Authentic Learning in Tech

Steve Woollaston (BC) - Elim Christian College

Team:

• Nicola Voisey (GCMYs)

• Lisa Snook (GCMYs)

• Amanda Abrahams (MAC)

• Jason Ridler (MAC)

• Peter McDonough (MAC)

• Andre Loubser (GCMYs)
  
  

Kia ora! Nau mai, Haere mai.

Our inquiry focuses on curiosity and project-based learning in the Technology subject area.

We would like to explore the role of curiosity in learning. How can we tailor learning programmes to optimise curiosity through insights garnered from current research? What tools and techniques can we utilise to support and cultivate curiosity? 

Weaknesses

• Heavy focus on assessment

• Lack of a big picture to place learning in context - why are we learning this?

• Struggle to know / articulate next learning steps

Strengths

• Giving students options / multiple pathways

• Good support from home in most cases

Evidence needed: Quantitative data

• Literacy results from English (see Schoology / KAMAR)

• Technology results (see Schoology / KAMAR)

• Self-relevancy survey 

• Measure of engagement / hours put in to project

• Curiosity measure: 5DC

Evidence needed: Qualitative data

• Written feedback after unit

• Structured interview with selection of random students

• Teacher anecdotes / reflections / thoughts

• The purpose of this inquiry is to explore the role of curiosity and motivation in Technology for our students.

Initial observations:

• Students enjoy the practical nature of technology - “doing stuff with your hands”

• Tasks / projects with a clear roadmap and specific stakeholder / client have higher engagement

• Options / choices within tasks have a positive impact on engagement and allow extension

• Constraints can lead to creative solutions. E.g. Create a new type of keyboard… for someone without hands.

• Students curious / keen to try new things independently, but also need explicit teaching / support to learn essential skills and know what is possible

• For many students, competition and external audience (stakeholders / client) encourage engagement - students get excited, deeper and longer engagement

• Many students lack the skills / initiative to solve problems themselves. Get stuck easily. Learned helplessness? Lack of resilience?

• Students teach and learn from each other - collaboration is a powerful tool in the classroom

• Explicit teaching around how / where this knowledge / skill fits in to the bigger picture - cross curricular (e.g. writing to stakeholders, reading instructions, using physics and mathematics in designs, building minimum viable product for market)

• Being purposeful about creating an authentic audience for student work. E.g. parents, industry experts, clients, investors

• Collaboratively creating projects with real world application

• Structuring projects around the Technology Design Cycle

• Joyous Exploration - Prototypical curiosity: the joy of seeking new knowledge and information, learning and exploring. Easy to identify in younger children who play with a new toy or explore a new environment.

• Deprivation Sensitivity - anxiety and tension are more overt than joy. Solving problems and considering new and complex ideas for the sake of reducing gaps in knowledge. This might be seen when researching a new travel destination or struggling with a mathematics problem.

Technology Design Process

• Nicola's slides

• Student templates based on each section of design process

  • Show where at / where going with learning / articulate next steps

  • Support resilience / learning pit

• Assessment brief structured to design process

Authentic Audiences

• Inviting external stakeholders

• Internal school competition and exhibition

• Dragon's Den style assessment

// Coming soon