case of a car, your instructor would have given you a booklet that would tell you the basics of a car, but reading that booklet would not mean anything without practicing. In the case of an airplane, would you have read a few books and even used a simulator before you could get into a real cockpit.
Another important question is, what happens after your first ride, first drive, or your first flight. Do you just keep on doing the practical stuff? If you want to compete in the Olympics cycling track, would that be enough to practice hard, or you would have to read books on improving performance?
领英推荐
I argue that Project-Based Learning is great at getting a newcomer started on any skill, be it cycling, flying, or programming. PBL can get you started even when your understanding is sketchy. You can take the first step even when you do not know where your foot will land. After the first step, you have to learn and practice at the same time, to become better and better at the skill you are learning.
PBL @Educative
It is my honor that I was given the opportunity to initiate Project-Based Learning at educative.io. The goal of the projects you will see at Educative is targeted toward one main goal; to get a newcomer started in a certain technology. Once you get started then there are hundreds of courses you can choose from to dig deeper at educative.io.
When I am choosing the topics, the following questions are on my mind, given that Educative is a platform for budding computer programmers who want to learn new technologies mainly to improve their job prospects.
Keeping in mind these three principles, we have chosen a range of problems and technologies. The problems we are addressing are
The range of technologies we have offered already is impressive. The range is ever-expanding, and we are determined to cover every possible technology area that may entice you. Some of the relevant projects currently may not be visible to you, but they will soon be.
Please go to the educative.io/projects now and explore more. Please feel free to add your comments.
Technology Executive | Amplify Founders | Venture Funded Early Stage Tech Co | Figure It Outer | Culture Builder | Seeker of Knowledge and Connections
2 年Well written! Thank you Muhammad Usman Awais
Director of IT Services | IT Consulting, InfoSec, Cloud Computing, Managed Services | AI | Machine Learning
2 年Salam. Someone told me FAST is also running a school and employing special techniques to educate and train children. Is that right? What's the school name?