Study on the Best Uses of Technology in Support of Project-Based Learning

Project-Based Learning (PBL) is a teaching technique in which authentic, real-world projects are used as the primary vehicle to drive the student's learning experience. This technique has been found to be very effective, but its overall adoption rate is relatively low, in part due to teachers' unfamiliarity with how to best use technology to successfully implement it. This research study involved a comprehensive survey of supportive technology tools, as well as secondary survey research from students and teachers with actual experience in PBL. The goal was to determine which types of technology tools were most supportive of PBL. Overall, the study found that teachers and students are mostly aligned with regards to the importance of technology and the effectiveness of various types of tools. Tools which fostered collaboration amongst teacher and students were ultimately deemed the most effective, but content-development and assessment tools were also found to be particularly helpful.