Planning and Managing PBL

First, why PBL requires extensive planning. Second, how to manage the complexity of PBL while it runs.

A teacher who plans well and manages skillfully runs successful PBL units. A teacher who underplans or struggles with management produces frustration for everyone.

PBL needs detailed planning

PBL is not “let the students figure it out.” Students figure things out, but within structures the teacher created.

Many teachers wrongly assume PBL means less planning. The opposite is true.

The smallest details. Not just broad outlines.

What needs to be planned

1. Group composition. How many students per group? Who is in each group? How are groups balanced?

2. Tasks for each group. What specifically does each group investigate?

3. Teacher’s role at each stage. When does the teacher facilitate? When step back?

4. Resources. What materials are needed? Where do they come from?

5. Time allocation. How long for each phase? When are deadlines?

6. Backup plans. What if a group finishes early? What if conflict arises?

A teacher who plans all of these enters the unit confident. A teacher who plans some but not others encounters surprises.

The three phases of teacher engagement

Phase 1: Modeling. The teacher demonstrates what students should do. Used at the start when the concept is new.

Phase 2: Coaching. The teacher guides actively while students work. Used in the middle as students develop skill.

Phase 3: Fading. The teacher steps back and lets students work independently. Used in the later stages as students gain confidence.

Planning PBL means deciding when each phase fits. The schedule shifts the teacher’s role across the unit.

Why management is hard

When students take charge, the teacher loses some control. This is the point of PBL. But it also makes management harder.

Specific challenges

1. Misbehavior risks increase. Students working freely may behave less consistently than students in a teacher-led setting.

2. Resource use is complex. Multiple groups need different things. Materials must flow.

3. Multitask situations. The teacher juggles several groups at once.

4. Group dynamics vary. One group may collaborate well; another may struggle.

5. Pace differences. Different groups finish at different rates.

6. Spread-out work. Students may need to leave the classroom (library, lab, outside). The teacher must monitor.

A teacher who anticipates these challenges plans for them. A teacher who does not faces them as surprises during the unit.

Multitask management

In a lecture, the teacher does one thing (lecturing) while students do one thing (listening). Simple to manage.

In PBL, multiple groups do different things simultaneously. The teacher cannot focus on one group fully without the others doing something unexpected.

Strategies for multitask management

1. Establish clear group expectations. Each group knows what they should be doing. They can continue without the teacher hovering.

2. Use a rotation pattern. The teacher visits each group in turn. Groups know roughly when the teacher will arrive.

3. Create fallback activities. If a group is stuck and the teacher is busy, they have a fallback (consult a resource, work on a sub-task, write down questions).

4. Empower students to help each other. Students within a group can help each other. They do not always need the teacher.

5. Maintain visual oversight. The teacher can scan the room. They notice if a group has stopped working or has a problem.

A teacher who masters multitask management runs PBL smoothly. A teacher who tries to be everywhere at once burns out and provides poor support to most groups.

Group dynamics

Students often interrupt the teacher to ask questions. This is normal but can disrupt the teacher’s work with another group.

The fix is twofold.

1. Acknowledge the need. Students wanting attention is normal. The teacher should not punish it.

2. Set rules. “Wait until I come to your group.” “Try the resource list first.” “Discuss with your group; if still stuck, write the question down for me.”

Over time, students learn the rules. They develop more independence. The interruptions decrease.

Consistent enforcement matters. If the teacher sometimes allows interruptions and sometimes does not, students learn that interrupting works. If the teacher consistently redirects to the rules, students learn to follow them.

Uneven finishing rates

A specific challenge:

Not all groups work at the same speed. Some finish early. Some finish late. Some get stuck.

Extension activities for early finishers

A subtle problem. If extension activities are punishing (more boring work), students slow down to avoid them.

The solution:

Extension activities should be engaging, not punishing. Some options:

1. Deeper investigation. Continue the same problem with more depth.
2. Related topics. Investigate something connected.
3. Helping other groups. Tutor peers who are struggling.
4. Creating materials for the class. Posters, summaries, supplements.
5. Meta-tasks. Reflect on what they learned, plan what to investigate next.

A teacher who plans good extensions makes early finishing rewarding. Students stay engaged.

Late finishers

What about groups that fall behind?

1. Identify early. Notice which groups are falling behind. Do not wait until the deadline.

2. Investigate the cause. Are they stuck on a specific issue? Are they distracted? Is the work too hard for them?

3. Provide targeted help. Spend more time with struggling groups. Help them work through obstacles.

4. Adjust expectations if needed. It is sometimes better to reduce scope than to push past students’ capacity.

5. Use more capable students as helpers. Sometimes peers can help in ways the teacher cannot.

A teacher who manages both fast and slow groups serves all students. A teacher who only attends to one or the other leaves some behind.

Teacher responsibilities

Four explicit responsibilities.

1. Monitor and manage student work

The teacher tracks what students are doing. Are they on task? Are they making progress? Are they following the process?

This requires active observation. The teacher cannot wait at their desk for students to come.

2. Manage group work and individual contributions

Within each group, the teacher monitors:

1. Is everyone contributing?
2. Is one student dominating?
3. Are the quiet students being heard?
4. Is the work being divided fairly?

A group where one student does everything is not really collaborative. The teacher must intervene to redistribute work.

3. Manage materials

PBL often involves materials: books, equipment, paper, technology. The teacher must:

1. Ensure materials are available.
2. Distribute them fairly.
3. Manage shared resources.
4. Handle damage or loss.
5. Collect and store at the end.

A teacher with poor material management spends class time tracking down what students need. A teacher with good material management has materials ready when needed.

4. Regulate movement and behavior

PBL students may move around the classroom or leave it (to the library, lab, outside). The teacher must:

1. Set rules for moving.
2. Monitor where students are.
3. Address behavior issues outside the classroom.
4. Coordinate with other teachers if students need their resources.
5. Ensure safety.

This is not babysitting. It is appropriate supervision while giving students freedom to investigate.

Realistic time estimate

A typical PBL unit might involve:

1. Day 1: Introduce the problem, form groups, begin investigation.
2. Days 2-5: Investigation, including library/lab time.
3. Days 6-7: Synthesis and artifact creation.
4. Day 8: Presentations and debriefing.

Eight class periods for one PBL unit. Some units take longer.

A teacher who tries to compress PBL into one or two periods produces shallow PBL. The unit must have enough time for the full process.

A teacher who values depth over coverage allocates time for PBL. A teacher who tries to cover everything cannot afford the time.

The art of stepping back

A subtle but important skill: knowing when to step back.

A teacher new to PBL often hovers. They want to ensure success. They jump in to help at every difficulty. The result: students do not develop independence.

A teacher experienced with PBL learns to wait. They watch students struggle without intervening. They give students time to work through difficulties. Only when students truly cannot proceed do they step in.

’s earlier point about Hasan’s experiment applies. Children naturally apply scientific method when given space. The teacher’s role is to provide the space, not to fill it.

A teacher who steps back appropriately produces independent learners. A teacher who never steps back produces dependent learners.

Flashcard

What are the four main teacher responsibilities during PBL management?

Tap to reveal

Answer

Monitor work, manage groups, manage materials, regulate movement and behavior

1. Monitor and manage student work, both individual and group.

2. Manage group dynamics; ensure everyone contributes.

3. Manage materials and resources.

4. Regulate movement and behavior, including outside the classroom.

These responsibilities require active management. The teacher is not passive in PBL. They are facilitating actively while students do the central work.