Summer Projects: Are they Better Designed by Students or Teachers?

The summer preceding eleventh grade was by far my most memorable summer for an atypical reason - the summer assignment. This summer assignment, unlike any others, was student-designed. In the same summer I had multiple other summer assignments: annotating a textbook, completing a packet of math problems, and even writing an eight page essay! However, my wise AP Biology teacher decided to deviate from the norm by assigning a student-designed summer project. This project only had one rule: it had to relate to any part of the curriculum. To this day, I can vividly recall details about my project, its relevance to the curriculum, and the biology concepts covered throughout the project. Although many teachers around the globe have difficulties determining whether teacher created or student created summer projects are more beneficial, the evidence clearly supports that student created summer projects are more beneficial. This is because student designed summer projects increase student engagement, develop a variety of necessary traits, and as opposed to common belief, they allow for students to learn more than they would in teacher designed projects.

Student developed summer assignments are better than those developed by teachers because teachers can eliminate the burden of students who do not complete the assignment, students can connect their interests to the curriculum, and teachers can cover a variety of topics to engage students. Summer is a time for students to relax and take a break from the heavy workload of school. However, it is also important for students to stay engaged by previewing course material for the upcoming school year. Although there are clear benefits to summer assignments, many students decide not to complete them. Teachers have to deal with an annual burden of students who do not complete their summer projects. This burden can easily be eliminated by changing the summer assignment to accommodate for students. This shift from teacher developed summer learning to student developed summer learning is essential for increased student engagement. When students connect their interests to a subject area, they will be more likely to develop an interest for that subject. Interest in a subject eventually leads to greater student engagement, which is the key to learning. Not only will students be more engaged, but when reviewing the projects, teacher will get to cover a variety of topics stemming from the curriculum that will greatly supplement their students' learning.

Along with this, the implementation of student based summer projects can attribute to a variety of skills necessary in the workplace such as creativity, independence, and resourcefulness. Employers all over the world seek individuals who are creative because creativity drives innovation, which positively impacts the future in many ways. By allowing students to develop their own projects, teachers are fueling creative growth. Not only are they fueling creative growth, but they are establishing independence. Independence is a vital life skill that can contribute to success. When teacher allow students to independently create their own projects, they are supplying their students with the key to success. Independently developed projects also force students to be resourceful. Projects without clear cut instructions cause students to seek alternate sources for their projects. When not equipped with the guidance and resourcefulness of their teacher, students seek sources such as textbooks, databases, and search engines to conduct research and complete the project. Student designed summer projects are crucial to the development of creativity, independence, and resourcefulness in students.

Although detractors may argue that teacher designed summer projects connect the student to the curriculum better than student designed summer projects can, this is false. Students learn best when they are able to connect their own ideas to the curriculum, explore the curriculum by themselves, and conduct self-learning, all of which are only possible via student designed summer projects. Psychology teaches us the value of peg words, or words that are associated with a concept in order to improve memory function. Similar to how peg words stimulate memory by associating two concepts, student designed summer assignments associate the student's interests with the curriculum, thereby enhancing the student's retention. Not only do such summer assignments enhance retention by associating their interests, but they also do so by developing their own interest in the topic. When students are able to explore the topic by themselves, they develop an intrinsic liking for the topic, as opposed to the topic being forced upon them. Self learning, according to reputable sources, is among the best ways to connect the students to what they are learning. By initiating self-learning, teachers are able to evoke a sense of independence which positively impacts the student by creating interest in the subject.

Student developed summer projects are integral in a education because it allows students to be more engaged in their learning, create a wide array of skills needed in the workforce, and increase student retention. To this day, I reflect on my AP Biology summer assignment and wonder whether it would have had such a large impact on me if it had been a teacher designed summer project. Based solely on the evidence, I do not believe that the summer assignment would have been beneficial had it been designed by a teacher. For this reason, I encourage teachers across the globe to enforce student designed summer projects in order to create an impact similar to that of my AP Biology teacher.