Ninth grade is an age that can be fraught with problems -- mental, emotional, social and physical. Having lived through some awkward teen years myself, I know that there are a number of distractions pulling my students' attention away from their Design & Technology classes. However, using real problems that they encounter on a daily basis can help them engage more easily. The Buck Institute for Education uses research-based practices to recommend strategies for creating and implementing high quality PBL units. Authenticity, or "real-world context, tasks and tools, quality standards, or impact" where "the project speaks to personal concerns, interests, and issues in the students’ lives" can revolutionize a unit from abstract to concrete, making it immediately relevant for distracted students.
As part of a mini-Engineering Design unit, we asked students to analyze any systematic problem that they face and pitch a solution to the issue. I originally planned for them to analyze one particular issue and then re-design a prototype that could solve this problem. I set my sights on an issue that has become a sneakily omnipresent force in the students' lives - Amazon packaging and the costs of same-day delivery. Many of my students order at least one product online per week. They simply recycle the boxes or throw out the packaging like everyone else. However, this unit kicked off in February, shortly after Amazon's recent switch toward bubble-lined plastic pouches. In our discussions, I asked them to pause and think about their relationship with the delivery worker. The Washington Post reports that these new plastic pouches are actually having a negative effect on the recycling chain, rather than the bulkier (yet more easily recyclable) cardboard boxes. Although these new mailers claim to be recyclable, the machinery at many recycling plants hasn't been able to sort them correctly.
As much of an eye opener as this was for me, I could see as I posed this issue to students that it didn't hit home as a huge issue for them. Rather than continuing with a re-design of the Amazon packaging, I asked them to identify their own issues, giving them their own voice and choice (another BIE element of high quality PBL). Working in groups, students brainstormed issues that they could identify from their own life experiences. For example, rather than focusing on delivery packaging, one group decided to address non-reusable toiletry packaging. A pair of students constantly tasked with household chores chose to focus on how circuitry and sensors can reduce water waste when hand-washing dishes. By opening up the possibilities, my ninth graders found much more complex and relevant problems that actually caught their attention! As each group pitched their solutions, they proved to us how much research and knowledge-seeking they conducted in order to really understand and solve these problems.
In a different section of the Design & Technology class, students were given the same problem - how can we design lighting appliances that address issues of accessibility? We discussed problems that users might have when it comes to mobility and vision. Although they weren't able to choose their specific problem, the students in this class produced some really excellent prototypes! They designed and soldered circuits using LEDs, LilyPads and coin cell batteries that integrated into working lamp prototypes. Thinking about users with limited mobility or fine motor skills, our students created some amazing solutions! However, this class didn't have the chance to dive into background research on Universal Design. Because this problem wasn't necessarily "authentic" for the majority of the class, not all of the presentations were as fully informed as they could be.
In another iteration of this unit, I would ask students to identify their own encounters with issues of accessibility, and perhaps choose the appliance from those experiences. It might lead to a more chaotic rubric, but the results would definitely elevate the real-world connections, leading to more authentic problems that we can address in the classroom.
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