- This week, we examined inquiry and project-based pedagogy as shown in the 2015 documentary Most Likely to Succeed. The documentary examines High Tech High, a school that gives students freedom and flexibility to pursue a project in whatever subject interests them. Students then showcase their projects at a community day, like a science fair, instead of a traditional test or other kind of assessment. This model adjusts goals and outcomes according to the learns own needs and interests, and has the instructors acting more in a supportive and guidance role instead of the more traditional role.
- Do we need to reimagine education?
- I believe we need to reimagine education as the current model of education is based on an outdated model designed for a world that is slowly no longer existing. Schools (and society at large) need to shift their value to planning, teamwork, problem solving and other soft skills as automation and AI are making rote memorization and knowing facts obsolete. I found a helpful video that discusses the importance of soft-skills
- Currently, educators are trying to adjust their strategies to this changing world and how the curriculum is matching up to the challenges that students will face in the real world.
- Changing to a project or inquiry based model as shown in the Most Likely to Succeed might be a way to approach the changing of the times. As it can teach skills like planning, scheduling and teamwork.
- What obstacles do educators face when they try to change pedagogy?
- Assessment might be challenging if only a handful of the institutions recognize the change in pedagogy such as a project or inquiry based learning model. Especially in places that put value on standardized testing like the SAT or provincial exams.
- Another obstacle I can see is that of resources and feasibility- students and schools might not have the time, money or logistical capability to manage a semester long project.
- Lastly, student effort and motivation are factors to consider. Not all students will find value in project based models, or they may not have the skills, confidence, motivation to pursue a project model. This is where scaffolding and teacher guidance will still matter in these kinds of systems of pedagogy
- What concerns you and/or excites you about this approach?
- I am concerned about how the curriculum addresses challenges that students will face in the real world. The world of today is so much different than the world of ten years ago. Addressing the current state of education and performing a paradigm shift to a new system needs to be reactive and reflexive to the state of the world and how the
- Part of what excites me in this approach of project based learning is inspiring students to pursue areas they are passionate in and provide that guidance and support. As seen in the film, one group was not able to make it to the presentation day. While this might seem like a failure on their part, I think of it more as a learning opportunity- “why did this group not succeed?” As a teacher, one should share in their students successes and failures.