SEVEN YEARS OF ONLINE PROJECT-BASED LEARNING AT SCALE

Abstract

Adequate literature has commended the effectiveness and benefits of well-implemented project-based learning (PjBL), yet its success can significantly vary based on contextual factors and approaches. Thus, design guidelines generated from the research need to be adapted and evaluated in various learning environments. Prevailing guidelines predominantly cater to PjBL in traditional residential education. Research into online PjBL remains limited, often involving one-off and noniterative experiments in small classes. This study addresses these gaps by implementing a comprehensive PjBL model in a large online graduate course in computer science. This model integrates project-phase curriculum, online self-directed learning, online communities of inquiry, and online feedback at scale, supported by scaffolding, modeling, and mentoring. The effectiveness of this model is assessed through student surveys spanning seven years. Survey results (n = 2179) revealed consistently positive perceptions of the course's efficacy among students. Notably, older adults and female students, as well as those who identified project topics earlier in the course, reported higher ratings on course effectiveness. This paper shares the detailed implementation of the model, survey findings, and student perspectives on how to succeed in online PjBL. The implications of the study for future research and practice is also discussed.