Project-based Learning Approach
Project-based learning workshops consist of short lectures to teach a concept and/or tools, followed by skill-building exercises applying the concepts and tools to project work of the participants. This is followed by in-depth applied exercises, using the collection of techniques as a whole, tailored as needed for the organization's life cycle and processes, to address the near term activities of the participants' projects. Participants are guided by instructors during the workshop for both the skill-building and the applied exercises.
Projet-based Learning Provides Measurable Business Results
Informal surveys of people attending traditional training find that few, if any, of the students actually put the training to use in their jobs in the next several months. As training budgets get smaller and organization needs for skilled personnel continue to rise (aggravated by the coming "Silver Tsunami" of retirees), the training approach needs to change. Workshops structured to use the actual projects of the participants incorporate the critical success factors to ensure that training yields results.
Learning with Project-based Workshops
Most traditional training uses a lecture format. That is the least useful in building skills for the workplace. Adults learn best from activities in which they directly use the skills being taught.
As illustrated in the diagram, the level of retention from training activities is highest when participants in a workshop practice the skills by actually doing their own work using the new skills. This is the approach of the applied exercises in the project-based learning workshops described here.
Training with Measurable Impact
For many years, training organizations have offered skills development training in a variety of ways. The Kirkpatrick scale is commonly used to judge how well training meets its goals, using four levels:
- Reaction - having student respond to surveys of how well they liked the training
- Learning - determining what principles, facts, and techniques were learned in the session, often using pre- and post-tests
- Behavior change - evaluating how on-the-job performance has changed, generally in the first 3 months after the training
- Results - measuring business impact, often in areas of efficiency, cost reduction, or increased revenues, as a direct result of the training
While the first two levels are easiest and the most often used, the third and fourth levels are most significant to a business. Project-based learning workshops equip trainees to make direct use of the learning (level 3), and enable their organizations to quickly see level 4 results.
On-site and Public Offerings of Project-based Learning Workshops
Workshop elements vary slightly, when offered on-site for one organization or as public training for participants from several organizations. The table below summarizes the project-based learning approach for the two settings, using a Project Management Fundamentals Workshop as the example.
| PM Fundamentals |
On-Site Offering |
Public Offering |
| Validate organization goals and expectations |
Review outcomes that can be attained from the workshop with organization leaders, to ensure they fit the goals and career expectations of the training |
Describe outcomes in the promotional material about the workshop, encouraging participants to review them with management |
| Gather project material to be used in the workshop exercises |
Gain agreement of participants and their leaders on the relevant process materials and project work products to include in the workshop, based on the types of projects being performed by participants: PM processes, templates, checklists; charters, project plans, etc. |
Provide guidance in pre-workshop mailing on what types materials to bring to the workshop - PM processes, WBS templates and other PM process assets; project charter, any work products in progress |
| Tailor workshop to fit the participants |
Match organization-provided materials to exercises, supplementing with industry standard material in the courseware as needed |
Provide industry standard material in the courseware, incorporating student-provided material in the classroom |
| Conduct the project-based learning workshop |
Establish teams of 3 people, composed of individuals who are on the same real-life project in their organization. Using a workshop style that spends more than half the time on exercises, use the project context as the subject matter of the exercises. For example, when learning how to build a WBS, the team builds the top 2 levels of the WBS for their team's project. |
Spending more than half the time on exercises, use the project context of the participants as the subject matter of the exercises, for example, building the top 2 levels of the WBS for each 3-person team's project. Where a team is composed of people from different organizations, use either a case study or the project of one of the participants. |
| Establish next steps |
As the last workshop exercise for each team, participants identify the next activities to be done for that project, set action items with due dates and deliverables. |
As the last workshop exercise for each team, participants identify the next activities to be done for their team's project, set action items with due dates and deliverables for the project team whose organization it represents. |
| Perform applied exercises |
Each exercise team works on its next steps, with mentoring guidance from the instructor, to ensure their questions are answered, and good progress is made. |
Each exercise team works on its next steps, with mentoring guidance from the instructor, to ensure their questions are answered, and good progress is made. |
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