Rigorous PBL by Design

Three Shifts for Developing Confident and Competent Learners

"PBL has finally reached the tipping point. As I meet with school superintendents around the country, most of them have already started or know they need to begin full-scale adoption of PBL in their districts. What has been missing is a clear set of next steps to improve PBL practice. Rigorous PBL by Design steps into this void and provides much needed help by busting PBL myths and designing PBL improvements around "clarity", "challenge" and "culture". McDowell gives teachers and education leaders the concrete guidance they need to assure their PBL practices will meet the needs of their 21st century students."

“We need a book that focuses directly on student learning rather than a superficial process of teaching PBL.  This book gives teachers the practices and procedures to directly support students in transferring their learning.  For practitioners, this book makes a whole lot of sense.”  

"This is a must-read for any teacher wanting to understand how to thoughtfully plan, organize, and carry out in his or her own classroom the kinds of Problem and Project Based Learning (PBL) that will truly enable students to acquire and demonstrate “surface, deep, and transfer of” content knowledge and skills at the maximum possible levels.  During my 24 years in the classroom teaching elementary and secondary students, I regularly engaged learners in what I thought were correctly timed, well-designed PBL experiences that were both “hands-on/minds-on” and authentic. If I’d had this book to reference then, how much greater could those learning experiences have been for my students—and for me!  Michael McDowell’s thoroughly researched, instructive, and in-depth volume has now become my “gold standard” for understanding and applying PBL in today’s classrooms. Rigorous PBL by Design is worthy of becoming a graduate-level text, while being, first and foremost, a readable and doable “how-to” guide for the interested teacher and leader."

"Michael McDowells book provides powerful insights to ensure the conditions essential for PBL are present for increased impact on student learning. This magnificent book provides educators with practical ways to design authentic and 'ever-lasting' learning."

"Educators interested in Project- and Problem-Based Learning are advised to read this book and heed its message. Michael McDowell highlights a point that can easily be lost in the enthusiasm for PBL; i.e., that the focus must always be on targeted learning outcomes. In other words, the project or problem is a vehicle to engage students in meaningful learning, and we must always keep this end in mind."

"What a brilliant piece of literature that unravels and addresses the challenges of an educational concept that has familiarity to almost all educators! In his book, Dr. McDowell presents a do-able means to making a positive change in learning by describing three design shifts—clarity, challenge, and culture. In this age of accountability when application of knowledge is required by academic standards, teachers of all grade levels can and will benefit from his approach to effectively implementing problem-based learning. The words practical and inspirational sum it up, as this guide will showcase PBL as a means to improving the instruction provided to learners, as well as making school a more meaningful place for both teachers and students."

"This book is spot-on in being both practical and deeply informative for educators working to implement strong and lasting conditions that support PBL. And further, provides a road map that can lead to significant improvement on student learning. It is a great example of just-in-time coaching!"

"For the Marine Mammal Center, mobilizing the next generation of marine scientists and conservationists is at the heart of our mission. We believe that well-designed PBL experiences are critical in preparing students to solve some of our planet’s most serious challenges.  Rigorous PBL By Design is an outstanding resource to both formal and informal educators, providing a practical framework for creating effective and impactful PBL experiences.  The Education team at The Marine Mammal Center is committed to strengthening our PBL practices and we look forward to adding this valuable resource to our professional reference library."