Abstract:

How we describe what our instructional approaches are matter in many scenarios, including in formal academic processes (e.g., faculty evaluation, program evaluation, and curriculum proposals), policy advocacy (e.g., talking to legislators), working with the public, and assuring clarity of ideas in manuscripts and research proposals. This paper looks at the usage of “project-based learning”, “practice-based learning”, and “work-based learning” in the literature to compare and contrast their definitions and illustrate connotations and assumptions relating to each term. As seen in the brief descriptions in the following paragraph, while there is a lot of overlap between these three approaches, there are also key differences. The results described in this paper will help faculty and programs better find and market their niche as well as map the landscape for continued innovation.

Project-based learning (PBL) centers around students engaging in real-world, hands-on projects to acquire and apply knowledge and skills, PBL is an instructional approach that emphasizes active learning, critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration. Key characteristics include student engagement and collaboration in their learning, real-world relevance to both what is learned and how it is learned, an approach based in inquiry and exploration, creativity, and reflection. Work-based learning (WBL) intentionally integrates practical work experience with classroom learning. Key characteristics include hand-on experience, integration of theory and practice, supervision and mentoring at work, development of skills specific to a company or an industry, exploration of skills and careers, and recognition of achievement that is valid to industry whether or not it is an academic credential. Practice-based, or practice-embedded, learning (PEL) focuses on developing knowledge, skills, and expertise through direct, hands-on experiences, particularly in a professional or clinical setting. Key characteristics include learning through doing, direct experience, supervision and mentoring during practice, reflective practice, progressive complexity, regular feedback, the integration of theory and practice, and creation of a professional identity.

Keywords:

Project-based learning, practice-embedded learning, work-based learning.