Not Throwing Students in the Deep End with Project-Based Learning

            In this Cult of Pedagogy article, John Spencer says project-based learning is “often structured in ways that exclude students who might need a different approach to thrive. Too often, PBL becomes a space where accommodations and differentiation fall by the wayside.” He suggests these steps to ensure that every student can benefit while doing projects: 

    • Manage the extraneous cognitive load. Without structure and clarity, some kids spend the first three days goofing off. Spencer suggests cutting down on unnecessary complexity, breaking the project into subtasks, analyzing the skills that will be used, and providing students with a roadmap and a to-do list.

    • Use gradual release of responsibility. “Sometimes the issue isn’t academic so much as choice paralysis,” says Spencer. Start with small steps and have students take on more control as they proceed.

    • Provide optional scaffolds. Use the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to make supports available to all students that are especially helpful to some.

    • Be strategic with grouping and establish group norms. One approach is to sort students into three tiers based on skill and create mixed groups within those tiers – the aim being to prevent one student from doing all the work.

    • Provide additional processing time. “PBL has a reputation for being loud and chaotic,” says Spencer, which can be overwhelming for some students. Building in processing pauses can help students who need to slow down and think things through. 

            Will this amount of structure rob project-based learning of its adventurous essence? “Real-world relevance doesn’t come from chaos but from intentionality,” says Spencer. “Authenticity comes from connecting the project to real-world challenges, providing context, and allowing students to engage in meaningful, sustained problem-solving.” 

“Making Project-Based Learning Accessible for Everyone” by John Spencer in Cult of Pedagogy, September 14, 2025

Please Note: This summary is reprinted with permission from issue #1105 of The Marshall Memo, an excellent resource for educators.