PBL Projects
The basic unit of instruction in a PBL curriculum is a project. Students are organized into teams and work on
these projects to grapple with the problem and to achieve the learning objectives that are embedded in each PBL project.
The eight features of each project are discussed in the paragraphs that follow.
1. An Introduction. This component introduces the student to the focal problem for the project and provides
a rationale for including the problem in the curriculum.
2. Problem. Each project is structured around a high-impact problem that the administrator is apt to face in
the future. A high-impact problem is one that has the potential to affect large numbers of people for an extended
period. Some of these problems are highly structured, while others are complex , messy, and ill-defined.
3. Learning objectives. These objectives, limited in number, signal what knowledge and skills the student
is expected to acquire during the project.
4. Resources. For each project, the student receives one or more of the following resources: books,
articles, videotapes or films, and consultants (professors or practicing administrators). The specific nature of the
resources depends upon the learning objectives and the problem that is the focal point of the project. Students are also
encouraged to exploit the resources that exist in their own school districts.
5. Product specifications. Each project culminates with some type of performance (for example, oral
presentation), product (such as a memo), or both. The specifications spell out what should be included in the performance
or the product. To make these projects as realistic as possible, the product specifications are frequently ambiguous.
This ambiguity creates some of the risk and uncertainty that are inherent in any project; moreover, the ambiguity
affords students with leeway (the amount varies from one project to another) in defining the problem and attacking it.
6. Guiding questions. Two types of guiding questions may be provided with the project. One type directs
students to key concepts; the other type assists students in thinking through the problem.
7. Assessment exercises. Assessment takes several forms. Each project contains a "Talk Back" sheet that
invites students to offer suggestions for improving the project. In addition, students are encouraged to prepare an essay
that reflects what they have learned during the project.
8. Time constraints. Most projects are designed to last from two to five sessions; each session is three hours
long. Projects terminate when the learning and product objectives are achieved. The clock is a constant enemy in
problem-based learning projects. Team members find themselves continually struggling with the dilemma that confronts
every conscientious manager, namely, how to achieve some reasonably high level of performance within severe time
constraints. Managing this dilemma requires participants to make difficult choices and to set priorities (such as family
vs. work, quantity vs. quality of output, and learning objectives vs. product objectives). Moreover, the dilemma
underscores the need to work efficiently and to adopt time-saving measures.
In addition to these features, the Instructor Edition of every PBL project includes a
Teaching Note. If you are an instructor, this
Teaching Note gives you an overview of the project, discusses how you might set the stage for
the project, foreshadows issues that might arise during the project, and suggests possible topics that the instructor
might raise when giving feedback to students.
If you are interested in learning more about this instructional strategy and other PBL projects, we
encourage you to read Problem-Based Learning for Administrators
and Implementing Problem-Based Learning in
Leadership Development.
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