At Princeton University, I took the McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning‘s Teaching Seminar, which was a year of interdisciplinary inquiries into best practices in higher education. While this seminar was not particularly theory-heavy, we organically developed the basis of pedagogical tenants that have guided my career ever since: active learning, authentic assessment, and backwards course design. It was in this context that I began to think of teaching not as imparting information with students, but rather encouraging students to move from novices to autonomous practitioners of my discipline. Given I was teaching language and literature, much of my assessments involved essays (another post for another time…), but in the language classroom, I always tried to incorporate real-world examples and exercises, which students always appreciated.
Project-Based Learning
One thing we didn’t cover in the seminar, however, was Project-Based Learning (PBL), which I encountered later as the Academic Director at SAE Institute Paris. At its core, PBL is an instructional methodology where students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period on a project that involves solving a real-world problem or answering a complex question. This approach allows students to apply what they learn in a practical and meaningful context, fostering critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration.
Project-based learning has so many advantages, especially for adult learners (another thing we didn’t cover in that seminar was andragogy, but that can also be another post for another time):
- Real-World Connection: Projects are designed around real-world challenges or questions, making learning relevant and engaging. This connection helps students see the value and application of their academic work beyond the classroom.
- Student Voice and Choice: Students have a say in the project, from choosing the topic to deciding how they will work and present their findings. This autonomy increases motivation and investment in the learning process.
- Inquiry and Innovation: PBL encourages students to ask questions, conduct research, and think critically to find innovative solutions. This process helps develop problem-solving skills and promotes a deeper understanding of the subject matter.
- Reflection: Throughout the project, students reflect on their learning, challenges, and successes. Reflection helps them make connections between their work and the learning objectives, fostering a growth mindset.
- Public Product: Students create a final product that is shared with an audience beyond the classroom. This could be a presentation, a report, a model, or any other form of demonstration of their learning. The public aspect adds a layer of accountability and pride in their work.
At SAE Institute, for instance, students wrote reflective essays and researched the academic, technical, and commercial implications of their practical projects, but the heart of what students did was inextricably linked to their future careers. This was why the pandemic was so difficult on us. How can a student complete their project — say, a live studio recording — while in lockdown?
PBL vs. Traditional Assessment
This experience completely changed my approach to teaching and learning, making me reconsider the viability of more traditional assessment methods in the classroom, even for more traditional academic programs. Indeed, at ESSEC Business School, I was surprisingly disappointed by returning to a more traditional institution of higher education, where I was immediately tasked with projects about how to counteract academic dishonesty on online multiple-choice exams or traditional essays.
While I myself came from such a background, after my experience at SAE, I began to question the use of such traditional assessment for top colleges: what does a student actually learn from a multiple-choice exam (which, incidentally, were not allowed as formative assessment at SAE)? is the type of reflection required to write an essay the same type of reflection that a student needs in their future career?
As someone who always excelled at traditional assessment, these sorts of reflections were actually really difficult for me, but I think it led to some groundbreaking changes at ESSEC. For instance, as a member of the Generative AI Task Force, I was part of the team that ultimately decided NOT to forbid generative AI in ESSEC’s teaching and learning, rather deciding to encourage both students, faculty, and staff to learn to use it. I even got to create our staff training module on the topic!
Likewise, I studied more traditional forms of assessment, recognizing the use of multiple choice questions (MCQ) as a formative rather than a summative exercise, learning methods like socratic strings to use MCQ to teach rather than to assess, and encouraging the use of personalized feedback for each correct or incorrect answer to give students immediate and actionable advice as they completed such assignments. I also dug deep into the use of peer assessment and group member assessment through the implementation of FeedbackFruits.
Returning to PBL
And this was one of the main reasons I joined Quest Education Group, a young and extremely innovative group of French schools that has crafted its entire strategy around PBL. As the National Academic Director at Quest, one of my responsibilities is to improve on the group’s already advanced use of PBL as they scale up. Here are a few reflections I have about implementing PBL in your own contexts, as well as doing it properly:
- Start Small: Begin with a manageable project that aligns with your curriculum and gradually increase the complexity as you and your students become more comfortable with the PBL approach. Instructional design best practices can help — start with the final task the students should be able to complete and then design the intermediary steps.
- Plan Thoroughly: Design projects with clear objectives, timelines, and assessment criteria. Ensure that students understand the expectations and the steps involved in the project. Backwards course design is essential here — always begin with the objectives, then move backwards to how you will assess that those outcomes have been reached, and then design what content and intermediary steps students need to reach that final assessment.
- Facilitate, Don’t Dictate: Guide students through the process, providing support and resources as needed, but allow them the autonomy to explore and make decisions. This is one of the hardest parts of PBL, but one that is essential, given students won’t learn much from a project if there was too much hand-holding involved.
- Encourage Collaboration: Promote teamwork and communication among students, helping them develop collaboration skills and learn from each other. This is where tools like FeedbackFruits can really help assess those essential “soft skills,” with group member evaluations allowing students to reflect critically on their own contributions as well as those of their classmates. This can also help teachers identify free-riders, manipulators, or students with low self-esteem.
- Assess Continuously: Use formative assessments throughout the project to monitor progress, provide feedback, and adjust as needed to ensure that learning objectives are met.
Conclusion
Project-Based Learning is a powerful educational approach that not only enhances student engagement and understanding but also prepares them for the challenges of the future. I would highly recommend teachers of any discipline, in higher education or vocational training programs, on the classroom level or even at scale like we do at Quest!