How can we make working with information meaningful?

One of the findings of research into research-based learning is that learners do not respond well to complex tasks and challenges. This does not necessarily mean that learners do not like challenges, because it has also been shown that learners do become engaged by challenging and authentic tasks. It does mean that we have to carefully re-structure complex tasks into smaller, simpler tasks.

The challenge for you, as the educator planning the unit, is to find the simplest way of structuring tasks for your learners. We know that it is not effective to give the students a project like "Find out about drought" or "Do a project on poverty". At the same time it is not effective to give a project title such as "Does conflict produce change?". The latter question is an excellent critical question and learners with good academic abilities will most probably be able to produce good work based on such a question. However the average learner will need this question to be reduced to simpler tasks. Younger learners, ELSEN learners and English Second Language learners will need to be given considerable direction as they work through any open question.

In this activity you will decide on an implementation model that provides learners with the smaller, simpler tasks and questions that build meaningful learning in the unit.

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Once you have completed this activity, click here to move to Activity 6 - Designing an assessment strategy.