How can we write a quality driving question for a PBL unit?
Launch PBL Series
EP1: How can we create an impactful PBL experience?
EP2:What is project-based learning?
EP3: What are the benefits of project-based learning?
EP4: How can we write a quality driving question for a PBL unit?
EP5: How can we foster academic risk-taking during PBL?
EP6: How can we assess students during project-based learning?
EP7: How can we use milestones to track students’ progress during PBL?
EP8: How can we choose an engaging project-based learning topic?
EP9: What is the teachers’ role during project-based learning?
EP10: How can we plan a project showcase without feeling overwhelmed?
EP11: How can we use effective feedback strategies to enhance students’ public products?
EP 12: How can teachers improve their PBL experience through reflection?
EP 13: How can we shift students from presentations to presentations of learning?
Let's explore how to write a quality driving question. When I lead in-person professional development, believe it or not, we spend a significant amount of time drafting the driving question because it's the foundation of the project. To ensure we are using a shared language, let's review the definition of a driving question.
What is a driving question?
A driving question is an overarching question that will guide students' learning during the project-based learning unit. It answers students' common thought: Why are we learning this? The driving question should connect to the learning goals. When teachers are writing the driving question for a PBL unit, it's essential to make it open-ended. I often see teachers struggle with writing a compelling driving question.
Let's review two types of questions.
Closed-ended questions are questions that can be answered with a simple yes or no. For example, what is a profit when you sell one of the notebooks in the school store? Well, the answer to this question can be found quickly without any extensive research or exploration. Once the student knows the cost or expenses of producing the notebook and the anticipated selling price, the answer is pretty much known. Also, with this type of question, there's only one answer.
Whereas, open-ended questions are questions that require more thought and more than a simple one-word answer. For example, how do we get students to visit and spend more money in our school store? You are likely to hear various solutions. Also, students will need to conduct research, build upon prior knowledge, and new findings to fully answer the question.
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What are some requirements for a quality driving question?
The aim is to draft a question that is ambiguous, open-ended, and it should support students' learning goals, as I mentioned previously. Write a question that requires investigation or research to create a solution. A quality driving question should require solutions that push students to the "create" stage of Bloom's taxonomy.
Considering driving questions are student-facing, they should easily understand it. The driving question should be relevant and interesting to students. It should also connect to the real world because, ultimately, we want the driving question to sustain students' interest and curiosity throughout the PBL unit.
At this point, you may be thinking when planning:
Should I brainstorm the topic first?
Should I start with the learning objectives first?
Should I create the driving question first?
You may hear different responses from PBL experts, but I typically start with the learning goals first, brainstorm the topic and then draft the driving question. I've found this structure to be successful, with the majority of the teachers attending my project-based learning workshops.
How do I write a quality driving question?
Now that we know the components of a quality driving question, let's analyze how to write one. To my knowledge, there is no official formula to follow when drafting a driving question. However, I crowdsourced a few methods that tend to be helpful. I like the article that Tony Vincent wrote a few years ago, which categorized driving questions based on the projects' purpose.
For example, during the project-based learning unit, you may want students to:
Solve a problem.
Persuade an audience to do something.
Teach others something.
Tackle big ideas.
Notice that with the example outcomes shared, students would be unable to provide a yes or no response. With that in mind, I'll share some example driving questions.
How can I help students in my school stay safe during extreme weather?
How can we help physical therapists create an ad campaign to avoid sports injuries for high school students?
How can our class create an anti-bullying campaign that makes our school a safer place?
What impact does pollution have on my community?
Pay attention to the structure of the questions. There is a question starter plus the challenge or the problem plus the audience. When drafting these types of questions, teachers can expect various responses from students. A quality project-based learning driving question should lead students to ask more questions.
For example, let's use the driving question:
How can I share weekly news with kids my age to keep them informed about school events?
Students may want to research or explore the following.
How are kids currently staying informed?
What are some ways to share the news with peers?
What type of news do students want to hear?
Also, throughout the unit, students may have additional content-specific questions. Imagine that you teach a technology class. Students may learn how to use specific technology to solve challenges, which most likely would relate to their learning goals.
After teachers draft their driving question, I always suggest they share it with other teachers to receive feedback and refine it. Remember, writing a quality driving question for your project-based learning unit is an important step.
To recap, a good driving question prohibits students from quickly asking Google, Alexa, or Siri for the answer because they must investigate the challenge and use content knowledge to design the solution.
Take action:
What pitfalls will you avoid when writing a driving question for your next project-based learning unit?