Differences between Project-Based Learning and Traditional Projects

Traditional projects have been around forever and have dominated the structure of schools. Projects are a great way for students to research topics on their own and allow students to express their creativity. Traditional projects are pre-planned and based on directions and criteria. Most of the time, the teacher gives students a format to follow. This can be helpful for students because projects can help guide their learning in an interactive way. When creating projects, students can share them with their peers and gain valuable feedback. On the other hand, project-based learning offers more benefits for students. Project based learning is an application-driven learning style that encourages students to incorporate activities from the real world with their learning. It improves student’s capacity for abstract thought and comprehension in significant ways. Students learn useful skills and experience while constructing a project “naturally,” in addition to understanding.

The image above highlights the major differences between traditional learning and project-based learning. The last difference that says knowledge is gained only after the process is the goal for traditional learning. In other words, traditional learning focuses on the end goal and less on the process of learning new concepts. Whereas, project based learning encourages students to learn at every stage of the project.