HOTS are complex cognitive skills that challenge students to engage in deeper learning and use what they have learned and transfer the skills to new content and create original work.
Students must take the information they have learned and do something with it. It is not enough to know the information, the information must be transformed into something new.
Image Source: Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching
Robert Sternberg says that intelligence is adapting to, selecting, and shaping the the environment in which one finds themselves. According to Sternberg's theory of intelligences, every person can demonstrate learning and understanding in an unique way, not all of which are tested on school assessments.
Teaching students how to use and demonstrate HOTS helps students access different parts of different types of intelligences and demonstrate their learning to their teachers and to their peers.
WebQuests are group projects that are inquiry based and require the students to use web-based tools to complete through HOT skills. The students come toa deeper understanding of the content through learning about how to learn, rather than just learning the content in the class. The WebQuests include an introduction to the task that describes the goals of the learning activity, an authentic task, a process, a conclusion, and an evaluation. Created by Bernie Dodge at San Diego State University, using WebQuests transforms students' learning process so that they are learning in meaningful ways. WebQuests help students understand content by provided real-world examples and contexts.
ISTE for Students 3d: Students build knowledge by actively exploring real-world issues and problems, developing ideas and theories and pursuing answers and solutions.
Metacognition is a vital part of higher order thinking skills. In order to understand how they learn and think, students must think about their thinking. One way to help students analyze and understand their thinking is through mind mapping. There are many types of different graphic organizers floating around, but my personal preference is for Thinking Maps. Thinking Maps do not depend on the content area, but depend on the type of thinking in order to determine which type of map is used.
Using Lucidchart in Google Docs, students can digitize their mind maps. Students can re-create a Thinking Map, or design their own mind map in order to demonstrate and process their thinking and learning. This empowers students to communicate about their own thinking in their own way.
ISTE for Students 1b: Students build networks and customize their learning environments in ways that support the learning process.
The page created as part of the requirements for TEC 536: Assessment and Instructional Technology