Process
Challenge Based Learning follows a workflow that mirrors the 21st century workplace. Students are given enough space to be creative and self-directed and at the same time are provided with support, boundaries, and checkpoints to avoid frustration. The workflow can be structured and modified in a variety of ways. The following process is provided as a starting point but is not meant to be prescriptive.
Collaborative Space
- How will the teams communicate?
- Where will resources be shared?
A shared working space is helpful for a successful challenge. The workspace should be available to students 24/7, include needed resources, access to activities, a calendar, and serve as a communication channel with the teacher and between team members.
Introduction
- Why is this idea important to the students?
- Why is this idea important to the community?
Once the big idea is selected, the first step is to develop with the class an overview of the big idea and the related essential question. This sets the broader context and foundation for the work that will follow. The class then identifies a suitable challenge or is introduced to one of the existing challenges.
Team Formation
- What makes up a productive design team?
- How do we capitalize on everyone’s skills?
In today’s workforce, individuals with various skill sets typically work together in teams on specific projects or challenges. During this team formation stage, it is important to consider roles and responsibilities and discuss the developmental nature of teams.
Assessment
- How will the process be assessed?
- How will the solution be assessed?
The teacher and the teams discuss what they will use as a measure of their success and adopt, adapt, or develop a project rubric to gauge the success of their solution. Assessment can and should be conducted throughout the process by both the students and the teachers. The results of the assessment should inform decision making as the students move towards a solution. At the end of the challenge both process and product can be assessed.
Guiding Questions
- What do we need to know in order to meet the challenge?
After the teams are formed and briefed, the students begin the process of identifying the questions that will guide their analysis of the challenge topic. These questions outline what the students think they need to know to formulate a viable solution. Questions will be answered, reframed, or new questions will be formulated along the way as information is gathered and concepts explored.
Guiding Activities
- What do we need to do to answer our guiding questions?
- What resources are needed?
During this stage, the teams seek to find answers to the guiding questions by participating in a variety of learning activities, conducting research, experimentation, interviewing, and exploring various venues to assist in crafting the best solution. The activities can be teacher directed or student directed, whole group, small group, or individual, depending on the topic and the need. The goal of this stage is for students to gain a solid foundation on which to develop their solution.
Solution Development
- How do we meet the challenge?
- Is the solution justified?
Once the students have identified possible solutions, they can build them out, try them with small user groups, or present them to a focus group. This process allows the teams to polish their solution. This cycle of refinement moves the learners toward a final implementation of their solution.
Implement and Assess
- How can the solution be tested?
- Did the solution work?
The next step is to develop the implementation plan for the solution and put it into action. The scope of implementation will vary greatly depending on time and resources, but even the smallest effort to put the plan into action in a real-life setting is important. The teams gauge the success of their implementation.
Document/Reflect
- What did we learn?
- What would we do differently?
Throughout the process, the students should document their work and reflect on the process. Much of the deepest learning takes place by considering the process, thinking about one’s own learning, analyzing ongoing relationships with the content and between concepts, interacting with other people, and developing a solution. Blogs, video, podcasts, digital storytelling, and photographs are all great ways to document and reflect on the process.
Publish
- How do we share our results?
- What is the story behind the solution?
Students should be encouraged to publish their work in a variety of locations. One way for students to publish is to create a short video about their solution and share it locally or post it online for broader visibility.
Featured Challenge
Cultural Identity, Punahou High School, Honolulu, HI