This program evaluation examines MindQuest21, a project-based learning (PBL) model that was implemented in a Chicago, Illinois suburban community. It began with a summer institute experience with a group of approximately seventy teachers in grades kindergarten through fifth grade. These teachers volunteered to attend a four-day MindQuest21 professional development seminar where they actively participated in a facilitated PBL model of instruction and collaborated on the development of PBL units within their district. A pre-post survey was used to compare teacher confidence increases and PBL understanding after the summer institute. This was followed by teacher interviews, follow-up sessions, classroom visits, and examinations of student artifacts. This study aims to be a resource for other school districts interested in implementing a highly collaborative PBL professional learning process within their school community. Data collected throughout the first-year implementation served as invaluable formative and summative information sources to identify specific themes and recommendations. Conceptual frameworks structure the recommendations in categories of strategic action. These recommended actions include; shifting from traditional staff development to professional learning systems, building internal sustainability for change, exploring stakeholder belief systems, moving from curriculum delivery to investing in curriculum development, and fostering environments where learning is optimized through active experiences. The research reveals insights and provides direction for educators seeking to transform their teaching and learning practices to meet the needs of our expanding and diverse 21st Century students.
","abstract_html":"<p>This program evaluation examines MindQuest21, a project-based learning (PBL) model that was implemented in a Chicago, Illinois suburban community. It began with a summer institute experience with a group of approximately seventy teachers in grades kindergarten through fifth grade. These teachers volunteered to attend a four-day MindQuest21 professional development seminar where they actively participated in a facilitated PBL model of instruction and collaborated on the development of PBL units within their district. A pre-post survey was used to compare teacher confidence increases and PBL understanding after the summer institute. This was followed by teacher interviews, follow-up sessions, classroom visits, and examinations of student artifacts. This study aims to be a resource for other school districts interested in implementing a highly collaborative PBL professional learning process within their school community. Data collected throughout the first-year implementation served as invaluable formative and summative information sources to identify specific themes and recommendations. Conceptual frameworks structure the recommendations in categories of strategic action. These recommended actions include; shifting from traditional staff development to professional learning systems, building internal sustainability for change, exploring stakeholder belief systems, moving from curriculum delivery to investing in curriculum development, and fostering environments where learning is optimized through active experiences. The research reveals insights and provides direction for educators seeking to transform their teaching and learning practices to meet the needs of our expanding and diverse 21<sup>st </sup>Century students.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Esparza, Deborah R."],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Ed.D. Doctor of Education","degree_level":"Dissertation - Public Access","degree_discipline":"Educational Leadership","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Dr. Norman Weston","Dr. Ignacio Lopez","Dr. Sandra Stringer"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2016,"date_issued":"2016-06-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2016-06-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:20:32Z","subjects":["MindQuest21","21st Century Skills","Project Based Learning","Deeper Learning","Education","Educational Leadership"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.nl.edu/diss/185","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Dr. Norman Weston","Dr. Ignacio Lopez","Dr. Sandra Stringer"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Esparza, Deborah R."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2016-09-07T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Educational Leadership"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation - Public Access"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Ed.D. Doctor of Education"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["MindQuest21","21st Century Skills","Project Based Learning","Deeper Learning","Education","Educational Leadership"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalcommons.nl.edu/diss/185"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This program evaluation examines MindQuest21, a project-based learning (PBL) model that was implemented in a Chicago, Illinois suburban community. It began with a summer institute experience with a group of approximately seventy teachers in grades kindergarten through fifth grade. These teachers volunteered to attend a four-day MindQuest21 professional development seminar where they actively participated in a facilitated PBL model of instruction and collaborated on the development of PBL units within their district. A pre-post survey was used to compare teacher confidence increases and PBL understanding after the summer institute. This was followed by teacher interviews, follow-up sessions, classroom visits, and examinations of student artifacts. This study aims to be a resource for other school districts interested in implementing a highly collaborative PBL professional learning process within their school community. Data collected throughout the first-year implementation served as invaluable formative and summative information sources to identify specific themes and recommendations. Conceptual frameworks structure the recommendations in categories of strategic action. These recommended actions include; shifting from traditional staff development to professional learning systems, building internal sustainability for change, exploring stakeholder belief systems, moving from curriculum delivery to investing in curriculum development, and fostering environments where learning is optimized through active experiences. The research reveals insights and provides direction for educators seeking to transform their teaching and learning practices to meet the needs of our expanding and diverse 21st Century students.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["A First-Year Implementation of Mindquest21, A Project-Based Paradigm Shift to Deeper Learning: A Program Evaluation"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Dr. Norman Weston","Dr. Ignacio Lopez","Dr. Sandra Stringer"],"dc:creator":["Esparza, Deborah R."],"dc:date.available":["2016-09-07T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["This program evaluation examines MindQuest21, a project-based learning (PBL) model that was implemented in a Chicago, Illinois suburban community. It began with a summer institute experience with a group of approximately seventy teachers in grades kindergarten through fifth grade. These teachers volunteered to attend a four-day MindQuest21 professional development seminar where they actively participated in a facilitated PBL model of instruction and collaborated on the development of PBL units within their district. A pre-post survey was used to compare teacher confidence increases and PBL understanding after the summer institute. This was followed by teacher interviews, follow-up sessions, classroom visits, and examinations of student artifacts. This study aims to be a resource for other school districts interested in implementing a highly collaborative PBL professional learning process within their school community. Data collected throughout the first-year implementation served as invaluable formative and summative information sources to identify specific themes and recommendations. Conceptual frameworks structure the recommendations in categories of strategic action. These recommended actions include; shifting from traditional staff development to professional learning systems, building internal sustainability for change, exploring stakeholder belief systems, moving from curriculum delivery to investing in curriculum development, and fostering environments where learning is optimized through active experiences. The research reveals insights and provides direction for educators seeking to transform their teaching and learning practices to meet the needs of our expanding and diverse 21st Century students.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://digitalcommons.nl.edu/diss/185"],"dc:subject":["MindQuest21","21st Century Skills","Project Based Learning","Deeper Learning","Education","Educational Leadership"],"dc:title":["A First-Year Implementation of Mindquest21, A Project-Based Paradigm Shift to Deeper Learning: A Program Evaluation"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Educational Leadership"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation - Public Access"],"thesis:degree_name":["Ed.D. Doctor of Education"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:20:32Z"}