The sequence of self-regulatory skills that the project-based learning experience can develop are
comparable to a logarithmic spiral in nature which is created by sequential self-organized
patterns. Each new growth within the logarithmic spiral is regulated and organized in a precise
pattern. Self-regulatory skills can be developed through a deliberate, self-monitored, and selfreflective
process. These skills, built upon experiences, enable the students’ maturational
development to proceed. The circular nature of maturational growth through project-based
learning experiences can be illustrated in the form of the logarithmic spiral found in the nautilus
shell (see Figure 3.).
From the onset to the accomplishment of a goal, each phase in a project-based learning
experience can be compared to each chamber of the nautilus’ growth as the closure of one
chamber leads the construction of another. In a similar manner, the construction of another
chamber corresponds to the beginning of a new project-based learning experience. As the
nautilus grows and its body moves into its new, living chamber to accommodate its growth, the
previous chamber is sealed; however, previous chambers contribute to the nautilus’s efforts to
stay afloat (Titlow, 2007). Each chamber of the nautilus, a self-sufficient creature, contributes to
its buoyancy ability just as each project that students complete contributes to their competence
and confidence by providing them with the skills and knowledge to complete future goals.
Teachers seeking innovative teaching methods to engage middle school students in
autonomous learning might consider the Project-Based Learning Model I have cited in this study.