TL;DR:

• Projects can be great activities for students to do asynchronously, and in a virtual setting.
• Implement project-based learning in a virtual setting by providing resources to students, focusing on feedback, and offering opportunities to collaborate.

One of the challenges that I was confronted with this year was trying to figure out how to continue using project-based learning in a virtual setting.  Learning to navigate through such unstructured schedules in which students are expected to learn asynchronously may not be ideal when we covet the little instructional time and opportunities to provide direct instruction.

Additionally, engaging in cooperative learning offers a new set of obstacles when students are learning from the comforts of their homes.  However, just because the mediums in which we deliver our content changes doesn’t mean we give up what we consider best practice.

Teaching during a pandemic has brought us challenges. But we can’t let those challenges get in the way of using best practices. Click To Tweet

Engaging Projects

As we battle disengagement and distractions from our students’ homes, I find assigning an engaging project to be the best form of asynchronous work.  Instead of assigning a string of worksheets to fulfill a daily requirement of participation, our students can work towards a goal.  Obviously, there is not a “magic pill” that will solve the problems associated with work completion. But if you’re looking to bring purpose to your classroom, I believe assigning projects is a huge step forward to fulfilling that goal.

It may be intimidating creating a major assignment while you’re trying to adjust and bring harmony to your work-life balance. However, I find by front-loading your work, you save yourself a lot of grief over time. One thing that I don’t miss is spending hours every night correcting an endless amount of papers up until my bedtime.

By assigning projects, you spend most of the time that you would spend grading providing feedback instead.  Providing feedback becomes a part of the weekly instructional cycle, instead of putting it in the form of a letter grade that the students may or may not read when their paper is returned to them.

Providing Resources

There are obvious changes in assigning projects in the virtual world because your physical presence isn’t evident in the learning process.  The first part of that process is research.  Since you cannot help your students when they make errors in their research, I find it crucial to provide your students with resources that you find to be reliable.

In the past, I found this stage is where some students give up. They become overwhelmed and simply don’t know where to begin.  By providing these tools, you alleviate their stress by taking a chunk of the workload off their plate.  I recommend using Wakelet to share your resources with your students.  If you have not used this application before, it allows you to share a collection of resources on a specific topic in a visually appealing way.  I have heard it described as Pinterest for educators.

Opportunities for Feedback

One of the biggest hurdles I found when assigning projects in the virtual setting was how to provide feedback.  When I’m teaching in-person, I could provide a mini-conference with each student while others are working. I cannot do that in the virtual setting.

Instead of trying to schedule individual meetings during or outside my office house, I decided to provide students with a self-assessment of their work.  I simply post a question on my Google Classroom asking the students about their own progress and to assess their own work.

I also assign “soft” deadlines in which I scaffold their work into tasks that must be done at the end of each week.  By implementing these two procedures, both the students and I can review their work in stages. And I can help make the necessary changes so the final product meets the objectives of the project. This makes assessing easier, as I’ve already seen it 2-3 times, and am familiar with their work.

[scroll down to keep reading]

Student Collaboration

That last hurdle I had was how to provide opportunities for the students to collaborate. This was the easiest hurdle to overcome because we underestimate our students’ ability to use technology.  If there’s an app to connect with others, your students probably have it downloaded on their device.  If they don’t have this skill, then simply have them use the “comment” feature on their Google doc. That allows them to write notes to each other about every part of their work.  Thus, it gives them those opportunities to interact with each other and provide each other feedback.

Teaching during a pandemic has brought us challenges. But we can’t let those challenges get in the way of using best practices.  I urge you not to return to the “ditto” days of the past. Embrace the practice of PBL during the pandemic.

When we are in our planning process, it appears to be so much easier just to click a couple of buttons to assign a handout from your curriculum resources.  However, at the end of the day, front-loading your planning with a project may be what is best for your students and your sanity.

---

About Mark Ureel

Mark is a Middle School Social Studies and Spanish teacher at South Canton Scholars Academy in Canton, Michigan. He is currently in his 17th year of teaching and has a master’s degree in Educational Leadership. In 2017, Mark was awarded the Grand Valley State University Charter Schools Outstanding Teacher of the Year. Some of Mark’s passions in teaching are project-based learning and exploring more efficient and innovative teaching methods. Mark is an avid fan of the Detroit Lions and hopes that one year they will play in the Super Bowl before he dies.