Our college offers a unique academic environment where the responsibility for learning is handed back to the student, where teachers act as mentors and guides rather than directors. Students are empowered to initiate, investigate, to find solutions and to making new discoveries. Self confidence is enhanced and the skills required to thrive in the 21st Century are developed.
Students thrive when they are actively engaged solving relevant, real-life problems. They develop greater confidence, better organisational skills, self direction, research skills and are inspired to gain a deeper knowledge of subjects.
Paul Chapman
Principal
What is Project Based Learning?
The very nature of project based learning (PBL) is student inquiry. PBL moves away from the traditional approach to education – where students learn passively, always waiting for teachers to deliver content and directions. Instead, our students are encouraged to be active learners and take the lead role in their own education.
Instead of working in isolation within a subject, our teachers are required to bring their expertise into a collaborative work environment, effectively modelling PBL in their approach to the classroom. Colleagues brainstorm to develop projects that cover a range of curriculum requirements as effectively and interestingly as possible.
Working in small groups, students are presented with real-world issues and tasked with developing solutions to the challenge. Teachers guide students to develop objectives, undertake research, make community contacts, stick to deadlines and effectively present their solutions to an audience.
Our open learning spaces remove the walls that require teaching and learning in isolation. Instead we work in flexible, evolving rooms that promote positive interaction and give students a greater sense of ownership to use the space in a way that best meets their learning needs.
In practice in the classroom, students are required to be effective collaborators, capable communicators, critical thinkers and creative problem solvers. PBL is about preparing our children for the future. More PBL information can be found here.