How do you manage project-based learning in a hybrid or online environment?

Project-based learning (PBL) is a powerful way to engage students in authentic, meaningful, and collaborative learning experiences. But how do you manage PBL in a hybrid or online environment, where students may have limited access to physical resources, face-to-face interactions, and feedback? Here are some tips and strategies to help you design and facilitate effective PBL online.

1 Choose a relevant and challenging project

The first step to successful PBL online is to choose a project that is relevant to your students' interests, needs, and goals, and that challenges them to apply their skills and knowledge to a real-world problem or question. The project should also align with your learning objectives and standards, and be feasible to complete within the time and resources available. You can use online tools such as Padlet, Google Forms, or Flipgrid to brainstorm and survey your students about their project ideas, preferences, and expectations.

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2 Define clear and flexible expectations

The second step to successful PBL online is to define clear and flexible expectations for your students, such as the project scope, timeline, deliverables, roles, and assessment criteria. You can use online tools such as Google Docs, Slides, or Sites to create and share a project overview, rubric, and checklist with your students, and to monitor their progress and provide feedback along the way. You can also use online tools such as Google Calendar, Trello, or Asana to help your students plan and manage their tasks, deadlines, and communication.

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Kris Bradburn

Transforming Learning for the New Millenium - Instructional Design
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If the project is a group project, I highly recommend using strategies like Scrum to help learners with accountability for deadlines and timelines. Having clearly defined and manageable "sprints" along the way helps with complex projects. You can also leverage the skills of more experienced learners by giving them leadership roles in small groups. These roles can shift according to the task so that, for example, learner A is a leader on a task learner B is helping with and vice versa.

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3 Support collaboration and communication

The third step to successful PBL online is to support collaboration and communication among your students, and between you and your students. You can use online tools such as Zoom, Google Meet, or Teams to facilitate synchronous meetings, discussions, and presentations, and to create breakout rooms for small group work. You can also use online tools such as Google Chat, Slack, or Remind to facilitate asynchronous communication, and to share updates, reminders, and resources. You can also use online tools such as Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive to enable your students to share and edit their project files and documents.

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Kris Bradburn

Transforming Learning for the New Millenium - Instructional Design
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Priority should be placed on asynchronous communication over real-time tools like video conferencing. If limited to out of the box solutions, I would suggest Slack as the cornerstone with some carefully curated channels. It's easy enough to set up a quick audio or video huddle in Slack when real time communication is more efficient, and having a written record of key communication can be invaluable.

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4 Incorporate feedback and reflection

The fourth step to successful PBL online is to incorporate feedback and reflection throughout the project cycle, not just at the end. You can use online tools such as Google Forms, Kahoot, or Quizizz to collect and analyze feedback from your students, peers, or experts, and to adjust your instruction and support accordingly. You can also use online tools such as Flipgrid, Seesaw, or Padlet to encourage your students to reflect on their learning process, challenges, and achievements, and to showcase their project outcomes.

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Jose Sergio Torres

Growth Partner | CCL Boost™ DASM® | Google Project Manager
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En un entorno híbrido o en línea, la retroalimentación y reflexión se facilitan mediante herramientas digitales como comentarios en línea, foros de discusión y reuniones virtuales. Mi experiencia muestra que establecer momentos específicos para la reflexión individual y grupal promueve la mejora continua del proyecto.

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5 Celebrate and share learning

The fifth step to successful PBL online is to celebrate and share learning with your students and the wider community. You can use online tools such as YouTube, Vimeo, or Screencastify to record and share your students' project presentations, or to create a project showcase video. You can also use online tools such as Google Sites, Blogger, or WordPress to create and publish a project portfolio or blog. You can also use online tools such as Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook to promote and share your students' project work with a global audience.

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Jose Sergio Torres

Growth Partner | CCL Boost™ DASM® | Google Project Manager
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Celebrar y compartir el aprendizaje se logra mediante la creación de espacios virtuales donde los estudiantes puedan presentar sus proyectos, recibir elogios y retroalimentación. Personalmente, he observado cómo esto fortalece la motivación y el sentido de logro de los estudiantes, incluso a distancia.

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6 Evaluate and improve PBL online

The sixth step to successful PBL online is to evaluate and improve your PBL online practice, based on your own observations, feedback, and data. You can use online tools such as Google Forms, SurveyMonkey, or Socrative to collect and analyze feedback from your students, peers, or experts, and to identify the strengths and weaknesses of your PBL online design and facilitation. You can also use online tools such as Google Analytics, Edpuzzle, or Nearpod to track and measure your students' engagement, participation, and learning outcomes. You can also use online tools such as Google Keep, Evernote, or OneNote to document and reflect on your PBL online experience, and to plan for future improvements.

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Jose Sergio Torres

Growth Partner | CCL Boost™ DASM® | Google Project Manager
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Evaluar y mejorar el PBL en línea implica utilizar rúbricas claras y criterios de evaluación transparentes. Mi experiencia sugiere que la retroalimentación detallada, tanto formativa como sumativa, es crucial. Además, fomentar la colaboración entre estudiantes para identificar áreas de mejora contribuye a la evolución continua del enfoque PBL en línea.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Kris Bradburn

Transforming Learning for the New Millenium - Instructional Design
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One concern I have with all the ideas in this article is that there are so many different and hard to connect tools. App Smashing can quickly become unwieldy for both the instructor and learners. To whatever degree possible, one should look for solutions that have more than one function.

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How do you manage project-based learning in a hybrid or online environment?

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1 Choose a relevant and challenging project

2 Define clear and flexible expectations

3 Support collaboration and communication

4 Incorporate feedback and reflection

5 Celebrate and share learning

6 Evaluate and improve PBL online

7 Here’s what else to consider

Project-based Learning

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