The Fourth Industrial Revolution is changing how we learn, work and thrive. The education sector – internationally and in South Africa – has responded to this evolution by researching, implementing and monitoring methodologies to educate our children, so that we can prepare them to adapt to a rapidly changing world. Covid-19 has presented us with the additional opportunity to further implement these innovations on a larger scale and with an increasing sense of urgency.
These days, it’s almost impossible to have a conversation about education without hearing phrases like “student-centred,” “deeper learning,” or “project-based.” Everywhere, districts, school leaders, and curriculum developers are launching new initiatives to promote instruction that gets students creating, investigating, performing, and experimenting, rather than taking notes and tests and the Department of Basic Education is no exception.
E3 is the Department of Basic Education’s innovation programme which seeks to bring high-quality project-based learning (PBL) to scale. It is a teacher preparation program that trains pre-service and in-service teachers in PBL so that the teaching workforce becomes more equipped with the correct mindset, technology, and know-how to carry out PBL in their classrooms.
How exactly is an effective project based learning (PBL) teacher different from a non-PBL teacher? How is the practice and approach to teaching shifted? What does a PBL teacher need to do to support the PBL environment? And conversely, how can the PBL environment support the teacher?
But while the buzzwords may be new, the challenges we face in transforming learning opportunities for students are old and familiar. And if we’ve learned anything from reform efforts of the past, it’s that if we fail to support teachers, our efforts at change will likely fail. Why? Because teachers and teaching are the keys to transforming what happens for kids in schools. So how can we expand the ranks of teachers who provide genuine opportunities for students to engage in intellectually rich and personally meaningful learning experiences?
E3 offers real-life context to the curriculum through a Project-based Learning (PBL) approach, where students are encouraged to become independent workers, critical thinkers, and lifelong learners. PBL is not just a way of learning; it’s a way of working together. If students learn to take responsibility for their own learning, they will form the basis for the way they will work with others in their adult lives.
So, what is project-based learning? PBL is a learner centered, teacher guided, way of teaching that encourages learners to work together to solve problems that are real, relevant and meaningful to them. Individual and group projects involve complex tasks – often organised around a challenging central question – resulting in reflection, revision, collaboration, and the creation of a final public product shared with an authentic audience.
E3 seeks to grow the capacity of the teacher through project based learning, making quality education that is relevant and futuristic accessible to all. Ultimately, the E3 Programme will change the culture of the classroom. Working on authentic issues, learners will become agile, develop creative thinking skills and the ability to solve real-world problems. If these young people are aware of their role as citizens, they will become curious and resilient.
