Explore the implementation and impact of a comprehensive project-based learning (PjBL) model in a large online graduate course over seven years. This lightning talk will present key findings on student perceptions, demographic influences, and strategies for success in online PjBL.

The lightning talk will begin with an overview of the importance and challenges of implementing project-based learning (PjBL) in online education. PjBL is a systematic teaching method that engages students in learning knowledge and skills through an extended inquiry process structured around complex, authentic questions and carefully designed projects and tasks. While PjBL has been widely used in traditional educational settings, its implementation in online environments, especially at scale, presents unique challenges and opportunities. The study examines the implementation of a comprehensive PjBL model in a large online graduate course in computer science at the Georgia Institute of Technology. The course, offered three times a year, integrates project-phase curriculum, online self-directed learning, online communities of inquiry, and online feedback at scale. The primary motivation is to understand how PjBL can be effectively scaled up in an online learning environment and to evaluate its impact on student learning and engagement over seven years. The core of the lightning talk will focus on the detailed implementation of the PjBL model, which consists of four key components: The course employs a five-phase structure that aligns learning objectives with assessments to guide students' learning process. This structure helps students achieve the learning outcomes and deliver their projects by the end of the course. Students are provided with a library of curated resources and are guided by assignments that help them identify a driving question and propose a project. SDL is essential for developing students' inquiry and project management skills. The course builds online communities of inquiry by incentivizing participatory activities such as peer reviews, forum contributions, and participation in classmates' projects. These activities foster social interactions and collaborations, which are essential for problem-solving in PjBL. Given the large class size, feedback is provided by mentors and peers. Each student is paired with a mentor who provides weekly feedback, and students also review each other's work. This approach ensures that students receive timely and constructive feedback on their projects. The talk will present key findings from student surveys conducted over twenty-one consecutive semesters, with a total of 2179 responses. The results reveal consistently positive perceptions of the course's efficacy among students. Notably, older adults and female students, as well as those who identified project topics earlier in the course, reported higher ratings on course effectiveness. These findings highlight the importance of demographic factors in shaping students' experiences and perceptions of online PjBL. The talk will also discuss the strategies suggested by students for succeeding in online PjBL. These strategies include working closely with mentors, participating in peer feedback and surveys, identifying a project idea early, and managing time effectively. The insights from students' experiences provide valuable guidance for educators and curriculum designers in implementing PjBL in online courses. The lightning talk will conclude with a discussion on the broader implications of the study for future research and practice. Attendees will gain a comprehensive understanding of the key factors driving the success of online PjBL and will leave with actionable insights to apply in their own educational contexts. The talk will emphasize the importance of adapting PjBL design principles to different learning environments and continuously evaluating their effectiveness.

David A. Joyner

Executive Director of Online Education & OMSCS at Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus

David Joyner is Executive Director of Online Education & OMSCS in Georgia Tech's College of Computing and the Zvi Galil PEACE Chair. His research focuses on online education and learning at scale, especially as they intersect with for-credit offerings at the graduate and undergraduate levels. His emphasis is on designing learning experiences that leverage the opportunities of online learning to compensate for the loss of synchronous collocated class time. This includes leveraging artificial intelligence for student support and assignment evaluation, facilitating student communities in large online classes, and investigating strategies for maintainable and interactive presentation of online instructional material. He has authored four books in the areas of CS education, learning at scale, and AI for teaching. He is also Chair of the Steering Committee for the ACM Learning @ Scale conference, as well as the General Chair for the 2019, 2020, and 2024 conferences. Joyner has received several awards for his work in teaching online, including the 2023 Georgia Tech Outstanding Professional Education Award, the 2022 College of Computing Outstanding Faculty Leadership Award, the 2019 USG Regents' Teaching Excellence Award for Online Teaching, the 2018 Georgia Tech Center for Teaching & Learning Curriculum Innovation Award, and the 2016 Georgia Tech College of Computing Lockheed Excellence in Teaching Award. He was also named to the Georgia Tech Alumni Association's 40 Under 40 in 2022.

Chaohua Ou

Managing Director, AI Institute for Adult Learning and Online Education at Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus