IBDP Digital Society is a future-focused social science course that explores the impacts and implications of digital systems for people and communities in diverse real-world contexts. With the introduction of the Digital Society subject, replacing ITGS with the first exams scheduled for May 2024, both experienced ITGS teachers and new IB educators are exploring effective classroom strategies that leverage the use of concepts to enrich the inquiry process.
As a Digital Society educator, some of the questions I have been exploring in my classroom are:
- How do I support inquiry in the classroom?
- How should I sequence the levels of learning and use questions to drive the learning?
- How can concepts help students to see patterns and make connections to deepen their understanding?
- How can I support students to students to transfer their learning to new and unseen situations?
- And, most importantly, how can I effectively help students learn about new and emerging technologies that I’m not familiar with?
With any learning engagement, I try to employ a backwards design approach (Wiggins and McTighe, 2005). This means that instead of starting with the content, I begin with the desired goals by considering what students need to be able to at the conclusion of the two-year course. For instance, an exam question might pose:
Discuss the potential benefits and challenges associated with implementing blockchain technology in the food supply chain for tracking product origins.
Once I know where I need the students to land, I then work out the skills and knowledge that students need to respond to the question and then design series of series of learning engagements that will get them there.
So my list might look like this:
- Develop an understanding of blockchain technology: Some students will have come across this in a computer science class or through their own interest and curiosity and may have some understanding about blockchain technology might work from a technical viewpoint. Nevertheless, when considering blockchain technology in the context of Digital Society, students must not only comprehend its technical workings but also examine its application in a particular context and its impact and implications for different stakeholders.
- Develop critical thinking skills: The command term is ‘discuss’ which means that students need to ‘offer a considered and balanced review that includes a range of arguments, factors or hypotheses. Opinions or conclusions should be presented clearly and supported by appropriate evidence’ (IB Digital Society Guide, page 70). This means that students need to understand, apply, analyse, evaluate and synthesize a real-world example (of blockchain technologies) and the impacts and implications of this technology for people and communities.
- Develop essay writing skills
With a diverse range of learners in my classrooms, my next challenge is to design learning experiences that are both engaging and accessible for all students.
Please visit Part 2 and Part 3 (coming soon) for the structured lesson sequence that aims to showcase the techniques and resources I utilise to promote inquiry-based learning, using concepts to deepen understanding, collaboration and visible thinking routines drawn fromProject Zero’s Thinking Routine Toolbox. While I’ve used blockchain technology as an illustration, it’s important to note that this can be substituted with any of the new and emerging technologies found in Section 3 of the IBDP Digital Society Guide.
My aim in sharing is to encourage collaboration and continue to develop the Digital Society network of teachers.
You are invited to use this sequence of learning as is or, even better, adapt, refine and edit to make it work for your class(es). If you do use this, or aspects of this, I welcome all feedback either as a comment on the post, a comment in the platform where you accessed the post (Facebook Group or LinkedIn #ibdigsoc) or a message through Facebook or LinkedIn.
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