History of project-based learningAc

History of project-based learning
According to the Buck Institute for Education (BIE), project-based learning has its roots in experiential education and the philosophy of John Dewey. The method of project-based learning emerged due to developments in learning theory in the past 25 years. The BIE suggests, “Research in neuroscience and psychology has extended cognitive and behavioral models of learning — which support traditional direct instruction — to show that knowledge, thinking, doing, and the contexts for learning are inextricably tied.”1 Because learning is a social activity, teaching methods can scaffold on students’ prior experiences and include a focus on community and culture. Furthermore, because we live in an increasingly more technological and global society, teachers realize that they must prepare students not only to think about new information, but they also must engage them in tasks that prepare them for this global citizenship. Based on the developments in cognitive research and the changing modern educational environment in the latter part of the 20th Century, project-based learning has gained popularity.