Asking students to go and research, fofo as it's known by some :)
Nicola Maxfield
Aiming for accessibility for all. ASD. Study skills champion PG Cert SpLD, Master's student Inclusive Education
Go and research kidney disease
This is a pretty vague and open-ended request.
With such a demand you will get a continuum of product, from a student who cuts and pastes the NHS entry for kidney disease, to one who completes a huge piece of original work worthy of an EPQ.
I was always saddened and bemused by teachers who launched into the workroom at break to grumble about a research task which has progressed as described above.
Giving parameters and clear guidance is vital to get the result you want.
Give a list of questions you want answered by the research, suggest the best websites, or even books.
Don’t just give out the task and leave the students to it, check on progress, support, give hints. Differentiate too, to ensure the students who struggle don’t just wander about on Google and end up on Instagram.
Example
Find a career you are interested in and write about it – too vague
Be specific
Find a career you are interested in, then compile a fact sheet/ careers information guide which contains the following information:
· A brief summary of the career itself,
o e.g. if you are looking at Paramedics then you might say, you will be dealing with emergency calls from a child with a high temperature to a serious road accident, working in all weathers and situations.
· The qualifications needed from GCSE upwards, and the reasons for these
o e.g. you will need to have science at GCSE to have a basic understanding of the body and to get onto a Paramedic Science degree course at university
· Registration, with whom & why
o e.g. you will need to register with xxxx because this is a legal requirement, and you will need to complete xx hours CPD each year, so the registration protects you and your patients
Remember you will get out what you put in!
To prevent cutting and pasting support the students by showing them good skills. This saves so much time in the long run, I’m always shocked when teachers/ managers say they don’t have the time for this.