Effective Management of PBL
The tools necessary to manage a successful Project-based Learning (PBL) are now right at your finger tips. One can communicate an idea, collaborate with a partner, and demonstrate to the world your new found knowledge all within the Web 2.0 environment. Accessibility and availability of the tools required to expand the depth and convenience of information has never been so relevant than today. PBL stands to be a revolutionary approach to grasping sizable amounts of data with relevance to real-world issues. The importance of managing its effectiveness is monumental to ensuring is acceptance over traditional methods.
Firstly, it is very important to communicate the goals and expectations with your students in the early stages of the project. There are communication tools available to do this through Diigo and WizIQ. These online tools are very effective in setting the stage for appropriate requirements and research sites for gathering the necessary information.
Organizing group data and collecting ideas is a function of collaboration. Managing collaborative efforts can be done with GoogleDocs and a Ning network. You can effectively share documents, presentations, and store your communications with the use of these tools. Ning provides a place to share videos that may applicable to the project. Clarification of key steps and requirements can be stored and tracked using the GoogleDoc platform.
To monitor workflow and track progress Mindmeister is a great tool for capturing the collective ideas of the group and possibly placing them into a GoogleCalendar to assign tasks.
Lastly, evaluation and assessment can performed successfully using the on-line self assessment form or by developing a quiz at www.quia.com or Discovery Education. If careful attention is given to these critical management steps, PBL can flourish as a means for achieving academic excellence.