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Introductory Engineering on a Dime Notes

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At the Buck Institute for Education (BIE), we've been keeping a list of the many types of "_____- based learning" we've run across over the years:

Case-based learning

Challenge-based learning

Community-based learning

Design-based learning

Game-based learning

Inquiry-based learning

Land-based learning

Passion-based learning

Place-based learning

Problem-based learning

Proficiency-based learning

Service-based learning

Studio-based learning

Team-based learning

Work-based learning

. . . and our new fave . . .

Zombie-based learning (look it up!)

Let's Try to Sort This Out

The term "project learning" derives from the work of John Dewey and dates back to William Kilpatrick, who first used the term in 1918. At BIE, we see project-based learning as a broad category which, as long as there is an extended "project" at the heart of it, could take several forms or be a combination of:

Designing and/or creating a tangible product, performance or event

Solving a real-world problem (may be simulated or fully authentic)

Investigating a topic or issue to develop an answer to an open-ended question

So according to our "big tent" model of PBL, some of the newer "X-BLs" -- problem-, challenge- and design-based -- are basically modern versions of the same concept. They feature, to varying degrees, all of BIE's Essential Elements of PBL, although each has its own distinct flavor. (And by the way, each of these three, along with project-based learning, falls under the general category of inquiry-based learning -- which also includes research papers, scientific investigations, Socratic Seminars or other text-based discussions, etc. The other X-BLs might involve some inquiry, too, but now we're getting into the weeds . . .)

Other X-BLs are so named because they use a specific context for learning, such as a particular place or type of activity. They may contain projects within them, or have some of the 8 Essential Elements, but not necessarily. For example, within a community- or service-based learning experience, students may plan and conduct a project that improves their local community or helps the people in it, but they may also do other activities that are not part of a project. Conversely, students may learn content and skills via a game-based or work-based program that does not involve anything like what we would call a PBL-style project.

Problem-Based Learning vs. Project-Based Learning

Because they have the same acronym, we get a lot of questions about the similarities and differences between the two PBLs. We even had questions ourselves -- some years ago we created units for high school economics and government that we called "problem-based." But we later changed the name to " Project-Based Economics" and " Project-Based Government" to eliminate confusion about which PBL it was.

We decided to call problem-based learning a subset of project-based learning -- that is, one of the ways a teacher could frame a project is "to solve a problem." But problem-BL does have its own history and set of typically-followed procedures, which are more formally observed than in other types of projects. The use of case studies and simulations as "problems" dates back to medical schools in the 1960s, and problem-BL is still more often seen in the post-secondary world than in K-12, where project-BL is more common.

Problem-based learning typically follow prescribed steps:

1. Presentation of an "ill-structured" (open-ended, "messy") problem

2. Problem definition or formulation (the problem statement)

3. Generation of a "knowledge inventory" (a list of "what we know about the problem" and "what we need to know")

4. Generation of possible solutions

5. Formulation of learning issues for self-directed and coached learning

6. Sharing of findings and solutions

If you're a project-BL teacher, this probably looks pretty familiar, even though the process goes by different names. Other than the framing and the more formalized steps in problem-BL, there's really not much conceptual difference between the two PBLs -- it's more a question of style and scope:

A Note on Math and the Two PBLs

Teachers at some K-12 schools that use project-BL as a primary instructional method, such as the New Technology Network and Envision Schools, have begun saying that they use problem-BL for math. Especially at the secondary level, teaching math primarily through multi-disciplinary projects has proved challenging. (Not that occasional multi-disciplinary projects including math are a bad idea!) By using problem-BL, these teachers feel they can design single-subject math projects -- aka "problems" -- that effectively teach more math content by being more limited in scope than many typical project-BL units. Tackling a "problem," for example, may not involve as much independent student inquiry, nor the creation of a complex product for presentation to a public audience.

How Does This Tale of Two PBLs End?

One could argue that completing any type of project involves solving a problem. If students are investigating an issue -- say, immigration policy -- the problem is deciding where they stand on it and how to communicate their views to a particular audience in a video. Or if students are building a new play structure for a playground, the problem is how to build it properly, given the users' wants and needs and the various constraints of safe, approved construction. Or even if they're writing stories for a book to be published about the Driving Question "How do we grow up?", the problem is how to express a unique, rich answer to the question.

So the semantics aren't worth worrying about, at least not for very long. The two PBLs are really two sides of the same coin. What type of PBL you decide to call your, er . . . extended learning experience just depends on how you frame it. The bottom line is the same: both PBLs can powerfully engage and effectively teach your students!

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Project-Based Learning vs. Problem-Based Learning vs. X-BL | Edutopia

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At the Buck Institute for Education (BIE), we've been keeping a list of the many types of "_____- based learning" we've run across over the years: Case-based learning Challenge-based learning Community-based learning Design-based learning Game-based learning Inquiry-based learning Land-based learning Passion-based learning Place-based learning Problem-based learning Proficiency-based learning Service-based learning Studio-based learning Team-based learning Work-based learning .

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Good stuff here

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Each TeachEngineering lesson or activity is correlated to one or more K-12 science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) educational standards.

All 100,000+ K-12 STEM standards covered in TeachEngineering are collected, maintained and packaged by the Achievement Standards Network (ASN), a project of D2L (www.achievementstandards.org).

In the ASN, standards are hierarchically structured: first by source; e.g., by state; within source by type; e.g., science or mathematics; within type by subtype, then by grade, etc.

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In this unit, students explore the various roles of environmental engineers, including: environmental cleanup, water quality, groundwater resources, surface water and groundwater flow, water contamination, waste disposal and air pollution. Specifically, students learn about the factors that affect water quality and the conditions that enable different animals and plants to survive in their environments.

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Engineering resources mixed in

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Posted on by Mary Lord

Children's literature is full of memorable wildlife adventure stories, but Deborah Lee Rose and Jane Veltkamp's Beauty and the Beak may be the first to feature engineers and their role in outfitting an injured eagle with a 3-D printed prosthetic beak. A free education guide with standards-based STEM, STEAM, and literacy lessons accompanies the book, winner of the 2018 AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books.

Filed under: Class Activities, For Teachers, Special Features, Web Resources | Comment "

Posted on by Mary Lord

High school students design and build wind chimes using their knowledge of physics and sound waves, and under such constraints as weight, cost, and the number of musical notes their chimes must generate. They make mathematical computations to determine the pipe lengths. Links to similar activities for younger students included in activity scaling section.

Filed under: Class Activities, Grades 9-12, Lesson Plans | Comment "

Tags: career technical education, chimes, Class Activities, Engineering Design Process, frequency, Grades 9-12, Lesson Plan, Mathematics, Physics, sound, STEAM, wave length, wind chimes

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Posted on by Mary Lord Children's literature is full of memorable wildlife adventure stories, but Deborah Lee Rose and Jane Veltkamp's Beauty and the Beak may be the first to feature engineers and their role in outfitting an injured eagle with a 3-D printed prosthetic beak.

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Link to lots of demonstrative engineering projects

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Balloon Blast-Off Balloon Brain Balls and Ramp Bubble-Blowing Machine Bubble City Build a Tent Bungee Jump Cereal Dispenser Coat Hanger Invention Coin Sorter Deliver a Message Door Alarm Door Opener Egg Boat Egg Drop Electrical Messages FIRST LEGO® League Flashlight Flinker Flinker II Food Elevator Future City Game Timer Heat Saving Device Heavy Moving Hovercraft Junk Boats

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Energy Engineering - We are in Michigan, Home of the Big 3

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Find energy lesson plans, energy games, activity downloads, career videos, and more!

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Structural and Human-Environment Interaction Engineering (Your Social Studies teacher will LOVE you!)

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Introduce kids to the fun and challenge of engineering with the help of ASCE's extensive gallery of hands-on civil engineering activities. With over 100 easy-to-lead activities, organized by topic, grade level, setting* and special materials**, you will never be at a loss when it comes to introducing civil engineering concepts to kids!

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Hands on Engineering STEM Projects for Kids and Students

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Hands on Engineering STEM Projects for Kids and Students: Easy and fun collection of STEM projects and lessons for elementary and middle school. Made for teachers, science fairs, and weekend activities. Find more ideas on our website STEM Inventions! You can also find lesson plans, project sheets, and more...

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Small engineering projects. Suitable for teaching basic principles

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Actually we have assembled over 105 engineering projects for kids and are adding more as we complete or find more resources.

Why list so many engineering projects for kids?

Recent information from the Department of Labor Statistics forecasts that the largest job and demand growth will be in the technology fields between now and 2030.

Did you know the interest in engineering and STEM decreases for girls as they move into the upper grade levels in school?

A study conducted by Microsoft in partnership with KRC Research , related to engineering activities and STEM education, indicated that even with increased exposure for females to STEM education, interest in engineering and STEM related jobs did not increase as expected.

The reasons why the interest in STEM dropped off as girls got older:

Lack of role models

Peer pressure (Perhaps it wasn't "cool" to be interested in STEM?)

Support from parents

Support from teachers

One solution even the study students pointed to was providing more hands-on engineering activities and STEM projects!

Below we have 105 engineering projects for kids. Whether you need a group or individual project, there is a variety of engineering projects listed below from which to choose.

Listed first are a few STEM and engineering activities specifically for preschoolers. We encourage you to involve your preschoolers with activities that may seem above grade level, as they will still learn by watching or participating in a small way, i.e. handing an older sibling supplies as needed, letting them take photos of the project along the way, or having them work on their own version of the project.

This post contains affiliate links.

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Preschool STEM & Engineering Projects for Kids

Walking Water Fireworks in a Jar
The Magic School Bus Engineering Lab

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100 Awesome STEM Resources

100 Hands-On Projects For Middle and High School

100 Living Math Resources

100 Field Trip Ideas

100 Resources For Homeschooling A Large Family

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Actually we have assembled over 105 engineering projects for kids and are adding more as we complete or find more resources. Recent information from the Department of Labor Statistics forecasts that the largest job and demand growth will be in the technology fields between now and 2030.

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This site is a curated collection of science phenomena for the NGSS, along with phenomenon based learning resources and help for how to use phenomenon to drive student questions in the classroom centered around 3 dimensional teaching and learning.

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What the Heck Is Project-Based Learning?

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What the Heck Is Project-Based Learning?

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Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.

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The Mother Load of PBL: Problem-Based Learning

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The Mother Load of PBL: Problem-Based Learning

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Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning | Purdue University Press Open Access Journals | Purdue University

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The Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-based Learning (IJPBL) publishes relevant, interesting, and challenging articles of research, analysis, or promising practice related to all aspects of implementing problem-based learning (PBL) in K-12 and post-secondary classrooms.

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Peer review is an essential aspect of teaching evaluation, both for improvement and for personnel decisions, for several reasons. First, faculty are in a unique position to evaluate and provide feedback on aspects of their colleagues' teaching that are beyond the expertise of students.