Playful Engineering Based Learning

PEBL, a research study, examined creating playful learning experiences through engineering education in low resource schools and communities.
Start Date
2021
End Date
2023
Funded by
Tufts University CEEO | LEGO Foundation
No of teachers
54
No of students
2646

The goal of the Playful Engineering-Based Learning (PEBL) project is to enable children to experience learning through play and engineering in their classrooms every day.  The focus of the project was to ensure equity in being able to learn through play and engineering to happen in schools with limited resources. We worked towards achieving this goal by collaborating with teachers to enhance their capacity to deliver hands-on learning experiences to their students through PLAY and ENGINEERING. 

Why Play? The world never stops changing, so how do we prepare children to navigate it? We let them PLAY. Children thrive on PLAY. Given the chance to think, negotiate, adapt to new rules and try again when things don’t go to plan, children develop essential skills that’ll last a lifetime. When children play it unlocks their curiosity – setting them up to become lifelong learners. Play boosts mental well-being in children and play is how children learn naturally. The evidence keeps growing that playing helps children master all the skills they need to thrive in our fast-moving, ever-changing world.

Why Engineering? Engineering tackles problems in the world and how we, as humans, create solutions for them by leveraging multiple disciplines like science, math, psychology, and many more. Students of all ages are capable of engineering, and their ideas can be used to inform their design. Engineering education emphasizes open-ended iterative problem-solving and encourages children to learn from failure. It allows students to identify problems, research and brainstorm solutions, create and test prototypes, make improvements, and share their work.

What it does/ How it functions

  • Catalyze a self sustaining Community of Practice of educators to support learning through play and engineering.

  • Created a play based learning curriculum including lessons plans, a teacher guide, and student activity sheets, supported by a digital platform.

  • Enhanced educators capacity to utilize digital resources for self-directed professional development.

  • Increased engagement of female educators and female students in Engineering practices.

Testimonials

  • Students who struggle with academics, who score low grades, and hardly engage in regular classes, are the ones who actively engage and excel in the PEBL hands-on lessons. This has made me question the effectiveness of our teaching methods. I have realized that any child can learn if the method is suitable.

    Gopal Bhandari

    Co-founder – Charles Darwin Academy & TeaCoP member

  • If the teacher suffers from PEBL fever

    • They speak less but listen more
    • Intervene less but observe more
    • Answer less but ask more
    • Demonstrate less but prepare more

    I reflect on how my pedagogy has changed. I used to think silent classes were good, but now I question classrooms where only the teacher talks. I think interaction is essential for students to learn. Asking students the right questions makes them curious. I have realized the importance of effective feedback and reflection in setting a classroom culture that promotes learning.

    Tilak Raj Chundali

    High New Vision Academy

  • Our school does not have a science lab, which means students don’t get opportunities to experiment and discover scientific concepts. Through PEBL, I was able to teach scientific concepts like properties of liquids and light through lessons like chromatography and periscope with hands-on materials. I have started to tackle challenges creatively and to design my own lesson plans utilizing limited materials after being part of this program. I have been experimenting with making different physical models to explain different concepts to students.

    Sabina Adhikari

    Lalit Kalyan Lower Secondary School

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