The old school model of passively learning facts is no longer sufficient to prepare students to survive in today’s world. Students need a dynamic classroom approach where they can actively explore real-world problems and challenges and acquire a deeper knowledge. Project-based learning has gained a greater foothold in the classroom as it engages the pupils’ heart and mind, providing real-world relevance for learning. After completing a project, students understand and retain the content longer than is often the case with traditional methods. “Project-based learning is an instructional model that involves students in investigations of compelling problems that culminate in authentic results,” says Robert Fulk, COO at Centric Learning Systems. Ann Arbor, MI based Centric Learning is reforming curriculum into individual projects that encourage an inquiry or research driven approach to solving problems, understanding issues, or exploring new topics. These projects make students analyze their situation with the help of various school subjects like mathematics, language skills or social studies, to make the subject matter easier and understandable.

According to Fulk, the education system is evolving as new technologies are discovered and put to use every day, but no one is looking at new ways to learn. “There are numerous tools and solutions that are online or cloud-based, but the motive of learning something unique is non-existent,” he adds. “The firms providing digitalized learning solutions do not understand the challenges being faced by teachers, principals, educators, or the students.” Centric Learning’s solution, HERO, was built by a group of teachers and students who were unhappy with the one-size-fits-all approach to education. These teachers now, instead of passively following a curriculum that trailed a standard text over a set time period, created appropriate projects, and recruited a team of highly qualified educators who knew their subject areas.The teachers discovered how to incorporate the learning standards in their respective disciplines to projects that were engaging and appropriate for young people.