Project Based Curriculum’s share their pedagogical roots with the constructivist learning which perceives learning is an active process and the learner constructs knowledge based on the experiences in which they engage. PBC employs processes that engage learners in actively responding to real world or authentic problems and issues, in a collaborative environment. A Project Based Curriculum is also related to Vygotsky’s social constructivist theory of learning that emphasises the social nature of learning, in which collaboration with others is a feature of the learning process and is dependent on the social and cultural context in which the learning is taking place.
A number of trends have also contributed to the adoption of project-based learning as a 21st-century strategy for education. Cognitive scientists have advanced our understanding of how we learn, how we develop expertise, and how we begin to think at a higher level. Fields ranging from neuroscience to social psychology have contributed to our understanding of what conditions create the best environment for learning. These theories and studies informed Alwyn Poole when writing the Project Based Curriculum.
