Project activities can serve students of every academic status by putting learning in a context that gives it meaning.
Projects can accommodate different intelligences, learning preferences, and learning styles. Also, providing more variety,choices, and options can increase student motivation students pursue individual talents or interests.
Cognitive psychological researchers indicate these factors increase learning. And problem solving tasks appear to help students store knowledge more easily so that it can be recalled in other situations.
Learning through projects is often associated with the constructivist theory of learning.
Psychological constructivism holds that the purpose of education is to help children learning a way that supports individual needs and interests. Social constructivism emphasizes education for social transformation
Student projects, which are frequently related to both individual and societal concerns, may fall into either or both schools of constructivist thought.
The successful use of projects is facilitated by a learner-centered approach in which teachers serve as guides, monitors,coaches, and facilitators. This approach encourages students to develop habits of mind that can help them become life long learners.
A learner-centered approach has several characteristics.
Learners build on their prior knowledge, experiences, and
interests.
Students use primary sources of data whenever possible.
Problem solving, higher order thinking, and deep understanding of concepts and principles are emphasized.