Let's Make a DOK 1!

From Chapter 9: "Let's Make a DOK!" featured in Deconstructing Depth of Knowledge: A Method and Model for Deeper Teaching and Learning by Erik M. Francis

In 2016, I wrote a blog that compared the demand and expectations of Webb's DOK Levels to popular television shows. I called it "Let's Make a DOK!", a play on the title of the classic game show Let's Make a Deal! The name has a double meaning, since we can adapt the format of game shows into our classroom to develop and deliver DOK teaching and learning experiences that are not only educational but also energetic, enriching, and enjoyable.

In this blog series, I will compare the goals and expectations of each DOK Level to the format of a familiar television genre. I will also establish and explain with examples how these shows can be emulated in the classroom and engage students in an active DOK teaching and learning experience that's academic, affective, and authentic.

The goal of a DOK 1 teaching and learning experience is for students to attain the answer. At this level of learning, the student is challenged to recall information or recall how to do something to establish the correct answer. If the standard, activity, item, problem, question, or task only requires students to recall and restate information or reproduce procedures to provide a single response that's either correct or incorrect, then it's a DOK 1.

That's what makes the expectations of a DOK 1 teaching and learning experience like those on a TV quiz/game show such as Jeopardy! or Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? On these shows, the host runs the game, provides the information, poses the questions, or presents the tasks. The questions and tasks are difficult rather than complex because they demand the contestants recall and restate or reproduce information or procedures correctly from memory.

DOK 1 Quiz Shows are difficult yet simple. The experience is either "easy" or "hard" depending on the amount of time and effort it takes the student to recall information or recall how to do something. However, there's only two ways the students can respond in a DOK 1 Quiz Show: correctly or incorrectly. There's no need to explain or express, justify or verify, consider or critique, or explore or extend what they are learning. They either answer correctly — or don't.

However, DOK 1 Quiz Shows are engaging ways to assess and build students' foundational knowledge and functional understanding. They also offer a great way for students to remember what they need to know, understand, or do to demonstrate proficiency or perform successfully.

Jeopardy! — A difficult yet simple game that only requires students to recall information to answer correctly. The teacher presents a factual statement as a clue. The students must respond with a question that asks who, what, where, or when.

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? — A game in which the questions increase in difficulty but not in complexity. Students are presented multiple choice questions that demand them to recall information to answer correctly. Students can poll the class, phone a friend, or use a 50/50 lifeline.

Family Feud — A collaborative experience where students are split into two teams. One member of each team faces the other in a face-off as the teacher reads the question off the game board. A great way to assess and build background knowledge in an active and cooperative manner.

The Hollywood Squares — Organize 9 students into a tic-tac-toe formation. The teacher asks a factual question, and the student in the "square" must recall information to answer correctly. The team must decide if they agree or disagree.

Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? — Have an adult such as a district or school administrator, another teacher, a parent, or a prominent member of the local community be the contestant. Have the adult pick a category of a subject your students have studied.

DOK 1 "quiz shows" are very challenging not only intellectually but also socially and emotionally. Be cognizant and sensitive if students become too stressed if they feel like they cannot answer correctly. Remind them the point of the experience is not to "win" the game. It's to develop as well as demonstrate their learning.

Erik M. Francis, M.Ed., M.S., is an international author, educator, presenter, and professional development provider with over 25 years of experience in education. He is the owner of Maverik Education, providing professional development, guidance, and support on how to plan and provide teaching and learning experiences that are standards based, socially and emotionally supportive, and student responsive.

#DepthofKnowledge #DOK