As schools across the world participate in large-scale remote learning amidst the outbreak of COVID-19, Defined Learning can be helpful to ensure meaningful learning takes place away from the classroom. Below are five ways that Defined Learning can be used to facilitate remote learning. For more information on getting started with Defined Learning, visit the PD center.
5 ways to use Defined Learning to facilitate remote learning:
- Customize your project and add relevant resources
While teachers hope they design perfect tasks the first time, there may be parts of a task that are unclear to students or questions that come up over and over again. Teachers can customize Defined Learning tasks even after the task has been assigned to students, adding new resources, graphic organizers for scaffolding, examples of student work or any other changes they would like even as students are working on the project. Click here for a step-by-step guide on customizing a Defined Learning task.
- Assign a project directly to students
Long time users of Defined Learning may not be aware that projects can be assigned directly to students using the “Assign” tab on any project. Projects will appear on a student dashboard when students connect to the Defined Learning site. Older students and students familiar with Defined Learning can navigate through a task independently, watching the career video, reading the GRASP (Goal, Role, Audience, Situation, Products), clicking on links, learning objects and constructed responses, and submitting their work directly on the Defined Learning site! Get Click here to learn how to assign a project.
- Turn on student inputs for scaffolded design thinking
Students can navigate tasks step by step, answering questions directly on the Defined Learning platform. For example, students can respond to guiding questions after watching the career video or restate the project in their own words after reading the GRASP. They can brainstorm before submitting a final product and reflect after completing the activity to demonstrate how the process enhanced their understanding as much as the product!
- Provide feedback and asynchronous communication through our online portfolio manager
Wherever students submit work, teachers can respond! A chat box appears in each student’s project portfolio. This tool can be used to communicate directly with students as they ask questions. Parents can also submit responses. Students might use the chat feature to suggest resources that could benefit the entire class. Teachers might use the response feature to ask a student to resubmit their work and improve their score on rubric criteria.
- Preview upcoming content or review previously learned content through curated project selection
Distance learning may make it challenging for students to learn brand new material without teacher support. Defined Learning tasks provide an opportunity to apply understanding through meaningful review of previously learned concepts or to front-load new material students will learn in the future without the pressure of mastery. Teachers can use the information students provide to determine where additional review may be needed or how to focus future curriculum units once school is back in session, with the bonus of students who are knowledgeable and excited about the topic!
Remote learning may not be familiar to all teachers, but students who have been exposed to project-based learning can easily navigate a task independently using the Defined Learning platform. Students will be delighted to complete relevant, engaging tasks even when they are learning from home!
For access to free e-learning projects on Defined Learning, click here.
