Introduction

a) AIMS
Students are brought into contact with society by developing a social project. Together with a group of students (from different disciplines), they work with people who want to change or improve their place in society. They learn to open up to others and broaden their view of the world. Above all, they get to know themselves as a team. Together with their team, they try to have an impact on their environment and fellow human beings. They do this by regularly consulting, making mutual decisions, drawing up a tight schedule and achieving good teamwork.

b) Target students - 7th year high school students

c) Level of education - Secondary school

d) Subject - General education

The activity
1. Phase 1

First, the students receive a lesson about being successful. Simon Sinek's golden circle is explained as well as the principle of an elevator pitch.
Students then discuss in pairs a problem that they observe in the society around them. They work this out in a solution-oriented manner through a pitch. During an evening class (cross-class) they pitch to each other for the first time. Students then provide feedback on each other's work using a checklist. Students adjust the pitch and submit a digital project proposal.

Phase 2

The teachers review and evaluate the submitted project proposals. The school selects the projects (number depending on the size of the group of students and estimated needs per group) with which it will continue.

Movie projectproposal (Dimitris/Mayssa)

Using a digital tool (ferendum/Doodle), the other students select a project to which they will join for the remainder of the duration. Here the criterion does not apply to a classmate. Once the groups have been formed, they start working outside school hours. For this purpose, students receive 2 hours of flexi-hours per week for the 5 hours provided in the lesson package. These hours are used, for example, to meet across classes and carry out the project.
In this phase, the lesson also focuses on the personal starting point of each student. For example, they complete a baseline measurement on entrepreneurial competencies, take the Belbin team roles test and interpret the results. In one of the first meetings with their brand new team, they introduce themselves and discuss these results. As a first activity, the students go to an escape room together to get to know each other better.

Phase 3

Students have gotten to know each other and are discussing the project again. Now with additions from the new team members. The why of the project remains, the how and what are expanded. They draw up an action plan, determine when they will meet and start independently and autonomously for 4 to 5 months. They continue to work accurately through a system of self- and peer evaluation and individual guided reflections. Increasingly in-depth and expanding from competency scores to verbatim feedback.

Interim group coaching to discuss the current state of affairs, resolve conflicts, etc. ensures that continuous adjustments are made. In the event of overestimation or underestimation of team competencies, the individual student is coached so that he/she gains insight into his/her own contribution and can take the necessary next step in his/her learning process.
Students regularly submit meeting reports and involve teachers in the actions they take outside the school.

Phase 4 (END)

By the closing date, the team will provide a final presentation with a digital representation of their actions and everything they did and learned in this project.
They present here to an audience consisting of parents, organizations they worked with, people from their chosen target group, ... An audience award will be presented on site.
Afterwards, they complete the most crucial self- and peer assessment. They receive their peer report and formulate the insights they gained about working in a team and about themselves. They again complete the entrepreneurial skills test as well as Belbin's team roles test. They interpret the differences and discuss them as part of the oral exam.

Assessment

Students are continuously assessed through the system of self- and peer-evaluation. The average group grade is placed next to the self-evaluation grade. If they overestimate or underestimate their own abilities, a coaching conversation follows in which the student gains self-insight. Other elements such as a pitch, presentation, meeting report, etc. are assessed within the course.

Questions to reflect on for the discussion part of the workshop on project work

1. How is the assessment of the project aligned with subjects?
The assessment of the sub-tasks lies in the final objectives of the subject as well as the ability to evaluate and adjust. This is especially evident in the interim reflections and coaching conversations.

2. Which methods of assessment (formative) are ideally used in project work?
As a formative instrument, I mainly use self- and peer evaluation, which allows students to determine their own perception of competence. Engaging in a coaching dialogue sheds extra light on the junctions that a student is still struggling with.

3. How can different subject teachers work together well in a project and assess together?
We are doing this project with different teachers. The teachers are involved every step of the way and all have access to the documents that students submit. Regular consultations are held jointly. Teachers are also part of the WhatsApp groups of the various project groups, so that problems and successes are quickly noticed.

Authorship

Katrijn Michielsen, Stedelijk Onderwijs, Merit, Katrijn.michielsen@so.antwerpen.be