DOK and Concept-Based Learning
How does using Webb's Depth of Knowledge support our work in concept-based learning? If our goals for concept-based teaching is for students to engage in work which helps them to build their own deep, conceptual understanding of the big ideas within our subjects, then we have to figure out just what those big ideas are and match that information with prompts, tasks, and instruction requiring deep thinking. And when we define what levels or types of thinking are we truly wanting students to engage in we are more likely to design tasks and instruction which will help students dig into the content to that depth.
For example, brainstorming is a common prompt given to students is pursuit of higher order thinking - as in, Brainstorm a list of the emotions conveyed in music or Brainstorm the possible needs for triangles in building structures. in the Bloom’s revised model, brainstorming is a part of which level? Where does that correlate to Webb’s model? Is that higher order thinking? When we don't think deeply enough as teachers about what we are truly asking students to do, what the cognitive process really is, then we risk students not reaching the desired depth of understanding.
Brainstorming is often equated with listing. That would make it recall on Webb's Depth of Knowledge levels and likely knowledge on Bloom's Revised Taxonomy. We would like to say is it extended thinking or creation, but without evaluation of the merit of the ideas generated against a set of criteria, defense of their contribution, or reorganization of the ideas into a new structure, we are only asking students to list what they may have already heard, what pops into their heads, there is no requirement for deep thinking.
For example, brainstorming is a common prompt given to students is pursuit of higher order thinking - as in, Brainstorm a list of the emotions conveyed in music or Brainstorm the possible needs for triangles in building structures. in the Bloom’s revised model, brainstorming is a part of which level? Where does that correlate to Webb’s model? Is that higher order thinking? When we don't think deeply enough as teachers about what we are truly asking students to do, what the cognitive process really is, then we risk students not reaching the desired depth of understanding.
Brainstorming is often equated with listing. That would make it recall on Webb's Depth of Knowledge levels and likely knowledge on Bloom's Revised Taxonomy. We would like to say is it extended thinking or creation, but without evaluation of the merit of the ideas generated against a set of criteria, defense of their contribution, or reorganization of the ideas into a new structure, we are only asking students to list what they may have already heard, what pops into their heads, there is no requirement for deep thinking.
The word understanding carries many definitions. We need to be clear about what our definition will be to describe the thinking we want to see in students. It is not recall, it is not reproducing work already seen, it is not brainstorming (listing) ideas, ... It is, instead, citing evidence to make a justification, it is investigating to evaluate a theory, it is differentiating between two ideas based on their comparison to a standard, it is hypothesizing an outcome, designing a procedure to test the hypothesis, then drawing conclusions and proposing application of the findings.
How do you currently see the application of Webb's DOK to concept-based learning? How can it help you to reach your goals with students?
How do you currently see the application of Webb's DOK to concept-based learning? How can it help you to reach your goals with students?