Project Based Learning and Content and Language Integrated Learning Erasmus Project

Project Title

Project Based Learning and Content and Language Integrated Learning

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for school education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Pedagogy and didactics; Research and innovation

Project Summary

The International School Linking (ISL) network of Cardiff City Council (Wales), acting as coordinators, together with its partners Centro de Profesores y Recursos (CPR, Spain), Región de Murcia (Spain), and University College Lillebaelt (Denmark) created an association for a three year Erasmus+ KA201 project focused on the creation and implementation of Project Based Learning (PBL) materials for students using 21st century skills as the main tool, and linked to Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL).

The main objective was creating and experiencing materials to provide content for pupils of different ages to work on projects in the areas of Language, Mathematics, Social Sciences, Natural Sciences and English, amongst others, encouraging critical thinking, teamwork, problem-solving skills and the development of creativity. The materials developed can be now used as part of school curricula, as a complement for the delivery of subjects mentioned. As a cross-curricular element in the materials, ICT, CLIL and entrepreneurship are used widely. The final product, created within the PBL methodology, is available on an online Unit Hosting Platform for teachers.

These cross-curricular materials, as a primary output of the project, were based on a learner-centred approach to empower learners to conduct research, integrate theory and practice, and apply knowledge and skills to develop a viable solution to a defined problem. The intention was to make students responsible for their own learning, integrate learning in a wide range of subjects and areas, create a collaborative environment and involve learners in self-directed learning. At the same time, other results were expected as an outcome in pupils learning such as motivation and engagement in the activities, self-assessment, progress measurement, and last but not least, PBL as a pedagogical base of the curriculum.

The resources were created in English, and mainly used for the delivery of content through that language (CLIL for the learning of English language, specially relevant in Spain and Denmark). Units were also translated into Welsh, in order to reflect and be applicable for the Welsh-English bilingual system. It is important to mention that the European Linguistic Policy under the Horizon 2020 programme was to launch measures and resources to allow 50% of the population under 15 to reach a B1 level in a second language. Also, Wales is launching their new curriculum in September 2022, which includes international languages and boosts the idea of ethical informed citizens of Wales and the world. These reasons made this project relevant to all partners involved.

The number and profile of partners ensured a distribution of roles that involved all educational stakeholders had a say in the project: teachers, schools, teacher training centres and educational authorities that defined the priorities in the curriculum in the countries involved. There were a total of two Welsh schools, four Danish schools and three Spanish schools directly involved. One educational authority per country, and two in the case of Spain, is a sign of the potential for dissemination of results.

For this end, a range of activities and outputs were proposed: training in PBL methodology, job shadowing in each of the countries of the association, development of a framework guideline in PBL, creation of an online platform to share and disseminate the results and in the centre of all this, a collection of units and resources giving practitioners a wide variety of didactic materials to implement PBL methodology beyond the life of the project.

The impact of these outputs and the activities along the three years of the association were several: materials that were updated and easy to implement, training in cutting edge methodologies and tools, and an online platform that was the most sustainable outcome of the project and the methodology it was inspired on.

In January 2018, the European Commission adopted a proposal to offer ‘all young people the means to develop the key competences to a level that equips them for adult life, and which forms a basis for further learning and working life’. The 8 key competences needed for personal fulfilment and development, active citizenship, social inclusion and employment are:

1) Communication in the mother tongue;
2) Communication in foreign languages;
3) Mathematical competence and basic competences in science and technology;
4) Digital competence;
5) Learning to learn;
6) Social and civic competences;
7) Sense of initiative and entrepreneurship; and
8) Cultural awareness and expression.

This project enabled the above to be addressed through this style of working, which was developed throughout the project. PBL-CLIL has allowed the participating education authorities, and schools, the opportunity to unpick the theory and put it into practice, trialing methodology with young people at the fore.

Project Website

https://www.pbl4clil.com

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 268141 Eur

Project Coordinator

COUNTY COUNCIL OF THE CITY AND COUNTY OF CARDIFF & Country: UK

Project Partners

• CEIP SAN ROQUE
• Hunderupskolen
• Holluf Pile Skole
• REGION DE MURCIA
• UCL ERHVERVSAKADEMI & PROFESSIONSHOJSKOLE SI
• CEIP LA SANTA CRUZ
• CEIP CERVANTES