Place-Based Learning

Place-Based Learning

Place-Based Learning (PBL) situates learning in the local context—ecological, cultural, economic, and historical. It emphasizes authentic, inquiry-driven experiences that empower students to engage with real-world challenges and contribute meaningfully to their communities. 

Alternative/linked methods: Community-based learning, Land-based learning, Environmental education, Experiential learning, Living Laboratory, Critical pedagogy of place. 

Why?

• Empowers learners
• Promotes equity 
• Fosters interdisciplinary thinking
• Strengthens community ties
• Enhances engagement and motivation 
• Supports deeper learning 
• Prepares students for the future 

How?

• Community as Classroom: Learning extends beyond the institution into the community. 
• Learner-Centred: Students co-create learning pathways based on their interests, identities, and goals. 
• Inquiry-Based: Students ask questions, investigate, and construct knowledge through observation and data. 
• Local to Global: Local issues are explored as entry points to global understanding. 
• Design Thinking: Students apply iterative problem-solving to real-world challenges. 
• Interdisciplinary: Learning integrates multiple disciplines through authentic, project-based experiences. 

When?

• In general education, capstone, or community-based research modules. 
• In teacher education, design thinking, environmental studies, public health, or urban planning. 
• During internships, service learning, or project-based learning. 
• When redesigning curriculum to embed competency-based, learner-centred, or equity-focused outcomes.

Get Started

Examples from related literature:

• Iowa BIG : Students co-design interdisciplinary projects with community partners.
• Del Lago Academy: Students earn digital badges through internships and interdisciplinary projects. 
• ACE Leadership High School: Students design infrastructure projects tied to local needs. 
• Energy Institute High School: Students conduct energy audits and design solar solutions. 
• CITYterm : Students explore urban systems through immersive, interdisciplinary expeditions. 
• Teton Science Schools (WY): Students use the Place Triangle (Ecology, Culture, Economy) to analyze sustainability. 

Digital Enhancement

• Virtual fieldwork using Google Earth, CoSpaces, or ThingLink. 
• Digital storytelling and community mapping using ArcGIS or StoryMaps. 
• Remote interviews and online exhibitions of student work. 
• Mixed reality simulations to explore inaccessible or historical places. 
• Digital portfolios and badges to track competencies and reflections.

Resources

• Goodlad, K. and Leonard, A.E. (2018) “Place-Based Learning across the Disciplines: A Living Laboratory Approach to Pedagogy,” InSight: A Journal of Scholarly Teaching, 13, pp. 150–164.
• Johnson, J.T. (2012) “Place-based learning and knowing: critical pedagogies grounded in Indigeneity,” GeoJournal : Spatially Integrated Social Sciences and Humanities, 77(6), pp. 829–836. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10708-010-9379-1.
• Vander Ark, T., Liebtag, E. and McClennen, N. (2020) The power of place : authentic learning through place-based education. Alexandria, Virginia: ASCD.
• Miri Yemini, Laura Engel and Adi Ben Simon (2025) “Place-Based Education — A Systematic Review of Literature,” Educational Review, 77(2), pp. 640–660.