An Exploration & Strategy Of Project-based Learning In IT Environment In Middle Schools In Lanzhou

Nowadays Information Technology (IT) has been highly developed, and during the process of economy globalization, science generalization, and development integration, Project-based learning (PBL) is adaptable to the new demands of able people in new age for comprehensive development. PBL in China has just started, whose theories and practice activities are still in the beginning period. Research of PBL in West China is also in its infant period because of some objective reasons. In order to put forward some valuable strategies for in-depth development of PBL to constructively direct PBL activities, this dissertation widely investigated RS activities in IT environment in several middle schools in LAN Zhou by using a few research methods such as literature investigation, observation, paper inquiry and interview.Part One has elaborated the backgrounds, present condition, purpose, significance, and methods of the present study.Part Two has defined concepts relevant to the PBL in the IT environment, expounded the implications and features of "IT environment" and "PBL", and summarized the features of PBL in IT environment.Part Three has expounded further the explorations investigated RS activities in IT environment in several middle schools in LAN Zhou and the relevant analysis based on those. Such aspects as IT environment, schools, teachers, students and practice of PBL activities are investigated. It was found that those schools who have no any PBL activity are lack of finance, IT facility, RS knowledge, consciousness for RS from leaders in Schools, effective organizing activities for PBL, and teachers' research capabilities for PBL; on the contrast, those schools who have PBL activities achieved many benefits such as students' improved capabilities of acquiring, analyzing, evaluating, and processing information, changes of students' traditional studying manners, students' advanced capacities ofsynthetically applying knowledge, communication and cooperation, students' developed creative intelligence and practice abilities on research, students' high social responsibility and courage facing to frustration, extended modern education concept and increased performance of teachers, update of schools' facilities, innovation of schools' management system. In the other hand, there are still somedifficulties and obstacles for PEL such as insufficient and ineffective using of IT resources, hard burden of students which making them unable to involve in PEL, absence of enough management experience for PEL, scant utilization of school and community resources, unreasonable assessment system for PEL, deficient integration between PEL and practical teaching-studying activities which leading to low effect of PEL, etc.Part Four regarding above status of PEL, the author put forward some strategies to enhance the PEL activities of middle schools in LAN Zhou, which consists of strengthening the construction of hardware and software for PEL, adequately using available resources, improving the IT environment; training the teachers to adapt to PEL activities; cultivate students'capabilities of perceiving, self-teaching and creating; reinforcing complementary devices to set up a powerful platform for RS; developing PEL research projects to apply PEL in some concrete disciplines; fully utilizing IT resources to intensify PEL activities in IT environments; tracking students' entire PEL activities and evaluating their results. The author also bring forward the PEL activity scheme for middle schools in LAN Zhou, suggestions and practical strategies for students' PEL applicationPart Five has summarized the research fruits of present study.