Rich Tasks

Aims To understand the key principles behind the Rich Task approach to learning and teaching.   To be aware of key elements and attributes associated with Rich Task design.  To identify opportunities for developing Rich Tasks in this school.

Activity 2: Rich tasks - video Questions  What makes a learning task ‘authentic’ or ‘relevant’? What features of a task make it ‘interdisciplinary’?  To what extent do we enable learners to demonstrate their knowledge and skills in our day-to-day classroom work?  What are the various and different forms of assessment might be used as part of the learning process?

Activity 2: Summary of key points One of the features of Curriculum for Excellence is a Rich Task approach to teaching, learning and assessment.  The rich task approach emerged as part of the New Basics programme developed in Queensland, Australia over the past 10 years.  Although rich tasks were originally founded upon principles of assessment, the rich task methodology has developed in a way that promotes interdisciplinary and cross-curricular approaches to learning and teaching.

Activity 2: Summary of key points (continued) Rich tasks are typically used as a framework for designing a project or block of work, which integrates different curricular areas and covers a range of different learning experiences and outcomes. Much of what makes a task ‘rich’ is the environment in which it is presented. This includes the nature of the learning activity itself and the roles that learners are encouraged to adopt.

Activity 2: Summary of key points (continued) In summary, a task might be considered rich where:  It is based upon an authentic and relevant task It is multi-dimensional - involving more than one learning experience or outcome It provides opportunities for learners to demonstrate knowledge, skills and understanding It promotes a range of different assessment methodologies

Activity 2: Summary of key points (continued) The Rich Task approach has been adopted by many schools in Scotland because there is strong evidence that it increases the level of motivation and engagement in learners, and also raises levels of attainment.

Activity 3: Rich tasks attributes Task 1 Identify a recent task (perhaps a project, theme, topic or unit of work), and assess the extent to which that task incorporated the following attributes or characteristics.

Activity 3: Rich tasks attributes To what extent did the task . . . (a) provide cross-curricular or interdisciplinary learning experiences?

Activity 3: Rich tasks attributes To what extent did the task . . . (b) offer authentic and real-life contexts for learning?

Activity 3: Rich tasks attributes To what extent did the task . . . (c) enable learners to demonstrate knowledge and understanding?

Activity 3: Rich tasks attributes To what extent did the task . . . (d) provide opportunities for learners to perform skills or tasks?

Activity 3: Rich tasks attributes To what extent did the task . . . (e) help students to make connections in their learning?

Activity 3: Rich tasks attributes To what extent did the task . . . (f) use a variety of different assessment approaches?

Activity 3: Rich tasks attributes To what extent did the task . . . (g) involve learners in making decisions about how and what they learn?

Activity 3: Rich tasks attributes To what extent did the task . . . (h) involve learners in testing, proving, explaining, reflecting and interpreting?

Activity 3: Rich tasks attributes To what extent did the task . . . (i) promote discussion and collaborative learning?

Activity 3: Rich tasks attributes To what extent did the task . . . (j) involve investigation, research and discovery?

Activity 3: Rich tasks attributes To what extent did the task . . . (k) foster creativity and original thinking?

Activity 3: Rich tasks attributes To what extent did the task . . . (l) cater for different styles of learning?

Activity 4: Rich task illustrations Questions What features of Rich Tasks are evident in this illustration?  Are there examples of this type of approach in our school? What might our school learn from this example of a Rich Task?

Activity 5: Building a rich task Task 1 A rich task approach What learning experiences might increase levels of motivation and engagement in learners?  What could be done to make the Bullying topic more authentic and relevant?  Are there modern or contemporary issues associated with bullying that might be relevant and up-to-date? Other than Health and Wellbeing, what other experiences and outcomes could help make the Bullying topic more interdisciplinary in nature?

Activity 5: Building a rich task Task 1 A rich task approach (continued) What approaches might enable children to be more active in their learning?   What might be done to enable learners to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding?  What approaches might give children more responsibility and autonomy in their learning?   What creative activities might pupils be asked to undertake? What kinds of collaborative learning opportunities might be included in when planning this Bullying topic?

Activity 5: Building a rich task Task 2 Assessment strategies Identify a range of methods of that might be used to assess pupils’ learning.  Now map these assessment methods to some of the learning activities in your revised Bullying topic. To what extent is it possible to broaden the scope of assessment in this educational experience?

Activity 5: Building a rich task Task 3 Planning considerations From the ideas generated, how might you go about planning a new ‘Bullying’ topic? What are the challenges in integrating a variety of ideas into one coherent topic or theme? What issues might there be around the development of resources or teaching materials?