What distinguishes Project-Based Learning from conventional classroom projects?

​School programs are often filled with projects and initiatives designed to make learning more innovative and engaging for students. However, these efforts frequently end up as exhausting extra work for teachers and impersonal tasks that students don’t truly enjoy. How can we design and implement projects that are both fun and motivating for students, while also being practical and manageable for teachers?

​With this question in mind, the new edition of the course “Introducing Project Based Learning in the Classroom​” took place in Palermo from 25/05/2025 to 31/05/2025. The participants came from all across Europe, with Filomena Serafim and José Francisco Aguiar Serafim from Agrupamento de Escolas de Moura in Portugal, Maria de Fátima Reimão Roxo da Gama, Maria da Graça da Costa Rodrigues Guimarães e Silva, Manuel José de Jesus Santos Alves Lima from Agrupamento de Escolas Alexandre Herculano in Portugal, Aida Marín López from IES Poeta Julián Andúgar in Spain, María Olías Cruz from IES Narcís Monturiol in Spain and Kristina Angelis-Harmening from Gymnasium Schloß Holte-Stukenbrock in Germany.

​In the first days of the course, participants explored the core concepts of Project-Based Learning, with a particular focus on its five key elements. Using case study videos, they identified these elements within real project examples. Naturally, they soon realized that PBL isn’t just about doing a typical project—it’s a structured teaching approach with its own specific methods and principles.

​The next day we broke down Project Based Learning into different phases, starting with the entry event and ending with the final presentation. Moreover, we started to prepare the classroom for PBL. Reflecting on themselves and their methods, our participants understood the importance of equipping their students with the right skills, building trustful relationships and enhancing creativity.

​Furthermore, we learned about a critical aspect of PBL which is rooting it in the curriculum and not simply seeing it as “extra work” that we need to carry out at the end of the unit. With that knowledge the teachers could move on to the first step of planning their own PBL, which was coming up with their own learning goals and outcomes.

​The next step of planning their PBL was creating their driving question, which is a very characteristic element of every project. Attempting to find a solution to the problem that is given in the driving question, students have to do researches in order to encounter and learn the key points of the disciplines involved. To help and assist during this process, teachers can do mini lessons, teaching their students small pieces of content.

​On the final day the participants finalized their projects and discovered the support of ICT tools in PBL. In today`s world it`s almost impossible to plan projects without using new technologies. That’s why our teachers had the possibility to practice using some essential ICT tools, ensuring an efficient use of PBL in class.

​What truly made learning effective for our participants was the opportunity to develop their own project throughout the week. Each day, after exploring a new aspect of PBL implementation, they worked in groups or individually to design a project tailored to their students’ age group. This hands-on approach not only helped clarify any doubts that might arise when creating a project independently, but also fostered rich discussions and idea-sharing with colleagues from different countries. The final result sparked a strong sense of accomplishment—and even a personal commitment to try out their projects once back in the classroom!

Discover more about this course here.
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