10 Digital Tools for Project-Based Learning

Project-based learning (PBL) puts students in the driver's seat of their own learning — investigating real questions, collaborating with peers and producing authentic work for a real audience. The right digital tools make each stage of the PBL process more structured, more collaborative and more engaging.

Phase 1 — Research and inquiry

Diigo

Students highlight and annotate web sources directly in the browser. Tags and shared group libraries allow the whole team to build a curated resource collection together. Every source stays linked to the original page and is searchable. Free.

Zotero

For secondary and post-16 students, Zotero saves and organises research sources — web pages, journal articles, books — with full citation data. Generates bibliographies automatically in any citation format. Free and open-source.

Phase 2 — Planning and organisation

Trello (free)

A Kanban board where project tasks move through columns (To Do → In Progress → Done). Each card can have a checklist, due date, attached files and assigned team members. Free for unlimited cards and boards. Excellent for PBL because students own and manage their own workflow — the teacher monitors without micromanaging.

Taskade

Taskade combines task management, collaborative notes, mind maps and video chat in one workspace. Particularly useful for remote or hybrid PBL teams. Free for up to five workspaces.

Phase 3 — Collaboration

Miro

An infinite whiteboard where teams brainstorm, map ideas, build timelines and diagram systems together in real time. The "Concept Map" and "Mind Map" templates are excellent for PBL's initial inquiry phase. Free for three boards.

Google Docs / Slides

Still the backbone of collaborative document creation. Real-time co-editing, comment threads and version history make group work manageable. Completely free for Google Workspace schools.

Phase 4 — Creating the final product

Canva

From posters to presentations to video to infographics — Canva handles almost any deliverable format a PBL project might require. Templates for every output type; real-time collaboration available on the free plan. Apply for Canva for Education for full free access.

Book Creator

If the final product is a publication — a guide, a research report, a storybook — Book Creator produces a professional-looking digital book complete with embedded media. Free for one library of 40 books.

Phase 5 — Presentation

Genially

An interactive presentation where the audience clicks, zooms and explores — far more engaging than a linear slide deck for a formal PBL showcase. Add hotspots, embedded videos and animations. Unlimited free interactive creations.

Padlet (showcase board)

Create a Padlet as a project showcase — each group posts their final product (document link, video, image) on a shared board. Parents, other classes or community stakeholders can view and comment at the presentation event or online. Free for three Padlets.

Phase 6 — Reflection

Flip (Flipgrid)

A short reflection video — "What did you learn? What would you do differently? What are you most proud of?" — is far more authentic than a written form. Flip lets students record a 90-second reflection that the teacher (and peers) can respond to with their own video comment. Free.

PBL tool summary by phase

Browse the full directory for each of these tools: web2tools.com/tools.