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:
    1. intellectual skills (e.g. describing, drawing conclusions, planning)
    2. physical skills (e.g. painting, cutting, writing)
    3. social skills (e.g. sharing, co-operation, making decisions together)
    4. 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:

  1. 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

  1. Carrying out the project:

-          the students now perform whatever task they have planned, e.g. conducting interviews, gathering printed and visual material, writing reports

  1. 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