PBL vs. Doing Projects

The main differences between Project Based Learning and just "doing projects". 

After watching the video "What is PBL?", I found main differences between PBL and just "doing projects". In a traditional classroom, the teacher asks his students to create a project at the end of the unit. It's a teacher generated plan. The teacher makes emphasis on content and grades. It's a teacher-center activity supported by a textbook.

In a PBL classroom, the teacher acts as a facilitator, guide, designer or coach. The teacher introduces a topic and encourages his students to think creatively to solve problems. Students are engaged because they have a great variety of activities throughout the whole unit. It's important to mention that the project is the unit. Students work in teams to collaborate and research by using different resources. They know what they are doing. The activities are meaningful and real-world issues. At the end, students present their project to an authentic audience, experts from the topic. Finally students reflect on what they have learned.