On that day,sir made us to seat in a circle so that everyone can see each other. After that sir asked questions on the particular topic about project strategy as we were asked to read the notes on Project strategy earlier. The question he asked was from the following notes:
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.
1. 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.
2.
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.
3.
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.
4. 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.
