Element

Minimal Student Input

Some Student Input

Student Driven

Disciplinary Outcomes
What are the subject-specific goals of learning?

Established standards dictate the content and skills to be learned.

Student has some choice to focus on particular topics, concepts, or skills within established standards.

Student determines the content and skills he or she wished to learn within established standards.

Cross-Disciplinary Outcomes
What learning goals cut across subject areas?

Cross-disciplinary outcomes have been established

Student has opportunities to develop based on explicit teaching and assessment

Student identifies cross-disciplinary outcomes from a common set.

Mindsets
What mindsets are necessary for success?

Teacher creates a classroom culture that uses the four mindsets (relevance, growth mindset, self-efficacy, sense of belonging).

Teacher guides students to use the four mindsets to strengthen performance and development.

Student uses mindsets to work harder, engage in more productive behaviors, and persevere to overcome obstacles to success.

Task
What is the challenge?

Teacher, curriculum, or computer generates the problem, idea, design, or investigation.

Teacher guides definition and articulation of the problem, idea, design, or investigation.

Student independently defines and articulates the problem, idea, design, or investigation.

Audience
Who is the audience and how does that shape communication?

Teacher is the primary audience for student product or performance.

Student has input into or choice of audience.

Student engages with authentic audience to demonstrate learning and to add value through contribution.

Feedback
How is feedback provided, and how is it used?

Teacher provides formal and informal feedback on the task to help student revise and refine the task.

Teacher and others (e.g., peers, experts in the field) provide feedback to help student revise and refine the task.

Student seeks and uses feedback from teacher and others to guide performance.

Evaluation
How is performance evaluated on a given task?

Teacher generates a score and provides explanation of performance.

Student rates performance based on given outcomes to inform teacher evaluation.

Student and teacher interpret evidence of achievement in relation to key outcomes and goals.

Process
Who controls the sequence and pace of learning?

Learning sequence and pace are specified by the curriculum, teacher, and/or resource.

Learning sequence and pace are specified but somewhat flexible based on student interest and need.

Learning sequence and pace are developed based on student interest and need and flexible based on assessment of progress.

Environment
Where does the learning take place?

There is a top-down environment in which teacher instructs and assesses disciplinary and cross-disciplinary outcomes.

The environment is more collaborative; teacher considers student voice and choice in the instruction and assessment of disciplinary and cross-disciplinary outcomes.

Teacher and student work together as learning partners to design and assess learning for disciplinary and cross-disciplinary outcomes.

Demonstration of Learning
What constitutes evidence of learning?

Teacher and district assessments specify the way(s) in which disciplinary and cross-disciplinary outcomes will be demonstrated.

Student chooses among a set of options to determine how disciplinary and cross-disciplinary outcomes will be demonstrated.

Student proposes or shapes way(s) that both disciplinary and cross-disciplinary outcomes will be demonstrated and will provide evidence of learning (e.g., personalized portfolio.

Time
When can/does learning occur?

Schooling is defined by “seat time” - prescribed number of school days.

Schooling is a more variable blend of time-based and outcome-based measures.

Schooling can take place 24/7, 365 days a year and be determined by outcome-based measures.

Advancement
How does a student progress through the system?

Student is advanced based on age, irrespective of achievement.

Promotion or retention at the end of the year is based on achievement in the course or grade level.

Advancement is based on demonstrated competency whenever that is achieved.