Bobergs+Projects

** Bobergsgymnasiet 3rd Year Projects **

One aspect of Personalised Learning which Learning School is interested to look at is Self Directed Learning. Examples where students are allowed to shape their own education, by exploring a topic of their choice and being offered the responsibility to take charge of their learning. The third year projects at Bobergsgymnasiet are an excellent example of where students are given such an opportunity.

All students in Sweden have to undertake a project in their third year, which must relate to the programme which they are studying. While primarily a third year project, the planning is underway by their second year of study.

//“We get an introduction to it in second grade...so you can make a plan and in the end of second year you have to hand in a paper of what you want to do, how you will do it, what your goals are, and so on,” -// Student.

This plan is assessed, and the students must present it to the staff in their third year. //“There is a gathering (a mass) where we show our piece of work and it’s part of our grade, so it’s really important”// - Student.

The project is expected to take around 100 hours, and while there is some time set aside during school, the students are primarily expected to carry out the projects in their own time. They are free to work alone, or in groups if they prefer.

**A Diverse Range of Projects**

We spoke to several students during our time in Sweden, all doing a diverse range of project work. Three students at Bobergs were doing a project based on their band, where they were planning to professionally record five tracks and release a demo CD. Monica Stenberg told us about two girls who were undertaking a project in Bolivia. She told us that it is possible to get funding for students to spend 15 weeks working in another country, and with another colleague she had found a rehabilitation centre in the Bolivia which would be appropriate. The girls’ project involves not only working abroad but also collecting money and finding donations of medical equipment from facilities in Sweden. Monica spoke about the benefits of this project for the students: a good feeling from helping others, and a great opportunity to work in a Spanish speaking country.

//“We think it’s very good for them to use their competences as two language speakers...in Bolivia people [do] not speak English, and there [are] not so many students here that are so good Spanish speakers that they can practice that. But this is a possibility for these two girls” –// Monica Stenberg. For AWARE students they must choose projects which are in line with their profile courses, which are emergency care and rescue education. There is much opportunity for the students to undertake a project which ties in with their own interests and life goals.

Jessica Engdhal spent two months over the summer as a volunteer in a Tanzanian hospital, where she got real hands-on experience of emergency care. She spoke about her motivation for this project:

//“I wanted to learn more languages and experience things like meeting people and being a volunteer, but most of all I wanted to help people”// – Jessica Engdhal.

We also spoke to another AWARE student who was planning an educational project in local schools. //“I am going to educate 12 year olds in Torpshammar, Fransta and Ljungaverk how to do first aid, CPR and what you do when you come to an accident.”// This project will also benefit the local students as they are to receive a certificate at the completion of the course.

Max Engström’s project centred around his participation in Learning School 2010-11; how he got involved in the programme and his experiences in an extensive English speaking environment. He mentioned that it was very convenient for him to be able to use his experiences from Learning School as part of his education.

//“It was pretty easy for me since Learning School already was planned. Others might need help because it’s not easy getting contacts abroad,”// <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 104%;">//–// Max Engström//.//

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 104%;">Carl Larsson was undertaking a survival project with another student, which involved researching how to survive in the wild, and then trying out the principals in the Swedish forest on two occasions (once for two nights, and other for one night). They aim to both write a report and produce a video to educate people about the wilderness.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 104%;">//“You have to get approval from the teachers and stuff, but it all comes down to you. So it’s very independent, it’s up to you, and it’s great fun as well!”// <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 104%;"> //-// Carl Larsson.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 104%;">**Available Support**

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 104%;">Each project has a mentor assigned to it, to assist the student if they need advice or support. They were quick to point out, however, that the mentor was purely there to advise rather than direct.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 104%;">//“It’s my project, so if I want a good grade then I have to work for it, the mentor is not supposed to tell you what to do or when and not supposed to control everything. It’s my project, so I’m supposed to control it myself”// – Jessica Engdahl.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 104%;">It is important however that the mentor is involved in the development of the project every step of the way. The students doing the band project told us that they completed a log book which detailed when they rehearsed; and noted that their mentor helps them come up with ideas and is //“kinda involved in everything that [they] do.”//

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 104%;">//“The process is very important, as a mentor you must follow the process – the students can’t come with a ready theoretical work and just give [it to] you, because we have to be along during the process,”// – Monica Stenberg.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 104%;">There is support available to the students out with the school as well, which is particularly useful with projects which involve specialised skills or knowledge. The band students told us that there is an organisation called //Bilda// which provides them with musical instruments, including replacements for equipment that breaks. Carl Larsson’s project similarly involved support from outside the school:

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 104%;">//“I am doing...a wilderness survival thing so I can have external mentors which is like people in the military or something like that and I can talk to them and they can help me too”// – Carl Larsson.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 104%;">**Assessment**

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 104%;">There are three grade levels for the project work, with various criteria which the student is expected to meet. An important aspect of the projects is how much the students can accomplish by themselves, which is a large factor in the assessment process.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 104%;">//“I think the meaning of it is that the student has to be pretty self-independent. Do as much as she/he can by yourself, so I’m trying to everything by myself,”// – Max Engström.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 104%;">As mentioned earlier, the process which is undertaken is a key factor – not just the end goal of the project. As the project work is largely self directed, it is important to keep records of progress, as Max commented: //“to get the best grade you have to have written a pretty good diary of the project process.”// <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 104%;">The presentation of the projects is also a very important part of the programme, with the students expected to produce a written report, as well as a full presentation at the completion of the project.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 104%;">//“It’s basically about, partly how independent you are, what you can achieve on your own and how good a report you can write… basically it all comes down to the report and the process to the report,”// – Carl Larsson.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 104%;">**A Personal Project**

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 104%;">The project work at Bobergs is certainly demanding, but it clearly allows the students to undertake a piece of self directed research which can tie in very closely to their interests, strengths and life goals. It was noted by some students that this was a necessary step to get the most out of the project work.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 104%;">//“Some people are lazy and just do something simple, so they get it done. But when you get the chance it feels good to, like, use the time and do something you like”// <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 104%;">– Student.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 104%;">The students we spoke to were very enthusiastic about their projects and the experience of being in charge of their own learning.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 104%;">//“This is more like you have to focus on what you are doing, [compared to] having a class with the teacher because she teaches you but we have to teach [ourselves],”// <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 104%;">– Student.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 104%;">While this is the ultimate challenge of the Bobergs projects it is also the greatest benefit to the students, as Jessica summarised:

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 104%;">//“The best thing about the projects is that they don’t control you, you decide what kind of project you want and you just go there.”//