Using the Design Thinking Process
Digital Breakouts provide an engaging way for students to learn and collaborate and are a great alternative to the traditional 'box and locks' breakout. Participants in this three hour workshop will learn to create their own Digital Breakout using Google Apps to engage students in a way that covers many standards across many content areas. Participants will get the most from this workshop if they are comfortable using the Google suite.
Learning Objective:
Use the design thinking process to create a digital breakout that challenges students to think and solve problems that require perseverance and higher order thinking.
ENGAGE Norms
Clear Targets for this session:
experience a digital breakout
create a Google site and add multiple elements to the site
create a digital "lock" with Google forms
access multiple sites that support clue provision
analyze how multiple standards across multiple content areas can be included in one breakout
learn to scaffold to support students learning to break out the first time
discuss strategies for using digital breakouts in the classroom.
Virtual Learning Norms
Empathize
Experience a digital breakout as a learner to build empathy with the students for whom you will be developing a breakout.
Click the link to experience an elementary digital breakout that is heavily scaffolded. Consider the struggles experienced while working through the breakout. Use the experience to help design your breakout.
Empathize
What elements are on the page that make it engaging
How does scaffolding impact the difficulty level
What content/standards are included
Consider what delivery strategy would work best (groups, teams, individuals, timed, etc.)
Define and Ideate
Identify the scenario "problem" to be used to frame the breakout. Keep in mind the target learning group and ability levels. Know what standards the breakout will support. Begin to formulate the clues and how they will be delivered. Collect and organize the clues on the Google Site and Google Form.
Think, Explore, Collaborate
Go back to the Digital Breakout Page. Look at the arrangement of elements on the page. Think about how elements should be arranged on your page. Collaborate with colleagues to clarify ideas and formulate a plan .
Here are a few digital elements that could be included on a page to deliver clues.
1. Identify the content & standards to include in the breakout.
2. Decide on a theme for the breakout. What will the scenario or story for the breakout be?
3. Create the site and the lock form.
4. Collect and add story and clue elements to the site.
5. Preview the site often to check that elements appear as desired.
(Hint, use an incognito window to test that all elements work as expected)
Prototype & Test
Begin building your framework for delivery of the Digital Breakout. Learn to build your delivery system in Google Sites and Google Forms so that when you develop your problem, the framework is already complete. Remember to preview the site and google form often to make sure it works as expected. Make any changes necessary for smooth delivery of clues.
Create A Digital Breakout - Google Sites
Google sites provides a simple way to build and deliver a digital breakout.
Log into Google Drive
Click New and select Site (may have to click 'More' to see it)
Work across the top of page:
Name of Site
Collaborators,
Publish settings
Sites can be named and renamed (upper left). Collaborators can be added at any time. The arrow beside 'Publish' provides options relating to publishing the site. Publish settings is where the name of the site is created and if the site will appear in search engines. Changes made to a page will automatically save, but will not be visible online to viewers until 'Publish' is clicked. This allows changes to be made and reviewed before visible to the world. To preview, click the computer icon shown between the forward arrow and the link symbols in the upper right of the page. Other editors who are working on the site can be seen to the left of the undo arrow.
Add Elements to a Google Site
Add Pages, Insert elements, and Set Themes for the site.
Insert
The Insert tab provides access to multiple pre-set layouts that may be applied to a page.
Other elements like text, images, table of contents, and much more can be added from the 'Insert' area.
Pages
The 'Pages' tab is where Site pages can be added. Click the + symbol at the bottom of the Pages tab to add a page. Sub-pages can be created to show under other pages. Page visibility is determined by clicking the jellybeans next to the name to reveal additional options.
Themes
Pre-set themes are available under the 'Themes' tab.
Be careful when changing a theme as this applies to the entire site, not just the page that is currently visible.
Prototype continued:
Continue building and testing google site and google form with validations. Be thinking about how validation message will provide additional clues to participants.
Google Forms as Digital Lock for Breakout
Embed a Google form with validations to serve as the locks for the breakout activity.
From inside Google Drive, open a new Google Form.
Click 'New,' then select 'More' and then 'Google Forms.'
Title the form something that works with the breakout theme.
Customize the look of the form by clicking the painter palette.
Preview the form by clicking the eye symbol.
Control how the format and behavior of the form in the setting area. (gear wheel)
Send the form to specific groups or get a link by clicking 'Send.'
Jellybeans provide additional controls including adding collaborators and printing.
Adding Lock images to the Form
Find an image of a lock that matches the type of code. For example, if the combination is three numbers, then add an image of a lock that requires three numbers.
To add an image to a question on a Google form, hover over the question name. An image will appear to the right of the question title. Click on the image icon then upload the chosen lock image for the question. Resize the image by clicking the corners and dragging until the appropriate size is reached.
Force an answer and provide clues with Validation option in Forms
Choose the type of question by selecting from the drop-down menu to the right of the question title. To validate, force a response, choose 'Short Answer,' from the choices.
To make the form work properly for the breakout, each question must be required and validated. Select the jellybeans to the right of the 'Required' option to reveal the validation option.
From the options provided select number and equal to, then enter the number in the space provided. Type the custom clue to be shown until the correct answer is entered.
The answer will be revealed if this area is left blank.
Set up the form using 'Settings' gear wheel
Click the gear wheel in the upper right area of the form. In the 'General' section, uncheck all boxes to make the form open to all users.
In the 'Presentation' section, uncheck all the boxes and include a message that wraps up the breakout. In the 'Closet Trap' breakout, the end message was the secret word required to activate the closet lock so the door would open.
Remember to Save changes.
Embed the form on the Google Site
The final step is to embed the form on the Google Site. Placement of the form is important so that the participants can easily navigate the game. Moving the form is easy so don't worry about placement until all of the elements are on the page. Then rearrange items based on how the final game should look.
From the Insert area on the Google Site, scroll down until 'Forms' is visible as an option. Select Forms, then navigate to the desired form in the google drive. The form will appear on the sites page and can be moved and resized as needed.
Test the Prototype
Share the breakout you have created with another educator in your group. Test the links, form, and other clue delivery elements. Discuss each element and make adjustments based on player/evaluator feedback.
Wrap-up
Find a think partner, share your breakout, test and provide feedback. Remember to keep the target audience in mind as you evaluate.
Share your progress with the group. Fill out the embedded form so we can get ideas from each other. Remember the link to your site will update as you make additions and publish so don't be shy. We learn best when we share our ideas. Responses will be visible in the embedded spreadsheet at the bottom of the page.
Bookmark this page so you can check back often and see the progress.
What did we accomplish today?
experience a digital breakout
create a Google site and add multiple elements to the site
create a digital "lock" with Google forms
access multiple sites that support clue provision
analyze how multiple standards across multiple content areas can be included in one breakout
learn to scaffold to support students learning to break out the first time
discuss strategies for using digital breakouts in the classroom
Examples of Digital Breakout Creations Resulting from Training
Screenshot of a breakout created that addresses elementary math vocabulary.
Vincent's Measurment Mystery is for 2-3 grade. It addresses measuring to the nearest inch.
This scenario requires students to use essential math vocabulary and number sense to determine the principal's address.
Resources
Google Suite including Google Forms, Google Sites and Google Maps
Breakout EDU: Helping Students Break out of Their Comfort Zones