Project Based Learning Checklists

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• Learn more about project-based learning and web-based tools.

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Put students in active roles by encouraging them to set their criteria using the Project Based Checklist tool. Students will be self-directed in their learning, to be able to work in groups, and to display critical-thinking skills necessary for problem solving when they are given the opportunity to play a role in the design and implementation of their classwork and major projects. By creating a checklist, students become more engaged in their own learning. They set their own goals for a project while at the same time developing skills as self-directed learners.

Preparing students for life in the twenty-first century requires that we create environments very different from those in which we were educated. Most teachers know this and attempt to reduce the amount of lecture in their classes. As a guide, the U.S. Department of Labor offers the report What Work Requires of Schools: A SCANS Report for America 2000. The Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS) was appointed to determine what skills young people will need to be successful in the workplace. The report lists the fundamental skills and workplace competencies students will need. Students engaged in project-based learning are more focused on their own work, and budget their time and make decisions about how they will address tasks at hand. We cannot assume that students will develop these skills on their own. It is the responsibility of all teachers to encourage the development of these skills. One strategy for helping students take responsibility for their work is to help them create their own checklists to guide them through any project-based activity. By creating a checklist, students become more engaged in their own learning. They set their own goals for a project while at the same time developing skills as self-directed learners. The staff at the High Plains Regional Technology in Education Consortium (HPR*TEC) has developed a free Project Based Learning Checklist to help teachers. This tool is appropriate for students or teachers. Go online to the tools section of HPR*TEC’s 4teachers.org website to create a customizable checklist that can be printed from the browser. The checklists can be accessed by clicking on the Learning checklists link on the home page of the site. The PBL Checklists are available for students from kindergarten through high school. They have been designed to address project-based learning in four major categories: writing, science, oral presentation, and multimedia. After selecting their grade range in one of the categories, students are presented with a template page with detailed instructions on how to create their own checklist. These checklists are also available in Spanish. In addition, there are a couple of pages of background for teachers on the subject of Problem-Based Learning that are worth the read.It would also be possible for the teacher to create checklists in advance as a guide for all students if it is necessary that they all use the same checklists. To account for various learning styles, it might also be useful to require that students select certain checklist items in the various categories of the checklist and then suggest that they choose one or more of their own to supplement the list.