Introduction
The Big Picture Learning (BPL) approach to learning is based on creating a fair school environment in which the student is put at the center and lives the best learning experience possible. This is accomplished by moving away from standardized methods of assessing a specific student with abstract norms combined with close collaboration between the student and school counselors (BPL, n.d.). In this approach, BPL helps the student feel comfortable and safe within the school and motivates academic development through integrative collaboration between stakeholders (Bradley & Hernández, 2019). The latter are not only students and teachers but also school counselors, educational leaders, urban communities, and parents — that is, all actors whose participation ultimately determines a student’s learning experience.
Design
The design of BPL schools is based on a rejection of traditional academic tenets that view the student purely as an element of the overall mechanism. Instead, such schools voluntarily abandon the structure of classes, grades, and tests, making learning much freer and creating opportunities to view individuals as individuals rather than as faceless students (Bradley & Hernández, 2019). Schools connected to the BPL approach have spread not only across the United States, but around the world, including the Netherlands, Australia, Canada, and Italy; this spread can be reliable evidence of public and academic acceptance of BPL design leading to improved individual student outcomes (Moreno, n.d.). Rather than standard teaching methods, BPL involves collaboration and communication between students and the tutor to create their curriculum. In this case, the student gets to choose the subjects that they like.
In these schools, formed groups of fifteen in the company of two counselors develop together for four years, networking and building their academic path in addition to academic activities. During this period, BPL students also have the opportunity to complete multiple internships with industry experts, allowing individuals to not only explore aspects of the industry in greater depth but also to adjust their learning plan as desired (Nugent III, 2020). Instead of assessments, which in the BPL philosophy reflect a one-size-fits-all approach to learning and can be disruptive to the learner, schools use personal projects as intermediate points of academic progress. These include oral presentations, art projects, and research papers that encourage students to work independently (or in synthesis with an advisor) and develop critical thinking and personal research skills.
Key Explorations
The nonclassical approach to learning is a subject of academic interest for authors seeking to determine the effectiveness of BPL strategies. A survey of high school students in such schools has shown that the BPL environment forms a safe relationship between students and counselors and fosters an andragogic learning environment in which critical thinking and student research skills are developed (Terranova, 2021). A longitudinal study of more than 1,900 graduates of such schools stated the “extraordinary success” of BPL’s approach to achieving its stated goals (Arnold & Mihut, 2020, p. 2). In such a design, students did have more opportunities, compared to classical teaching methods, for personal development as researchers, but as Arnold and Mihut show, their level of achievement did not differ significantly from that of students in classical colleges.
It is also noteworthy how the BPL approach responds to demands for inclusion and student engagement. In particular, such schools have been reported to perform well for at-risk populations, whether they are underachieving or otherwise gifted and older students (Moreno, n.d.). 97% of students claimed by Washor et al. (2021) were successful in entering college, with 96% of students contacting their former counselors two years after graduation. This pattern indicates the strength of the BPL ties built and the ability of graduates to contact their mentors for extended periods to address academic issues. Even during the constraints of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Washor et al. data, BPL school students continued learning (including distance learning) and delving deeper into their projects, suggesting that this approach is flexible and adaptive.
My Summary
After reading this, it is worth emphasizing that BPL is not revolutionary but a qualitatively innovative approach to student learning. The ever-increasing area of dissemination testifies to the success and popularity of the approach that puts the student at the center of attention. In such a context, the abandonment of classical teaching methods, be they classrooms, tests, or grading systems, reduces stress levels and students and frees up time that they can spend studying their chosen disciplines and completing personal research projects. It seems to be a particular case of personalized learning, allowing students to get to know themselves better, build curricula, and form valuable connections that will be relevant even after graduation.
Conclusion
Big Picture Learning (BPL) is a unique style of learning based on the school community. Under this approach, students are not seen as faceless cogs of the academic system but are viewed solely as individuals with their competencies, talents, and skills. BPL realizes the possibilities of personalized learning, in which students are seen as the main focus of the educational process. There is no need for classical methods in this design, so BPL counselors easily forgo grades, tests, and classes in their usual sense. Instead, mini-groups of students, mentored by counselors, develop together over four years, learning only their chosen subjects and building valuable connections.
The success of this approach to education has been extensively studied in academic papers. BPL is transformative learning, that is, it allows students to unlock their potential and build generations of researchers with advanced critical thinking. Although achievement levels do not differ much from classical schools, BPL allows children to develop the capacity for doubt, scientific skepticism, and critical reflection. Choosing their subjects to study also proves beneficial, as it creates opportunities for academic freedom and minimizes the perceived stress level of having to study irrelevant subjects. Close ties to the community, involving all the stakeholders on whom learning depends, foster collaborative development not only of students but also of advisors by forming valuable connections.
References
Arnold, K., & Mihut, G. (2020). Postsecondary outcomes of innovative high schools: The big picture longitudinal study.Teachers College Record, 122(8), 1-42.
BPL. (n.d.). Who we are. Big Picture Learning.
Bradley, K., & Hernández, L. E. (2019). Big Picture Learning: Spreading relationships, relevance, and rigor one student at a time. deeper learning networks series [PDF document].
Moreno, C. (n.d.). Big Picture Learning. Education Reimagined.
Nugent III, A. (2020). Emotional intelligence: An essential ingredient for principals to successfully implement the Big Picture Learning 10 distinguishers [PDF document].
Terranova, T. (2021). Exploring the role of the student-advisor relationship: The transformative educational journey of Big Picture Learning high school students[PDF document].
Washor, E., Frishman, A., & Mejia, E. (2021). Findings from The Big Picture Learning longitudinal study. Education Reimagined.