Reinventing AP Courses With Rigorous Project-Based Learning

Summary

The video script discusses the impact of Project-Based Learning (PBL) in Advanced Placement (AP) courses, particularly focusing on the Knowledge in Action Efficacy study. It explores the effectiveness of PBL in high-stakes environments like AP exams, where students can earn college credits. The study involved five urban districts, with diverse student populations, comparing traditional AP classes to those incorporating PBL through group work, simulations, and debates. Results showed that PBL students outperformed their peers, challenging the notion that underserved students are unprepared for student-centered instruction.

Takeaways

• 📊 The Alabama law's impact on data collection is discussed, emphasizing the difficulty in gathering accurate data when people are not forthcoming.
• 🎓 AP scores are crucial for students as they can translate into college credits, saving students and their families tuition fees.
• 🏫 The script explores the use of Project-Based Learning (PBL) in high-stakes AP environments, questioning if teachers can confidently employ it and still ensure student success on AP exams.
• 🔑 Walter highlights that experiential learning through projects is not common in AP courses, but it is being tested to drive the course content.
• 👨‍🏫 Students in the AP Gov course are involved in simulations, such as taking on the role of a Supreme Court Justice, which is a departure from traditional teaching methods.
• 🤔 There's a debate among students about the purpose of certain programs, with some questioning the reinforcement of wealth distribution.
• 📚 Amber describes a classroom experience that is markedly different from traditional lectures, with students having defined roles and a need to know from the start.
• 🔬 Anna is the principal investigator of the Knowledge in Action Efficacy study, which sought to understand the effects of PBL on AP scores and classroom dynamics.
• 🧑‍🎓 The study involved a partnership with five urban districts, focusing on both lower- and higher-income students, as well as traditionally underserved populations.
• 📈 The results of the study showed that students using the Knowledge in Action approach outperformed those in traditional classes across various demographics and courses.
• 🚀 The study challenges the notion that underserved students are not ready for student-centered instruction, suggesting that PBL can be effective for all students.

Q & A

What is the primary focus of the AP courses mentioned in the transcript?

The primary focus of the AP courses mentioned is to incorporate Project-Based Learning (PBL) in a high-stakes environment, such as Advanced Placement (AP) courses, while ensuring that students still perform well on AP exams.

How do the project-based AP courses differ from traditional AP courses?

Project-based AP courses differ from traditional AP courses in that they drive the learning process through experiential learning, such as simulations and group work, rather than relying heavily on lectures and test preparation.

What are some examples of experiential learning mentioned in the AP Gov course?

In the AP Gov course, students participate in simulations where they take on roles such as a Supreme Court Justice or someone running a political campaign.

What challenges do students face when transitioning to Project-Based Learning (PBL) in AP courses?

Students often struggle with the shift in their role from passive recipients of knowledge, who are used to lectures and textbooks, to active participants in driving their own learning through PBL.

What did the Knowledge in Action study aim to investigate?

The study aimed to understand the effects of Project-Based Learning on AP scores, how it worked for students from different income households, and whether it changed teaching practices in classrooms.

What were the study's findings regarding AP exam performance?

The study found that students who used Knowledge in Action, a project-based learning approach, outperformed those in traditional AP classes in terms of their probability of earning a qualifying score on AP exams.

How did students from lower-income households perform in the project-based learning environment compared to traditional learning?

Students from lower-income households who participated in project-based learning performed as well as or better than those in traditional learning environments, challenging the notion that underserved students require more traditional, lecture-based instruction.

What changes did teachers experience when implementing Project-Based Learning (PBL) in their classrooms?

Teachers needed to significantly change their teaching methods when implementing PBL, as it required moving away from traditional lectures and test preparation to more student-centered, experiential learning approaches.

What was the overall impact of the Knowledge in Action study on students' classroom experiences?

The study showed that students in the Knowledge in Action treatment group had a more interactive and engaging classroom experience, characterized by group work, simulations, and active participation, compared to the control group.

How does the study challenge common beliefs about teaching underserved students?

The study challenges the belief that underserved students are not ready for student-centered instruction. The results demonstrated that these students can thrive in a Project-Based Learning environment, which contradicts the notion that they need traditional, teacher-centered instruction to succeed.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Project-Based Learning in High-Stakes AP Environments

The paragraph discusses the debate over the Alabama law, which is about collecting data. It highlights the difficulty in obtaining accurate data when people are not forthcoming. Anna emphasizes the importance of AP scores for students as they can translate into college credits, saving tuition fees. The team explores the feasibility of using Project-Based Learning (PBL) in high-stakes AP courses to ensure students perform well on exams. Walter explains how PBL is integrated into AP courses through experiential learning, such as simulations and role-playing. Students share their experiences, noting the difference from traditional lectures and the active engagement in PBL. Amber describes the unique structure of PBL classes, where students have roles and responsibilities from the start. Anna introduces the Knowledge in Action Efficacy study, which investigates the impact of PBL on AP scores and classroom practices, focusing on students from various socioeconomic backgrounds and ethnicities. The study partners with urban districts, including those with a majority of low-income and traditionally underserved students. Teachers are randomly assigned to either the treatment group with access to Knowledge in Action resources or the control group with traditional AP classes. The treatment group engages in group work, simulations, and debates, leading to a different classroom experience compared to the control group.

Keywords

💡Alabama law

The 'Alabama law' mentioned in the transcript seems to be a point of debate or discussion, although it is not explicitly defined within the script. It appears to be related to data collection, possibly in an educational context. The mention of being 'for or against' suggests a controversial or divisive policy, which is a common theme in educational policy discussions.

💡Data collection

Data collection is the process of gathering and analyzing information on a particular topic. In the script, it is mentioned as a challenge due to people not being forthcoming, which implies difficulty in obtaining accurate and reliable data. This is crucial for educational research and policy-making, as accurate data informs effective strategies and interventions.

💡AP scores

AP, or Advanced Placement, scores are the results of exams that high school students take to earn college credit. The script highlights the high stakes associated with these exams, as they can translate into significant savings in tuition fees for students and their families. The pressure to perform well on AP exams is a central theme in the discussion of educational strategies and student outcomes.

💡Project-Based Learning (PBL)

Project-Based Learning is an educational approach where students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period on investigations or projects that produce tangible results. In the script, Anna and her team explore the use of PBL in a high-stakes AP environment, aiming to understand its impact on student performance and teacher confidence.

💡Experiential learning

Experiential learning is a method of education where students learn through experience, often by engaging in activities and reflecting on those experiences. Walter mentions using experiential learning in AP courses, such as simulations where students take on roles like Supreme Court Justices, which is a form of PBL.

💡Knowledge in Action

Knowledge in Action appears to be a specific educational program or approach that is being studied in the transcript. It involves using group work, simulations, and debates to teach AP content, contrasting with traditional lecture and test-prep methods. The study's aim is to evaluate the effectiveness of this approach on student performance and classroom dynamics.

💡Principal investigator

A principal investigator is the lead researcher in a scientific study, responsible for the overall design, management, and conclusions of the research. Anna identifies herself as the principal investigator of the Knowledge in Action Efficacy study, indicating her central role in the research.

💡Urban districts

Urban districts in the context of the script refer to predominantly city-based educational administrative regions. The study partnered with five large urban districts, three of which served a majority of students from low-income households, highlighting the focus on diverse and often underserved populations in the study.

💡Random assignment

Random assignment is a method used in scientific studies to distribute participants into groups randomly, which helps to control for bias. In the study, teachers were randomly assigned to either the treatment group with access to Knowledge in Action or the control group with traditional AP classes, ensuring a fair comparison of the two teaching methods.

💡Student-centered instruction

Student-centered instruction is an educational approach that places students at the center of the learning process, encouraging them to take an active role in their education. The script challenges the notion that underserved students are not ready for this approach, suggesting that the results of the study support its effectiveness for all students.

💡Qualifying score

A qualifying score on an AP exam is the minimum score a student must achieve to earn college credit. The script discusses the importance of earning a qualifying score as a measure of student success and the effectiveness of different educational approaches in helping students achieve this goal.

Highlights

The debate on the Alabama law's implications for data collection and its challenges due to people's reluctance to share information.

The high stakes of AP scores for students, as they can translate into college credit and save on tuition fees.

The exploration of Project-Based Learning in a high-stakes AP environment and its potential impact on student performance.

The experiential learning approach in AP courses, where students engage in simulations such as taking on roles of Supreme Court Justices or political campaigners.

The philosophical debate among students on the redistribution of wealth and the reinforcement of existing programs.

Amber's description of a class structured differently from traditional lectures, with students playing active roles from the beginning.

Anna's role as the principal investigator of the Knowledge in Action Efficacy study, aiming to understand the effects of experiential learning on AP scores.

The study's focus on students from both lower-income and higher-income households, as well as traditionally underserved populations.

The random assignment of teachers to either the treatment group with access to Knowledge in Action or the control group with traditional AP classes.

The active classroom environment described by Richshunda, where students are engaged in group work, discussions, and simulations.

The significant shift for teachers and students to adopt Knowledge in Action, moving away from traditional lecture-based learning.

The comparison of AP scores between the Knowledge in Action students and the control group, showing the former's outperformance.

The challenge to the belief that underserved students are not ready for student-centered instruction, as the study results suggest otherwise.

The encouragement for teachers considering project-based learning in AP classes, supported by the study's positive outcomes.

The study's partnership with five predominantly urban districts, three of which served a majority of students from low-income households.

The inclusion of both AP U.S. Government and AP Environmental Science teachers in the study to assess the impact of the teaching approach.

The observation of classroom changes when teachers have access to Knowledge in Action resources and the subsequent impact on teaching practices.

Transcripts

>>Student: Do we want to say be for or against the Alabama law?

>>Student: All it is is collecting data.

>>Student: It's hard to collect data when people are not forthcoming.

It makes it really hard to get accurate data.

>>Anna: AP scores are really high stakes for students,

because when students earn a qualifying score on an AP exam, that can translate

into college credit, and that college credit can save them

and their families tuition money.

So, there's a lot of pressure in the AP context, right?

And so, my team and I wanted to understand whether

or not teachers could use Project-Based Learning

in this high-stakes environment.

And also feel confident that their students will be able

to perform well on the AP examination.

>>Walter: So, it's not uncommon in an AP course to have a project or two,

but we're trying to drive the course through projects, which is to say

through experiential learning.

So, in our courses, students are very often involved in a simulation

in the case of the AP Gov course.

They're taking the role of a Supreme Court Justice,

or somebody running a campaign or running for office.

>>Student: What he wants to do is reinforce--

>>Student: Sharing the wealth among people who didn't earn it?

>>Student: He wants to reinforce the already existing program.

>>Amber: It's different than any kind of class

where you would just have a lecture, do a worksheet or an activity,

maybe make a poster at the end, and take a test.

This is structured completely differently,

so that from the very beginning, students have a role

that they play, and a need to know.

>>Anna: I am the principal investigator

of the Knowledge in Action Efficacy study.

This study was a really huge endeavor, we wanted to learn about effects

on scores, we wanted to learn how the approach would work for students

from lower-income households, for students from higher-income households.

In addition to test scores,

we also wanted to understand what happens in classrooms.

Are teachers changing their practice when teachers have access

to Knowledge in Action resources?

What do changes look like in classrooms, and what do teachers and students think?

And we ended up partnering with five

of the largest predominantly urban districts around the country.

Three of the districts served a majority of students from low-income households.

And four of the five districts served a majority of students who black

or Hispanic who have been traditionally underserved.

We were working with both AP U.S. Government teachers,

and AP Environmental Science teachers.

We randomly assigned teachers to either have access to Knowledge in Action,

that was our treatment group; or traditional AP classes,

that was the control group.

During that year students

in the treatment group were learning their AP content through group work,

and through simulations and debates.

>>Richshunda: In that class everybody's working, everybody's talking,

everybody's in groups, everybody's just active.

Like you don't even want to leave the class when you have to.

>>Anna: They were having a different classroom experience

than the control group of students, who were relying more heavily

on lecture and test prep activities.

We learned that Knowledge in Action was a big shift for teachers.

They needed to really change how they'd been teaching.

And students as well found it hard to change their role.

They were used to being recipients of knowledge.

They were used to sitting and listening to their teachers lecture

and reading their textbooks.

After that first year, we compared students' AP scores.

>>Anna: Our overall pattern of results showed Knowledge

in Action students outperforming control students on their probability

of earning a qualifying score on the AP exams.

We saw that pattern of positive results within the AP U.S. Government course,

within the AP Environmental Science course,

within students form lower-income households, and within students

from higher-income households, and within each of the five districts.

I think that's very compelling.

There's a belief among some educators and some policy makers

that students who've been underserved aren't ready

to have student-centered instruction

where they're driving their own learning.

The idea is that these students need to have teachers delivering content

and skills to them, you know, through lecture and textbook, and students need

to gain their skills and knowledge that way before they'll be ready

to drive their own learning.

The results of this study really challenged that notion.

I think teachers who've been considering using project-based learning

in their Advanced Placement classes, I think the results

of this study gives those teachers reasons to do it.