Online project learning to build skills

At current times the established teaching and learning patterns and traditional models are questioned; therefore, it is good to reinvent and improve these. How do we get ready learners for the world of future work and learning? Project work is proving to be a great way of allowing for increased student autonomy in choosing the project focus and direction.

This type of learning starts when we stop noticing the learning process as a transmission of ready-made knowledge but instead start seeing it as a process of creation and discovery, in which teachers mentor and coach young people as they explore how best to respond to problems and challenges.

At a time when traditional routes of teaching and assessment have been challenged, the project and problem-based learning have a lot to offer. The growth of online learning tools allows teachers to use more project-based learning. This way, students become more independent, confident and skilled learners as the task will enable them to pursue a variety of projects.

At the core of the project, learning is the idea of a project as a process. Projects begin with questions, they grow through research and creative enhancement of ideas on the part of the learner, and they culminate in reflection, often with a presentation of the outcome of the project process to an audience. This allows time for students to research the question and enables them to reflect on the findings. The independence of the students does not mean working on the project solely. They have the support of the teacher whose role changes to a coach who works with the students and guides them throughout the process.

The valuable thing about teaching young people these skills is that they are highly transferable and appreciated by employers. Young people who are not afraid to ask questions, learn by finding out answers instead of waiting to be told, and have the confidence to put forward and assess their own answers and ideas, are the type of employees wanted in the fast-moving and fast-changing work environment.

When the project involves working on practical tasks, online learning can be challenging. Still, it allows the learners to develop their digital skills and the teachers to use new educational technology and implement a new learning process.

The educational technology allows teachers and students to share in the project process. The student can work on the project step by step, asked questions during the process via email or video call, and the teacher/tutor will be able to oversee the progress and share any suggestions or answer any questions the student might have. Some digital learning platforms will enable the learner you to use templates that can be adapted for the purposes of the project. When it comes to the final stages of the process, collecting and assessing work should be smooth as there are plenty of presentation exercises. The tutor should support the students individually if possible or as a group. The options are various – email communication, video calls or recorded voice message or video.

Project learning has always been a powerful tool for enabling learners to gain new skills. As the teaching is moving online, this mode of engagement has a lot to get ready learners for a future world that is fast arriving.