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Project-Based Learning in STEM: Enhancing Student Engagement

Project-Based Learning in STEM: Enhancing Student Engagement

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Recent research confirms that project-based learning (PBL) significantly improves student outcomes in STEM courses. In a study involving 2,371 third-grade students, those in PBL classrooms outperformed their peers by eight percentage points on science tests. This improvement was consistent across socioeconomic classes and reading ability levels, demonstrating that STEM PBL enhances student engagement and learning in diverse settings.1 Read more about how to use project-based learning in STEM to boost your students' engagement and outcomes.

What is Project-Based Learning?

Project-based learning is an innovative instructional approach where students learn by actively engaging in meaningful, real-world projects. This method emphasizes critical thinking, teamwork, and problem-solving, guiding students to explore and address complex issues.

The Benefits of PBL in STEM Education

Project-based learning boosts student interest and motivation in STEM fields by integrating interdisciplinary learning and connecting academic content to real-world problems. Students take a more active role in their learning process, which leads to better knowledge retention and the development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Additionally, students are more likely to persist through challenges when their learning has a greater sense of purpose, such as addressing environmental concerns.2

Case Study: Protecting an Appalachian Waterway

In a small-town environmental science class, students identified a problem with plastic trash in their local river and spearheaded a project to open their county’s first recycling program. This initiative provided a hands-on STEM project that connected classroom learning to tangible community benefits.3

Activities and Learning Outcomes:3

  • Research and Implementation: Students conducted surveys to assess recycling knowledge, then designed a recycling program for the school, which later expanded to the whole community
  • Community Engagement: The students designed outreach programs to educate students and community members about recycling procedures, strengthening their communication skills
  • Operations Management: They developed schedules and procedures for the center's operation, learning about logistics and management
  • Project Assessment: Students monitored the success of their project through recycling audits and measures of riverbank microplastic levels, strengthening their data collection and analysis skills

This recycling project illustrates the power of PBL to make STEM education relevant and meaningful. Students recognized a problem, designed a response, and continuously monitored its effectiveness, enhancing their motivation and sense of accomplishment through real-world problem-solving.

Experiential Learning in STEM

Experiential learning involves learning through direct experience and reflection. Experiential learning activities can range from an isolated experiment or a data collection and analysis assignment to a stem challenge or competition or a multi-part PBL assignment. Based on real-world problems and requiring significant collaboration, experiential learning activities offer authentic learning experiences where students take the lead in extracting meaningful insights, rather than relying on teacher-led instruction.

The Four Stages of Experiential Learning

You can think of experiential learning as a cycle with four stages: action, reflection, conceptualization, and application. Students engage in an activity, reflect on their experiences, conceptualize their observations into specific knowledge, and apply what they've learned to new contexts.4

Case Study: The Ecology and History of Water

Teachers in an independent school created a three-week, field-based project that explored the question, "Whose water is it?" With guidance from their teachers, secondary-level students investigated aquatic ecosystems, gathered and analyzed specimens, interacted with local experts like scientists and policymakers, and conducted archival research to understand the political history and ecology of a complex current situation.5

STEM experiential activity options are myriad and can be chosen based on your grade level, course focus, and student interests. To successfully design and implement project-based learning activities, begin with a compelling, essential question that relates to students' lives and invites multiple perspectives.

Scaffold the Project for Success

Scaffold the learning process so that the students have good support and become progressively more independent in the learning process:5

  • Provide the necessary tools and resources, including experts and members of the community
  • Break complex tasks into more manageable steps
  • Offer models and examples
  • Build in opportunities for feedback and support

Overcoming Common Challenges in Implementing PBL

While experiential learning activities can improve student learning outcomes, adopting project-based learning can present common challenges, including managing time, fostering collaboration, and creating strong engagement.

Time Management

PBL is often perceived as too time-consuming, but rethinking time structure and focusing on smaller, concise projects can make it manageable. Collaboration with colleagues across disciplines can also lighten planning and grading loads. Unlike traditional teaching methods, PBL allows students to learn concepts while practicing skills, working on multiple, interconnected standards at once, which can streamline the learning process.6, 7

Fostering Student Collaboration and Teamwork

Student teamwork doesn't just happen. It must be modeled and structured. You can use class activities to establish teamwork guidelines, assign specific roles, and create team contracts. These tactics are adaptable to different grade levels and can help you teach the collaboration skills essential for success today.8

Making the Project Meaningful and Engaging

Create high engagement at the start of the learning project by making it meaningful to students and helping them devise the driving question that will guide their work. Some tactics for creating meaningful engagement include exploring your students' interests in relation to the topic, introducing it with guest speakers, and sharing compelling data and statistics about the topic.

The driving question creates a complete framework for students to think about the project. Ideally, it will be complex, open-ended, relevant, engaging, and aligned with standards to incorporate the required academic content.

A driving question related to the plastic waste study mentioned earlier might have been, "How can we reduce plastic pollution in our river to make our drinking water safer?" One educator recommends this scaffolding to help students create the Driving Question for a project: "How do we, as _____, create _____ about _____?" or "How can we, as _____, design _____ to _____?"9

Assessment and Evaluation Methods for STEM PBL

Use diverse assessment methods to capture student learning across different levels of complexity. This includes "stop and assess" methods, where students' understanding is evaluated through quizzes, tests, or formal presentations, and "assess in action" observations, where teachers evaluate student performance during activities without interrupting the learning process. Plan assessments before, during, and after a unit of study to inform teaching and ensure quality learning.10

Classroom Technology for STEM Learning Projects

Project-based learning benefits from various technologies, including videoconferencing for collaboration, project management tools for organizing group work, and platforms for feedback and reflection. If students are working outside the classroom, ensure device accessibility to maintain engagement and connectivity.11

Resources and Tools for STEM PBL

Look to your local community and the internet for PBL resources. Local businesses and organizations may be able to host projects or provide expert speakers, for example. Searching online can also yield a wealth of STEM resources and tools, including online platforms, kits, and software, to support hands-on STEM activities and projects. Below is a sampling of some of the resources available:

Virtual Labs and Digital Tools

  • The Concord Consortium: Offers free virtual labs and hands-on digital tools

Online Articles and Guides

  • Edutopia: Has thousands of educator-written articles on PBL and STEM education

Computer Science and Digital Literacy

  • Code.org: Offers free resources focusing on computer science and digital literacy, including interactive platforms that students in grades 4-12 can use to create their own digital projects

Experiential Learning Partnerships

  • STEM Experiential Learning Foundation (SELF): Facilitates experiential learning opportunities by creating partnerships between schools and STEM organizations across the country 

Curriculum Resources and Lesson Planning

  • PBS: Offers a variety of curriculum resources, including teamwork games and lesson-planning tools
  • National Park Service: Offers curriculum resources across various subjects 
  • National Geographic Society: Provides project-based curriculum and support materials through its Geo-Inquiry program

Technology Integration and Competitions

  • International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE): Provides various resources, including a listing of "13 Competitions to Get Your Students Fired Up About STEM" 

Enhance Your Students' STEM Learning Outcomes with the University of Iowa

As we've seen, STEM PBL improves student engagement and outcomes by integrating real-world problems, fostering collaboration, and using diverse assessment methods. The resources and frameworks shared here can help you successfully adopt PBL techniques in your classroom at any grade level.

With the University of Iowa's Online Master of Science in STEM Education, you can deepen your expertise and learn more techniques to improve your student outcomes. The affordable program is designed so that you can keep teaching while you learn and complete your degree in as few as two years with a part-time course load. Enjoy the advantages of the innovative curriculum offered by a Big Ten research university at the same affordable tuition rate regardless of where you live. Schedule a call with an admissions outreach advisor today to learn more.

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