Week 2 Reading

The CBL Framework

This week, I looked at three articles in relationship to my Action Research (AR) project.

The first was Challenge Based Learning: An Approach for Our Time from The New Media Consortium. Since my AR project is focused on using Challenge Based Learning (CBL) as a means to increase motivation and engagement, I needed to read more about CBL and how it can be implemented.  This research study presented information from the six schools which piloted the CBL model during the 2008-2009 academic year, and presents the findings related to student motivation and engagement.  Through this, I also found the topic for my CBL project in our classroom, which will be Apathy.

The second article I read was the Challenge Based Learning White Papers from Apple, Inc., which further outlines the program and provides sample challenges.  This was mainly a description, so I'm not sure it will provide much support to the research beyond the guidelines for the project.

The final article I read was"Redefining Rigor: Critical Engagement, Digital Media, and the New English/Language Arts" by Jessica Dockter, Delainia Haug, and Cynthia Lewis.  This too brief article chronicled the use of documentary film making as the frame of study in a combined English/Language Arts (E/LA) and History class, and its affect on the students.  All though it gives no quantitative supportive data, the qualitative data collected from student interviews and reflections demonstrates that the use of digital media and Internet resources can motivate and engage students, especially when a focus challenge and real world scenario are included.  It also demonstrated the importance of having a showcase for student work, in this case a film festival for the student created documentaries, that was open to family, friends, and the community as a whole.  This showcase was a high motivating factor, and I think I might use a film festival as a showcase for the work my students create in their CBL projects.  Although it was not a CBL project by name, the design of the E/LA curriculum in the study had many similarities to the design of CBL.