Albert Einstein once said, “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it is stupid.” No child learns in the same way or at the same pace. Just as each teacher has their particular style so do most students. It is therefore essential to recognize early on when students do not receive instruction as you intend to deliver it. Most of us teachers, as a part of our self introspection, often wonder why some teachers were “better” teachers than others or why we liked a certain subject over another. These are actually very important observations. Educational science has studied these questions for years and has determined that when some individuals struggle with learning it may be entirely a question of how they are being taught.
Understanding how a student learns is perhaps one of the most important tasks a teacher can undergo. Another is learning how to provide opportunities for learning through the use of these identified learning preferences. Teachers often use their preferred learning style as their main mode of teaching and if students do not share those same preferences then learning can be very difficult and frustrating. (time4learning).
One of the most accepted understandings of learning styles is that student learning styles fall into four “categories:” Visual Learners, Auditory Learners, Read/Write and Kinesthetic Learners. These learning styles are found within educational theorist Neil Fleming’s VARK model of Student Learning. (teach.com).
Visual Learners – These students prefer the use of pictures, images, maps and graphic organizers to access and understand new information.
Auditory Learners – These learners best understand new concepts through speaking and listening in situations such as group discussions or lectures.
Kinesthetic Learners – Students who are kinesthetic learners best understand information through tactile representations of information. These learners are hands on and learn concepts when they put things together by figuring out how to make it and how it works.
Read & Write – These are the other kind of students who have a strong reading /writing preference and learn best with words. These students may present themselves as copious note takers and avid readers. (teach.com)
Project based learning (PBL) is one form of knowledge acquisition where all types of learners can gain something if working in a group. In a group setting students with specific strengths can work to their strengths and provide the best outcome for the group project. However there are situations when projects are completed on an individual level and a teacher might find that following project completion one of the following or more have occurred.
Students didn’t learn
Students didn’t participate
Students did well in one area but not another
Students weren’t challenged enough
In a situation such as this the first step to understanding why either one or more of the above happened would be to assess the “Why” element. To elaborate on each of the above, let us look at the possible reasons and steps for remediation.Students din’t learn
Students didn’t learn |
This is where formative assessment of a project during PBL becomes very critical and helpful. Instead of waiting for the summative assessment, if a teacher makes assessments during various stages of the project, struggling students can be identified immediately. It is possible that the student didn’t understand the project description or what is required. He/She may not have understood the concept when it was first taught and was under the impression that the project would be a group task and could piggyback on someone else’s work. The teacher taught using the chalk and blackboard or written and speaking method but the students’ learning style is visual. Whatever the reason for not learning, once the teacher has identified such a student; a teacher can decide to do one or more of the following:
Pull out the student/s that hasn’t/haven’t learnt and re-teach the concept.
This can be done by using different methods. Let’s take for example a project that is about multiplication strategies where a student is required to plan a holiday for his family. During one of the formative assessments, the teacher finds that the student has added all the costs instead of multiplying them in order to demonstrate his knowledge of using multiplication strategies. The teacher spends time with this student by explaining multiplication by using multiplication arrays.
Then goes on to explain multiplication of large numbers with examples from the project. The teacher can then have the student demonstrate his learning by replacing some of the addition in the project with multiplication. Once the teacher is convinced that the concept and its application is understood, he can ask the student to make changes to the project.
Identify if the student is a visual, auditory, read/write or kinesthetic learner and use specific methods to re-teach and reinforce the concept.
If the teacher identifies that the student didn’t learn because the method used was read/write and the student is actually a visual learner, then the teacher can draw and explain such as this:
The teacher can then test the student’s understanding by asking him to apply the same method to his project work and check if the student has understood the concept and its application.
Some other ways to re-teach would be:
Discuss examples of how the concept can be connected to the project.
Assess understanding by asking the student to narrate examples.
Students didn’t participate |
If you consider why students aren’t participating, you’ll notice that it varies from group to group.Some students can seem like they are not doing anything but if you talk to them you find out that they are insecure or scared.Sometimes you have a kid that really wants to do a good job but doesn't know how to structure themself while the rest of the group cruises along.Group dynamics are complex. Below are some ways to understand why a student might not be participating.
Insecurity | Difficulty | Confusion | Unmotivated | No Buy-In |
A group member is insecure and afraid of doing subpar work, so it’s easier to give up ahead of time. | A group member might not have the skills to do a particular task and so it’s easier to let someone else with expertise handle it. After all, if the group shares a grade, this non-participating member might not want to get in the way of the two students who are aiming for an A. | A group member doesn’t know what to do. There’s a lack of clarity in terms of tasks and this lack of clarity pushes a student to disengage from the group. | A group member has no motivation to do the project and generally thinks it’s boring. | A group member who doesn’t have a sense of ownership will have a hard time sticking with a project. It can feel like they are just following other people’s instructions. |
(Carnegie Mellon University, n.d.)
A specific example of a student who didn’t participate is elaborated on below:
Insecure students who are afraid of making mistakes, require:
A reminder from the teacher that making mistakes is alright and an important step towards learning.
Self assessment, one to one meetings with the teacher and peer feedback so that these students can reset goals and move forward with their understandings.
For example - An ELL (English Language Learner) student is in a group that is working on a science project to enhance their understanding of reproduction in plants. To begin with this student is grappling with the difficult vocabulary such as “fertilization”, “stigma”, “articulation”, “pedicel” or “nectary”. Owing to his fear and insecurity with respect to first understanding these words, remembering them and then using them, he just stayed away from the project and did not participate. When the teacher identifies this, the steps that can be taken are:
Give the student a list of vocabulary with a picture next to the word, that will be used in the project.
Explain each word with a picture and have the student rewrite the words in the teacher’s presence.
Then have the student explain his/her understanding of each term.
Once the student is comfortable with the pronunciation, meaning and usage of the terminology, the teacher brings the group together and has them brainstorm their ideas. The teacher asks the ELL student probing questions to prompt him to share his ideas. This should help the student develop confidence and facilitate participation.
The other steps that can be taken are:
Adding plenty of revision time which can help with the students that are finding the process too difficult. If things are failing, remind students it is a temporary phase and this is actually what they should recognise and work towards revising. Empowering the students to scaffold their own learning is an important step to help students who do not participate because they find the process very difficult. Through one to one meetings and self assessment they should now see where they need help. It could be asking a peer for clarification, finding an online video, using graphic organizational tools. By gently guiding, modeling the process with the student you create the opportunities for them to find the tools and tutorials to scaffold their own learning.
If confusion is an issue and a group member is having a hard time starting, he may look to his peers that they have checked out. In most cases they are overwhelmed. By helping provide clarity to the student about where their work is going and how they are doing you allow the students to have an awareness and understanding of their own thought processes. Now they are better prepared to find out what they need to change to allow for better participation.
However, this is less of an issue when students own the project management process. When groups have clarified the roles and delegated the tasks, they are able to help one another move toward progress. Even then, it can be tricky. In some groups, a single leader will own the project management process and others lack clarity on what they are supposed to do. One solution is to ask students to visualize what they will accomplish and explain it verbally to a partner.
Ultimately, the biggest issue for engagement is motivation and buy-in. When students have voice and choice in choosing the topics, asking the questions, generating the ideas, and creating their prototypes, they will have more of a vested interest in the process. Students are then able to work hard without giving up.
This is why project management is so valuable. When students engage in project management, they move toward self-direction. They figure out how to self-start while also learning how to plan their projects and monitor their progress When educators begin providing voice and choice to students, however, they often do so sparingly. Instead, teachers need to personalize each student’s level of voice and choice based on how they learn. On the ambitious end of offering voice and choice, an educator can serve as a conductor overseeing how students will shape their learning experiences, what path they will take, and how they will demonstrate that learning. (Andrew Miller)
Students that did well in one area but not in another |
For students that did well in one area but not in another, it is important to analyze first how well they did in one area and how poorly they did in the other. For example, if the student received a grade of 100 percent in a written part and 20 percent in an analytical part, a teacher has to tackle this wide gap differently as compared to a situation where a student received 80 percent in one area and 65 percent in another.
In the case where there is a clear gap between the two scores, the cause could be that the student did not understand that part of the exercise. In such a scenario, the student should be approached and interviewed about the causes for his/her performance. The teacher should then ask the student to explain some of the analytical questions. By doing this the teacher can gauge the student’s understanding of the question. Based on this assessment the teacher can review the steps used to answer analytical questions and work on a few examples with the student before giving him/her the opportunity to redo this portion of the project.
There could also be a situation where a student falls short of a teacher’s expectations. Here there may be a problem with the teachers expectations of the student. Since expectations can change the performance of students, how do we get teachers to have the right expectations(Rosenthol 2012)? In such a case the teacher should change the evaluation method or process for the student for this exercise and in the future.
If the gap between a high score and a low score is smaller, the student should get a detailed analysis, in the comments section about what they did right and ways to improve in the future to maximize success.
It is important that teachers and students focus on long term success and not short term. Once a learning problem is identified teachers should evaluate differently in the future.
Students who weren’t challenged |
Before teachers begin the task of assigning projects and and pairing students to collaborate with one another they should first know and consider the learning needs and styles of every student in their classroom.
Often times, teachers go through great pains to modify instruction and expectations for students with special needs and challenges; however, many times the same teachers fail to make the same allowances for ‘gifted’ students. These students are often left to complete the work on the same level as their peers meaning that they are not challenged at all in class. This often times results in extreme bad behavior due to a feeling of boredom and frustration. (Hennenfent 2017)
Project Based Learning is perhaps one of the best ways to teach and engage gifted students. It gives them real world and authentic problems to solve in an environment that nurtures independence. (Swicord 201) However, not all projects engage and challenge every student.
When a teacher discovers that a ‘gifted’ student isn’t being engaged or challenged when completing a project the teacher needs to determine the ‘why’ before acting to correct the problem.
Often times gifted students aren’t fully engaged in projects because they feel like their peers move too slowly and that they are forced to ‘put on their brakes’ so to speak as to not take over the project. Another reason these students aren’t engaged or challenged is because they simply aren’t interested in the topic at hand because they’ve already learned a great deal about it and they believe that there’s nothing new or exciting to be found or gained.
The best way to overcome this problem is to know in advance, who your ‘gifted’ students are and to be aware of what they already know and how they work best.
Another good idea, is to ask these students what would they like to learn or like to know about the topic at hand. A teacher should give them the freedom to formulate their own list of things they would like to know about the topic. For gifted students, a teacher can introduce the new topics and ideas and ask them what they WANT to know about the topic. They write out and formulate their own WILK (What I Like to Know) chart. They are given the freedom to come up with the answers and the end product on their own with periodic checkins by the teacher. (Thomlinson 2016)
After the project is complete, and you still have students who weren’t engaged and who didn’t feel challenged enough, a great activity is to introduce de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats concept and idea to the children. This concept forces children to look at concepts from a totally different perspective and to move outside of their own habitual style of thinking. (Mindtools 2016). Different thinking styles can make a project more dynamic and interesting as they switch from hat to hat.
This activity is great to use to re teach a concept or as a follow up for students who didn’t learn as well. Teachers can also use this activity as a whole class project with everyone wearing different hats and discussing each other’s work and trading hats and charting and discovering what thoughts and ideas they share.
 | The White Hat calls for information known or needed. "The facts, just the facts." |
 | The Yellow Hat symbolizes brightness and optimism. Under this hat you explore the positives and probe for value and benefit. |
 | The Black Hat is judgment - the devil's advocate or why something may not work. Spot the difficulties and dangers; where things might go wrong. Probably the most powerful and useful of the Hats but a problem if overused. |
 | The Red Hat signifies feelings, hunches and intuition. When using this hat you can express emotions and feelings and share fears, likes, dislikes, loves, and hates. |
 | The Green Hat focuses on creativity; the possibilities, alternatives, and new ideas. It's an opportunity to express new concepts and new perceptions. |
 | The Blue Hat is used to manage the thinking process. It's the control mechanism that ensures the Six Thinking Hats® guidelines are observed. |
Finally, let us consider two other groups of students:
Those students who did not learn because they did not participate or vice versa.
Students who did not participate because they were not challenged.
How many times have we seen students in class who are disengaged and distracted because they do not understand what’s going on? It is the same when such students are thrown in to a group to work on a project. They do not participate because they find the concept difficult and are fearful of being embarrassed at their lack of knowledge. Such a student can be dealt with in exactly the same manner as explained above where he is pulled out of the group and taught the concept again. Following the reteaching he must express what he has understood so that the teacher is able to make an accurate assessment.
We also come a cross those bright, gifted and enthusiastic students who do not participate in a project simply because it is too simple for them and find it boring. PBL is the perfect and right opportunity to learn for such students who are usually adept at understanding cause and effect relationships and doing this with real world problems maintains the authenticity of their learning. With students who require challenge open ended problems or projects work best. These projects allow students to push themselves to limitless boundaries. As Anne Hayden Stevens, Creative Studies Coordinator, Center for Talent Development, Northwestern University, Illinois, states, “New problems don’t have ceilings or boundaries. Every unanswered question, each political or environmental challenge, is an opportunity for problem based learning. These are the questions that keep our gifted students on the edge of their seats in a discussion, or bent over a model for hours at a time.”
In order to ensure that gifted students remain challenged one of the two things can happen. First, in the PBL for the whole class, there should be a step up part where the gifted students can be pushed to think deeper and apply higher standards. The second, group these students separately and give them projects with open ended questions so that they can explore, evaluate and present without limitations.
References:
Learning Styles. Retrieved from https://www.time4learning.com/learning-styles.shtml
Learning Styles - All Students Are Created Equally (and Differently). Retrieved from https://teach.com/what/teachers-know/learning-styles/
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