Chapter 24: Performance-Based Learning: Gaining Competency Through Practice

Evidence supporting Performance-Based Learning’s (PBL) effectiveness reveals various definitions. A working definition of PBL provided by the International Association for K–12 Online Learning “puts students at the center of the learning process by enabling the demonstration of mastery based on high, clear, and commonly shared expectations” (Patrick & Sturgis, 2011, pp. 6–7). Studies by Hollandsworth and Trujillo-Jenks (2020) and others define PBL as a continuous, student-centered process, forming the basis for the authors’ refined definition: PBL is a learner-centered instructional strategy that rigorously enables learners to actively practice and demonstrate mastery of knowledge, skills, and competencies through observable behaviors and tangible outcomes.