One of the biggest obstacles in taking on a project such as this one was dealing with the element of control and management. Previously, my methods of instruction within the classroom were more traditional in nature. I stood before the students and spewed forth what I felt was necessary information. Although I tried to do so in a manner that was interesting, I maintained total control and in essence dictated what would be learned and how it would be learned.

This project forced me to allow learning to take place in another way, while maintaining control of a different sort.

What I was doing, was giving my students the opportunity to learn for themselves. The control came in the form of suggestion and guidance, keeping students focused and on track, but never limiting them in the paths they were following.

It was a concern of mine that by using this approach, not for a small project, but rather for a 6-7 week unit, that curricular objectives would go unmet. It was a risk. I needed to keep close tabs on what each group was doing and be there to fill in any gaps. In the end would they have learned what they needed to learn? I feel they did and I am confident that the knowledge that some of them acquired went beyond what I anticipated.

General Observations:

For what it is worth, average unit scores were 5-15% higher than those from other traditionally instructed units this year.

In the group setting, students often fed off one another and thrived on the sense of team. (The idea that each group represented a firm competing against others to win a construction bid, seemed to add an element of friendly competition.)

Initially some students had difficulty handling this increased responsibility, but as time went on each student seemed to get better and better. The fact that they had a specific role to play within their firm must have been very motivating to some of them.

There was obvious frustration in some group members who felt that they were bearing the brunt of the workload. This seemed to lessen as the project went on and the anticipation of the “competition” (bridge testing) pulled most students into duty.

Having Erik Vik (engineer) come in and speak with the students validated what the students had done and was a very effective component of this process.

The buildup to bridge testing day created an element of anticipation and excitement that was unmatched throughout the year.

In terms of students presentations, it was evident that this was a valuable experience for most students. The opportunity to stand before their peers and showcase what they had done was very rewarding. In the future I would spend more time on polishing presentations and encouraging the use of presentation software

When students have the opportunity to take ownership in their learning they are more likely to ask the questions they want answered ... and there becomes no limit .... Earl Sorensen

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