Teachers should transition from test based assessments to collaborative group projects.
How project-based learning made Mandarin my favorite class
When I walked into Mandarin class my freshman year, I assumed it would be like the Mandarin class I had taken previously: lots of vocab quizzes, grammar tests and worksheets. However, this class ran differently. Every couple of days, there was a new mini project that had us applying what we had learned in class in a creative and engaging way. At the end of each unit we would have a big project instead of a major test.
I remember one of the first mini projects I did my freshman year was designing our own menu in Mandarin. We learned new food vocabulary
When students get to work together and express themselves, they end up learning more and actually caring about the work they produce.[/pullquote] and had conversations as if we were in our own restaurants. I remember feeling that this didn’t even feel like an assignment; it was something that was enjoyable and meaningful. Today, I am more likely to remember the vocabulary from that unit and project than I can a meaningless fact learned in a history class.
At the end of each unit we would have a bigger project consisting of everything we learned from that unit, such as writing and performing a skit or creating a poster and presenting it fully in Mandarin. Our midterms and final exams weren’t tests either; instead we would solve mysteries in Mandarin, create long videos and even make music videos. I was way more invested in these projects than I ever would’ve been for an essay or a multiple choice test.
Learning through projects made Mandarin class something that I look forward to every school day. I wasn’t just memorizing words or characters; I was using them in real life scenarios and creative ways. I believe more classes should take this approach when it comes to learning and assessments. When students get to work together and express themselves, they end up learning more and actually caring about the work they produce.
Mandarin was the class where I grew the most–not just in language skills, but in confidence and collaboration. Project-based learning didn’t just help me learn; it helped me connect.