Project-based learning as a model for the normalized use of digital technologies: facilitating practical, meaningful, and learner-centered online teaching and learning

The COVID-19 global health crisis of 2020 forced the physical closure of Turkish educational institutions. This case study describes how a 12-week English preparatory course used project-based learning (PBL) in an Istanbul-based university. It describes how a midcourse switch from classroom-based face-to-face course delivery to online delivery became an example of an adaptive educational solution turning the negative impacts of the pandemic into educational opportunities facilitated through the normalized, realistic use of digital technologies. The study explores the original educational context in which the course was offered and, also, the guiding principles of the course design, the educational, emotional, logistical, and technological challenges posed by this transition, and the response to these challenges. The study concludes, using data collected from course instructors and students, with an analysis of the learning impact of the course and a discussion of implications and possibilities arising for future iterations and potential application to other online teaching and learning situations