Talk:Project-based learning/Comments

Project-based learning and problem-based learning processes are both derived from the popular concept of outcomes-based teaching and learning methods. However, these processes have serious flaws if they are introduced into the academic stream too early.

Mature and experienced people bring a wealth of knowledge and information into a project or problem-solving environment. But, immature, inexperienced and limited knowledge students are not yet equipped to make valuable contributions to these group analyses and decision making projects. In fact, the brightest students and the hardest working students provide a major proportion of the outcomes in these projects. Yet, the group is given a group grade and thus the weaker contributors inevitably benefit more than they earn.

Unfortunately, primary education has deteriorated substantially during the past 50 years in equipping students with good fundamental knowledge and skills. A comparison of english and math test requirements and results will poignantly verify this. However, primary graders may demonstrate a slightly broader range of knowledge nowadays due to the impact of extra-curriculum exposure. But their demonstrable skills in the 3R's and other subjects is significantly less than what their grandparents' skills were.

Of course, at the root of this issue is the classroom time being under-utilized by group assignments and projects at the primary school levels. If this time were dedicated to effective teaching of the fundamental learning blocks and skills at the primary level, the quality of outcomes based projects at the higher educational levels would dramatically increase.

64.229.236.170 16:30, 3 April 2007 (UTC)Jim Reid, Toronto, Canada