Project Straegy

Introduction:

Project method has its intellectual origins in John Dewey’s philosophy of education. Dr. W.H. Kilpatrick is believed to be the pioneer of this method and is one of the most widely used methods of teaching and learning today.

Definitions:

“A project is any activity, individual or group, involving the investigation and solution of problems, planned and carried out to conclusion under the guidance of the teacher.”

-Callahan & Clark.

Features of a Project Strategy/method

A careful study of the definitions mentioned above will help us identify the following features:

1.      It extends beyond classroom teaching.

2.      The method is carried out in natural setting or real life situations.

3.      This method involves investigation and solution to practical problems.

4.      It demands and ensures active participation from the students.

5.      Involves effective interaction between the student and the social environment.

6.      Creates an opportunity to acquire or practice social skills.

7.      Enables the students to study functional aspects of the subjects learnt.

8.      The teacher acts as a facilitator or a guide and thus promotes independent learning.

Principles of Project Strategy/method

To help children learn effectively through project method, there are some fundamental principles that govern the success of a project method of teaching and learning. They are

1.      Principle of utility: The project method attempts to study and investigate a practical problem or a situation. The problem/situation is concrete and not just abstract. The project should yield results, which are useful to the learner.

2.      Principle of readiness: The teacher presents a set of tasks and the students are given the opportunity to choose one for the purpose of project. The option offered to the students to choose an area depending on their own interest and choice ensures the readiness and willingness to work on a certain project.

3.      Principle of Learning by doing: Since this method of teaching provides an opportunity for the learners to have a direct contact with the learning situation or the context of learning, the learners acquire knowledge and skills through practical experience. Learning becomes more realistic and it makes learning more enriching and memorable.

4.      Principle of Freedom at Work: The teacher acts only as a guide and facilitator in using this method of teaching. The students enjoy a high degree of freedom and it facilitates the emotional and intellectual development process in the learners. The learners learn to be accountable and responsible of their own obligations and develop a sense of belongingness to the work assigned.

5.      Principle of Socialization: The project work method provides an opportunity for the learners to come into direct contact with the social environment. This demands a lot of interaction within the learners themselves and also with the social environment. Such effective social interaction enables the learners to acquire social skills necessary to adjust and live in a society.

Types of project work

Dr. W.H. Kilpatrick (1918) mentions the following types of project work in his paper on project method.

A.    Projects involving construction or production of a useful article/object to “embody some or plan in external form”—Produce Type.

B.     Projects providing opportunities for appreciation of some aesthetic experience—Consumer Type.

C.     Projects involving study and investigation of practical situations/problems-Investigation Type.

D.    Projects providing opportunities for mastery of certain skills—Drill Type.

Note: The types A and C are generally assigned to students in most educational institutions.

The Investigation Type of Project Work – Stages (Diana & L. Booth)

Though this method of teaching and learning allows a high degree of freedom for the learners, there are certain procedures and processes that the learners need to know. The investigation type of project work typically passes through the following stages:

Stage I: Classroom Planning

Step 1: Providing a set of tasks/problems for study

Step 2: Selecting a task/problem for study

Step 3: Formulation of hypothesis (for problems undertaken)

Step4: Planning/designing methods to investigate

Stage II: Execution

Step 1: Collection of data

Step 2: Organizing and interpreting data

Step 3: Review

Step III: Conclusion

Step 1: reporting and incorporating additions/deletions

Step 2: Evaluation

Implemented properly, this method will ensure that learning becomes an enjoyable and an enriching experience.

How to plan a project work?

A careful planning is essential for a project work. This helps to smooth the process and successful accomplishment of the task. The planning of the project work involves the following steps:

A.   How to select topics?

       While selecting the topics for project work the following points should be considered:

i.                    The topic should be related to the syllabus content.

ii.                  The topic should be appropriate to the class level.

iii.                The information on the topic should be available in the school and the community.

iv.                Students should be given a range of specific topics to choose from.

v.                  The topic should enhance the application of the concept learnt in the classroom.

B.   What is the format for the project work write up?

The format for project work write up should include the following parts.

i.                    Title

ii.                  Table of contents

iii.                Introduction (what is the topic about? Why is it chosen?)

iv.                Method      -How is the information collected?

                              -How is the information sorted out?

                              -How is the information analyzed?

Present information collected on the topic in a logical order. There could be sub-topics. If illustrations are to be used, they should be put wherever they are appropriate. The way in which the information is organized and presented may differ from subject to subject.

      

v.                  Conclusion. The conclusion should reflect the following:

a.       Summary of the findings

b.      Students’ experiences and opinion regarding the project work such as how he/she found the project work (difficult, challenging), how it has been beneficial to his/her learning.

vi.                 Acknowledgement

a.       Recognition of the help received

vii.               References

a.       List of the sources of information

C. How to collect information?

To collect information for the project work, the students should:

i.                    know what information to collect

ii.                  identify possible sources of information (persons, places, books, etc.)

iii.                develop some questions to collect the information

iv.                plan field visits if any

v.                  keep notes of observations, interviews, readings

vi.                collect samples

vii.              make sketches, tables, graphs and diagrams related to the topic.

D.   How to compile information for presentation?

The students might collect lot of information. All the information may not be required and he/she should be able to sift and screen the information that is appropriate and relevant to the project topic. They should:

i.                    sort out and select the important information

ii.                  put the information order

iii.                use the information for writing the project work

The students should prepare the first draft and show it to the teacher. The students should incorporate the changes and comments recommended by the teacher. Then students should rewrite and present the final project work.

[N.B: The teacher should encourage students to refine the project report before handing in the final copy.]                                                   

E.   Some Dos and DON’Ts

The students should follow the following instructions.

DOs

i.                    The project work should be written on a fullscap paper in the students’ own handwriting.

ii.                  The project work should be written in students’ own words and not copied directly from the books except for quotes.

iii.                Necessary illustrations should be drawn or sketched with pencil.

iv.                The students can use simple colours.

DON’Ts

i.                    Use of pictures cut from books and magazines available in schools and photocopying should not be allowed.

ii.                  Students should not do unnecessary decorations of their project work using sketch and marker pens.

iii.                Students should not decorate the cover page using glossy and colour paper.

iv.                Students should not use folders and folders to enclose the project work.

F.   Lengths of the project work

      

       Class VI               -           150      to         300 words

       Class VII              -           250      to         400 words

       Class VIII                        -           350      to         600 words

       Class IX               -           700      to         1000 words

       Class X                 -           1000    to         1500 words

How do you assess a project work?

Once the students have done a project work it is important that the work is assessed carefully and properly to benefit the teacher as well as the taught. Some ideas on this direction are given below.

Criteria for assessing: There are three major areas for the assessment of a project work. They are the content, presentation, and process. The marking scheme and the criteria under each of the assessment areas are given below.

A. Content (70 marks)

While assessing the content of the project work look at the following criteria.

·         Is the information presented in the PW relevant to the topic?

·         Is the information presented in the PW accurate?

·         Are the ideas presented in a logical order?

·         Are the illustrations appropriate?

·         Is the language used appropriate to the class level?

·         Is the project written in student’s own handwriting?

·         Are there grammatical errors?

·         Has the required information been included?

·         Has the summing up or conclusion been done correctly?

B.   Presentation (10 marks)

• Is the PW presented neatly?
• Is the layout according to the given format?
• Is the writing legible?
• Is the PW written within the prescribed word limit?

C.        Process (20 marks)

• Is there a proper planning done for the PW?
• Is the PW carried out as per the plan?
• Are the sources of information authentic?
• Is the PW handed on time?

N.B.        It may be a good idea to encourage some selected students to present or share the information collected in the PW in the class for a brief period of 5 to 10 minutes. For this all the students should be asked to prepare for the presentation. But only three to five students selected through a lottery should present the project work in the class to save time.

When do you assess the project work?

The assessment of the project work should begin from the time the students start planning the project work and will end with the assessment of the final project work.

My Views on  Project strategy.

As per me, I was little worried about how to assess the students project, but after learning the project strategy I know how to assess the students work(project) as in the project strategy it has given several processes we have to follow while assessing the students works, not only that much it gave me an additional knowledge on the types of project work. Even it gave me an additional information about the founder of the project work as this is a new knowledge for me.

Even it provide me with an information about how to assign the project to the students.

So in near future if I become a teacher I think this strategy will help me a lot in assessing the students work. so thank u project strategy.