Media, Literature
and Intercultural Learning
Carina Esdar & Theresa Röhr
Project
Work – Guidelines for Teachers
Why
project work?
Increased Motivation:
- project work fosters intrinsic motivation
- motivation is increased in general because the students are
responsible for their own work and become personally involved in their
project
- pupils gain a real sense of achievement as their work leads to the
creation of an end-product that can be presented to others
- it is a break from routine
Project
Work and Language Skills:
- project work helps to bridge the gap between language study and
language use and offers an authentic opportunity to practise what has been
learnt through formal teaching
- language skills are integrated in a natural way as they are
directly related to the task at hand (experiential learning) à language as a tool
for the successful completion of the project rather than the subject of
learning itself
- with project work, a variety of language functions can be
introduced (e.g. asking for information)
- all four skills are used à a particular skill
may be practised individually, but this does not mean that it is separate
from the others:
- in the beginning stages of a project, which is generally determined
by planning, there may be more speaking and listening; once the project is
under way, however, a balance of skills will be achieved: e.g. gathering
material through reading or conducting interviews (speaking and
listening), note taking (writing)
Development
of the Whole Individual:
- project work enhances the development of the whole individual as
apart from language learning, several other skills are included:
- intellectual skills (e.g. describing, drawing
conclusions, planning)
- physical skills (e.g. painting, cutting,
writing)
- social skills (e.g. sharing, co-operation,
making decisions together)
- learner independence skills (e.g. making own
choices, taking responsibility, developing research and study skills)
Learner
Independence/
Individualized Learning:
- projects raise the learners’ awareness of what they are doing in
the classroom and why
- project work is learner-centred rather than teacher-directed as the
students are encouraged to integrate their own ideas and interests into
the project
- students take responsibility of their own work and learn to appreciate
co-operation by realizing the importance of individual contributions to
the success of the whole project à responsibility to
work even if not supervised by the teacher
- by working independently, the learners have the opportunity to find
out which learning strategies work best for them
- they gain knowledge about study skills like how to
organize their material, how to divide the amount of work, or how to use
resources like the internet and dictionaries
à this makes them more autonomous and well-rounded learners in
general
Projects
in Everyday School Life:
- different project designs allow flexibility (e.g. short term vs.
long term projects or doing project work parallel to the usual school
work)
- project work fits perfectly for mixed-ability classes as different
children with different abilities and interests can make different
contributions
- students often have the opportunity to draw on knowledge gained in
other subjects which makes them experience a unity of learning
Planning a Project
A full-scale project involves three
stages:
- Classroom planning:
-
together with the teacher the students discuss the
content and scope of their project
-
ideas for projected interviews, visits, and for ways
of gathering material are discussed
- Carrying out the project:
-
the students now perform whatever task they have
planned, e.g. conducting interviews, gathering printed and visual material,
writing reports
- Reviewing and monitoring the work:
-
this stage includes discussions and feedback sessions
– during and after the project, advice and comment offered by the teacher,
group analysis of the produced material, and self-monitoring by the
participants
Aspects
you should consider as a teacher:
- how does the project relate to previous work? à you need to integrate
the project with other work you do with your class
- does the project meet the language skills of
the class? à make sure your students understand any
language which is essential for the successful completion of a task
- do not be over ambitious in what you want to achieve as the time
available is often limited à better have a less
extensive end-product but enough time to complete it successfully
Explaining
a little more in the beginning saves time in the long run:
- spend some time to explain project work in general before starting,
especially if you students are not used to this form of learning (e.g.
give examples of past projects)
- explain which language aspects they will be learning, which skills
they will be practising and how their work will be assessed
- try to involve your students in the planning process and let them
choose whenever possible to make sure they can contribute with their ideas
and finally identify with the project
START WITH THE END
- a useful way to start planning a project is to think of the
end-product
- possible products may be: a video, a report, a wall display, a
booklet, a newspaper or magazine, an exhibition, an info-day for the other
students or other events such as a performance or show
- think of how to present the end product, where and to whom
- make the display of the end-product a real event, especially if it
has been an extensive project as the students usually are eager to show
what they have done
Reflecting
on the project
- leave enough time for short group presentations, discussions and feedback
to watch the progress and check if problems arise
- regular review sessions, e.g. at the end of each week might also be
useful to ensure that the groups don’t lose track of what the other groups
are doing and gives them the opportunity to ask other groups for
help/ideas
- after giving a short presentation of their results, the groups may
also prepare small quizzes or tasks connected to their individual project
for the others to get them involved in all the topics
- you might want your students to keep record of their progress à e.g. a portfolio in
which your students put the material they collected, or a project-log in
which they can note down reflective comments on the project
- at the end of the project, take a round up session to look back at
what you have done and how successful the project was: reflect and discuss
what was particularly good or interesting and what might be improved in
future projects
Possible
problems:
Time Management
-
projects require extra work and additional commitment,
e.g. in establishing contacts or finding suitable materials
-
as groups may work at different speeds, some may
finish too early
Personal Difficulties
-
lack of interest
-
loss of motivation
-
disappointment
-
conflicts
within the group
Monitoring
-
if Students are working outside the classroom, it is
difficult to monitor and assist more than one group at a time
-
the teacher might lose track of what the students are
doing
-
by giving more freedom to the learners you may also be
giving them the freedom to do nothing
The following may help to avoid problems:
-
some of the burden of monitoring can be shifted onto
the students themselves:
-
the teacher could, for instance, provide checklists
(e.g. for new vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, etc.) and project report forms
-
give clear instructions beforehand so that the
students know exactly what to do
-
start your project with whole-class activities before
setting groups off with their individual tasks
-
it may help to work on the project at fixed days of
the week
-
plan your project carefully and involve the students
personally to make them feel responsible
à Although problems do occur, it is important to
stress the immense benefit of
project work for both – students and teachers!
Role of the Teacher:
- the teacher acts as a co-ordinator and supporter as the students
select and devise the project themselves
- project work is more about students deciding together than the
teacher deciding for them à this ensures learner
autonomy and high motivation
- BUT: make sure that you don’t leave your students alone - they
should be encouraged to rely on themselves but also get help if they need
Using Projects in a Non-English
Environment:
·
it is not necessary to live in an English-speaking
country in order to carry out a project as it is not the environment that determines
the success of a project, but the students’ motivation
- material can be found, if one is willing to look for it
- as the students are likely to switch into their mother tongue
during group work, and some of the material might only be available in German,
you should decide beforehand whether the benefits of your project outweigh
this factor
Materials and Equipment:
- if possible, try to provide a wide range of
materials (clipboards, cassette players and recorders, video- and photo
cameras, TV, coloured pens, glue, scissors, etc.)
- discuss where the groups can get their materials from, e.g.
internet, library or interviews and in how far they are responsible to
find material themselves
- if you let your students search on the internet, you might need to
provide them with useful links and websites (depending on the age level) –
make sure that your students know exactly what they are searching for to
avoid aimless surfing
- ask your class which of the materials needed they can bring
themselves before organizing everything for them, as this may enhance the
feeling of responsibility – also in assisting other groups
___________________________________________________________________________
Sources:
- Fried-Booth, D. (1987, 2nd
ed.) Project
Work. OUP.
- Phillips, D., Burwood, S. & H.
Dunford (2001, 3rd ed.)
Projects With Young Learners. OUP.
- http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/think/methodology/project_work.shtml