Texas Christian University Teaching and Learning Conversation, September 20, 2017

1. 21st Century Student Engagement & Success
through
Collaborative Project-Based Learning
Based on the Big XII Teaching and Learning Conference Presentation,
Stillwater, OK, August 4, 2014
Teaching and Learning Conversation, September 20, 2017, Texas Christian University

2. Welcome!
Beata M. Jones
• Professor of Business Information
Systems Practice
• Honors Faculty Fellow
• @TCU since 1995
• Ph. D. in Computer Science
• Requiring projects for past 20+ years;
• Doing PjBL for the past 7 years
Contact:
b.jones@tcu.edu
https://www.linkedin.com/in/beatamjones/
https://www.slideshare.net/BeataJones
@BeataJones

3. Overview
• Why?
– Challenges to 21st Century Student Engagement & Success
• What?
– Collaborative Project-based Learning (PjBL)
• How?
– PjBL Learning Environment Design
• Q&A

4. Knowledgeable to Knowledge-able
Michael Wesch: “Knowledgeable to Knowledge-able” (18:34)

5. The 21st Century Students
• Shorter attention spans
• Easily bored
• Resist memorization and
busy work
• Self-learners
• Embrace trial and error
• Attached to mobile
technology
• Perceive learning as a social
activity to be shared with
others
• Make Learning
Relevant
• Engage Us!
TCU Fig21 Videos: (60:00+)

6. The New Education
“The new 21st century education (…)
necessitates a new kind of teaching,
one that focuses on learning how to
learn – the single most important
skill anyone can master.” p.14
p.266 – “Collaborative Projects with
Peer Assessment.”

7. Cultivating the Imagination for a World of
Constant Change
• From Classroom Learning
To Learning Environments
• Embracing Change
• Learning As Inquiry
• Engaging The Passion
• Tacit Learning – Through
Doing, Watching,
Experiencing
• Learning In The Collective
John Seely Brown- co-chairman @ Deloitte Center for the Edge

8. K-20 Model Supported by MacArthur Foundation

9. National Survey of Student Engagement
• Active and collaborative learning: one of the
top five benchmarks of effective educational
practice.
“Students learn more when they are intensely involved
in their education and are asked to think about and
apply what they are learning in different settings.
Collaborating with others in solving problems or
mastering difficult material prepares students to deal
with the messy, unscripted problems they will encounter
daily, both during and after college.”

10. AAC&U High-Impact Practices
1. First-Year Experiences
2. Common Intellectual Experiences
3. Learning Communities
4. Writing-Intensive Courses
5. Collaborative Assignments and Projects
6. Undergraduate Research
7. Diversity/Global Learning
8. Service Learning, Community-Based Learning
9. Internships
10. Capstone Courses and Projects

11. PjBL Learning Outcomes
“A meta-analysis conducted by Purdue
University found that when implemented well,
PjBL can increase long-term retention of
material and replicable skill, as well as improve
teachers' and students' attitudes towards
learning.”

12. Project-based Learning (PjBL)
PjBL has
emerged as
one of
today’s most
effective
instructional
practices.
In PjBL,
students
confront
real-world
challenges,
collaborate
to create
solutions,
and present
their results.

13. My Recent PjBL Experiences
SO Neeley Core: Business Information Systems
JR BIS Major: Business Information Systems Development
FR-SO Intercultural Competence Study Abroad : Cultural Pathways
Through Eastern Europe
JR-SR Honors Colloquia:
• Disruptive Nature of Information Technology
• Digital Identity & Digital Storytelling Across Disciplines
• SXSW Interactive-TCU: Learning to Change the World through
Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship

14. My PjBL “Flavors”
1 2 3 4 5
Collaboration % 85 70 80 40 50
Project As % of Course Content 85 70 60 85 50
Degrees of Freedom (out of 100) 30 10 90 40 50
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
PjBL Flavors
Column1 Class Scenarios
1 Core BIS Class Students Select a Company for Context Given Specific Driving Questions
2 Major BIS Development Class Students Propose & Develop Deliverables Within a Given Company Context
3 Disruptive Nature oF IT Students Inquire, Design & Deliver an IT Project Based on their Passions
4 Digital Identity & Digital Storytelling Students Inquire & Design a Digital Identity Based on their Personal Identities
5 Cultural Pathways Study Abroad Students Build Competency Based on Some Required and Some Selected Activities

15. Student Feedback
“Everything we did for the semester project I
thought was very applicable to the business
world. It helped me learn the material we had
covered by putting it into action.”
“I learned a lot about team dynamics as well as
information systems by integrating class lessons
with the project.”
“The course allowed for a lot of learning in the
areas of BIS. There was a lot of variety that gave
us a thorough understanding of what the BIS
major has to offer.”

16. Design for Significant Learning Experiences
Self-Directed Guide to Designing
Significant Learning Experiences

17. PjBL Learning Environment Design
Course
Learning
OutcomesProject
Faculty Teams
Other
Resources
TechnologyClassroom
PjBL

18. Course
Formulate
Desired Learning
Outcomes
Necessary
Content Areas
Pedagogy
(Flipped
Classroom)

19. Learning Outcomes
“Significant Learning” Outcomes Sample AAC&U Learning Outcomes
• Intellectual and Practical Skills
– Inquiry and analysis
– Critical thinking
– Creative thinking
– Written communication
– Oral communication
– Reading
– Quantitative literacy
– Information literacy
– Teamwork
– Problem solving
• Personal and Social Responsibility
– Civic engagement—local and global
– Intercultural knowledge and competence
– Ethical reasoning
– Foundations and skills for lifelong learning
– Global learning
• Integrative and Applied Learning
– Integrative learning

20. Project- Focal Learning Activities
• Build a Real World Scenario with a
Critical Driving Question
• Give Students Freedom to Make
Choices
• Relate Project Assignments to
Significant Portion of the Course
Content
• Come Up with Deliverables Requiring
Higher Order Thinking
• Include Formative
Assessments
• Require Presentation
• Compile a Project Booklet
To-Do

21. Make the project interdisciplinary, even if the
course subject matter is not, by including
discipline-specific assignments involving a
variety of 21st century literacies- e.g., visual
literacy, critical consumption of information,
digital storytelling, creativity, etc.

22. If possible, focus students on challenges with a
global scope to internationalize mindsets to
improve global and/or cultural awareness.

23. Classroom
Consider
Can the Space
Facilitate Work in
Teams?
Can Technology Be
Brought in to
Facilitate Team Work?

24. Faculty
Consider
Faculty Role as a
Learning
Designer, Mentor
& Coach
Synchronous
Communications
• Topic/Activity
Introductions
• Discussions
• Formative
Assessments In Class
• Coaching Meetings
Outside of Class
Asynchronous
Communications
• LMS/Email
Reminders
• Inspirations on
Social Media
• Discussion Boards
• Written Formative
Assessments

25. TeamsTo-Do
Select Diverse Background Teams
(Do not allow self-selected teams)
Conduct a Team Building Workshop
Have Teams Write Team Contract and Team Resume
Design In-Class Collaboration Activities
Design Peer Evaluation Within and Between Teams
Conduct In-Class Team Stand-Up Meetings
(What is going well, what is not going well, what can we do better, Bottlenecks)

26. Promote collaboration – within groups, between
groups, between classrooms, with different
universities, with professionals -- to make
learning social and more rewarding.
(collaborative learning; connected learning)

27. Technology
Select
Technology to
Support
Collaboration:
LMS
ePortfolio
SharePoint
Google Docs
Project
Deliverables:
Web 2.0 Tools
Social Media
Mobile Apps
Plan on
Tinkering
Workshops

28. Other Resources
Identify
Other
Resources to
Support the
Project
Community
Partners
University Support Staff: Librarian, Writing Center,
Career Services, Student Development Services
Professionals, Organizations, Companies
Other Schools
Course
Content
Resources:
Readings
Videos
Images
Materials
Facilities

29. PjBL vs. PjBL with Scaffolding & Enriching
VS.

30. The Hero’s Journey
- “common template of a
broad category of tales
that involve a hero who
goes on an adventure, and
in a decisive crisis wins
a victory, and then comes
home changed or
transformed.”

31. Thank You!
Share Your Feedback:

32. Appendix: Sample Projects
• INSC 20263
– Business Information Systems
– Project Instructions
– Course Syllabus
• INSC 30833
– Business Information Systems Development
– Project Instructions
– Course Syllabus