Woolfolk (2001) describes self-determination as:

the need to experience choice and control in what we do and how we do it. It is the desire to have our own wishes, rather than external rewards or pressures, determine our actions. (p. 390)

Learners who are allowed to share in the decision-making process, instead of having their fate imposed by a controlling authority above them, are more likely to enjoy instructional activities and have more self-efficacy.

Such autonomy is a fundamental principle of constructivist learning environments. Students assume part (or all) of the responsibility for setting goals and determining the means to achieve them. Instructors provide relevant and rationalized guidelines, identify general strategies, locate appropriate resources, or engage in other facilitative behaviors.

The sensation of controlling one's instructional destiny is intrinsically motivating and attenuates the development of learned helplessness, where students surrender to the notion that experiences external to their influence control the outcome of specific learning events.

Project Based Learning is a constructivist instructional model that relies heavily on Self-Determination theory. Students engage in a variety of investigative experiences to collect and analyze interdisciplinary information, to make hypotheses and observe the consequences of implementing those hypotheses, to consult and collaborate with others, to draw inferences and discover generalities, and ultimately to synthesize a solution to a problem relevant to the real world.

PBL activities usually require students to demonstrate mastery by creating a deliverable, a product that serves as both a culminating exhibition goal as well as a structure for systematic inquiry. Exemplary PBL products often utilize a variety of media, including digital video and audio, web pages, animations, photos and graphics, Powerpoint slides, and of course, text.

The multimedia Special Interest Group, HyperSIG, at ISTE, co-sponsors an annual multimedia project competition called Multimedia Mania. Below are some recent past winners:

Water, water, everywhere (elementary school)
Roman Architecture (high school)