ABSTRACT
This chapter describes useful heuristics and models for facilitating independent and group student work with projects, and provides sample ideas for group projects. The field of gifted education has been enamored of the role of product development in promoting learning, often suggesting that it is the real sign of giftedness in children to be able to produce original work at the level of practicing professionals. Many products that gifted students conceive and carry out can be done collaboratively and in a reasonably short period of time. Ideas about authentic learning are critical to consider in designing independent study options for the gifted learner. Through the implementation of a specific process-product model, teachers may engage students in applying higher order thinking processes toward a particular end goal of a relevant product. Asking students to assess their progress through the research process is one way to address and develop metacognition and to evaluate the degree to which students are developing metacognitive skills.
