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PBL-Experiential Learning Example
Subject: Social Studies for Middle School
Unit title: Seven Wonders of the World
Technology learning: iMovie
In 2015 the Minecraft game was viral within the age of 12-16. A lot of our middle school students went crazy about it. The ICT department at our school decided to block and prevent the use of games unless a teacher approves it. A group of middle school students were trying hard to get permission to use the game as a tool to show the learning outcomes. They came to me as the technology coordinator and asked me to help them to prove their point. I then decided to collaborate with the social studies teacher at our school and created a mix of PBL – Experiential Unit. I wanted to give those students a chance to prove their argument regarding the Minecraft as an educational tool. Grade 7 students were studying the Seven Wonders of the World.
The learning objectives for social studies were to learn about the topic through searing the Internet and know-how to cite their work. For me, I wanted to give the students a chance to prove their point regarding the Minecraft game. So by the end of the project students will be able to:
Search the Internet for information about the Seventh Wonders of the World and learn how to collect the right and accurate information and cite their work.
Use iMovie as a multimedia presentation tool to show the learning outcome.
To give the student a chance to prove their point regarding the Minecraft game as a learning tool. I added that one of the groups would work in Minecraft game and design the seven wonders of the world then create the iMovie.
Students introduced to the idea of PBL and exploration learning.
Learning plan
Neel, A. (2017, June 17). women using laptop on brown wooden table. Retrieved from https://unsplash.com/photos/fkalryO4dUI
The First Part: Project Based Learning (PBL)
First brainstorming question: What is the most beautiful place you have seen or want to see in your lifetime?
Around your community, what are the places you would love to visit and feel proud to take someone to them?
Then introduced students to the Seven Wonders of the Ancient and Modern World.
Students arranged into groups (3 or 4 students per group).
Each group engaged in brainstorming storming activities and assigned one Wonder to find out more about: when the Wonder was built, who built it, where it made, and if it still exists?
Then all class came together and discussed their finings.
They also compared the Ancient wonders to the Modern wonders.
Then each group engaged in creating a small poster about the building assigned to them.
Image downloaded on a poster created by Mohamed, E. from www.canva.com
The second part of the learning Experiential Learning
This part is exploring the iMovie application + using Minecraft as a learning tool:
In this part, each student worked individually using his/her laptop. They were studying the app after I gave an introduction to how to use the form.
Students spent two lessons exploring the iMovie app. They learned how to import media (video, audio, and images), add text, theme, and transition. And finally, how to share the video publicly.
One group decided to use the Minecraft game to design their seven wonders images and then create the movie to share their learning outcome.
Rubric for the final project .pdfAuthentic Assessment
Assessment:
Students evaluated based on their technical expertise, presentation skills, and participation in class discussions. Please see the attached Rubric.
Please watch the movie below to see what the students created to show their learning achievement.
Connection to the Learning Theories
Reflection on the Scenario:
In this example, I applied the learning approaches of PBL and Experiential learning. These two approaches
are pieces of evidence of using the learning theories of constructivism, cognitive, and connectivism.
All the activities designed with the concept of student-centered in mind, and students were actively engaged in the learning process.
Students were able to reflect on their learning through the group discussions of their findings of the Seven Wonders.
In the Minecraft part, students' backgrounds, perceptions, and perspectives affect their learning and the new knowledge built upon them as they created something new on the game.
Students also were intrinsically motivated and willing to share their experiences with the rest of their teammates.
Students were also eager to prove to the school that the Minecraft game could be used as a learning tool.
Connectivism was applied throughout the learning process as students worked in groups and collaborated using different online tools such as online chat using Minecraft to communicate with each other.
In terms of the role of the teacher, I was facilitating the lesson and observing the performance of the students.
References:
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2008, April 6). Lighthouse of Alexandria | History, Location, & Facts. Retrieved April 12, 2015, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/lighthouse-of-AlexandriaHistory.com Editors. (2009, October 14). Egyptian Pyramids. Retrieved April 10, 2015, from https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/the-egyptian-pyramidsTerdiman, D. (2012, May 25). The Golden Gate Bridge, a wonder of the world for 75 years. Retrieved April 12, 2015, from https://www.cnet.com/news/the-golden-gate-bridge-a-wonder-of-the-world-for-75-years/Neel, A. (2017, June 17). women using laptop on brown wooden table. Retrieved from https://unsplash.com/photos/fkalryO4dUIPage updated
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