Project-Based Internet Learning (PBIL) at the Emunah Academic College of Fine Arts

This presentation will illustrate the use of Project-Based Internet Learning (PBIL) in ESL (English as a Second Language) and EPIC (English for Purposes of International Communication) courses at the Emunah-Efrata Academic College in Jerusalem. At the Emunah School of Fine Arts, religious women attain a bachelor’s degree in visual communication, arts, and drama, but many experience difficulties acquiring fluency in ESL which is required to receive an academic degree in Israel. A most effective way of dealing with these challenges in the Internet era has been to implement IT (Internet Technology) and assign PBIL to foster active learning, invigorate students’ creative thinking, and enable alternative assessment.

Students are guided in choosing topics that expressed their professional interests and/or are relevant to their religious life or value system and then formulating a research question, surfing the Internet, accessing information, and designing a PowerPoint (PPT) presentation. Students are taught how to summarize ideas concisely in slides, collate Google images, use visual aids, isotypes (picture language), and infographics. They then present the PPT orally to their peers. This process provided them opportunities to develop Internet research skills and to improve practical skills of writing and speaking according to 2nd language standards of the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference) as required by the CHE (Council of Higher Education). The final exam requires evaluating and critiquing research projects submitted in class.

In this presentation, I’ll focus on sample projects produced by my students at Emuna Academic College. I’ll summarize how PBIL has enlivened class participation and provided new ways of teaching/learning in the Fine Arts in the digital era of the 21st century.