Let's Make a DOK 3! (Part 2)

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 Part One of this blog on "Let's Make a DOK 3!", I examined and explained with evidence how the cognitive demand of the tasks students must complete and the demand of the skills they must perform resembles the goals and expectations of reality TV skills challenges such as Lego Masters and Top Chef!

A DOK 3 teaching and learning experience can also resemble a panel discussion that engages students in argumentation and use complex reasoning to examine and explain with evidence why a claim, conclusion, or critique of an idea, incident, individual, or issue is "right" or "wrong."

These teaching and learning experiences resemble TV news shows such as Meet the Press or Real Time with Bill Maher and TV sports shows such as Fox NFL Sunday or NBA on TNT.

These shows feature a moderator who poses a question to a panel of "experts" who debate and discuss an idea, incident, individual, or issue. However, these "experts" on the panel cannot just use information and basic reasoning to express and share their opinion. They must support their response and reasoning — and even their feelings — with evidence. The facilitator fosters the conversation by presenting ideas and information or posing questions.

What makes these panel discussions a DOK 3 is that the participants are engaging in argumentation and defending, justifying, or refuting claims — be it their own or those made by others — with evidence. If they were just giving their opinion based on their feelings, preference, or thoughts, this would be a DOK 2. However, because they cite both events and statistics as evidence, they are comprehending and communicating at a DOK 3.

DOK 3 teaching and learning experiences that simulate a panel discussion implement and utilize a Socratic approach to engage students in learning. This approach can be organized and structured formally using Socratic Circles that assign students specific roles or informally in which the teacher facilitates, fosters, and fuels the debates and discussions.

A panel discussion addresses and argues a specific idea, incident, individual, or issue. The teacher facilitates the experience from the very beginning by setting the goals and groundwork of the debate or discussion. They commence the conversation by posing a good question that will pique the students' curiosity and interest and encourage them to express and share their position.

Once the question is posed, the students take charge and control of the conversation, sharing their point of view or position. However, they must support their responses, results, reasoning with evidence based more on the facts than their feelings. The teacher facilitates and furthers the debate or discussion by posing more questions or providing more information to consider and critique.

The questions should not be personalized in that they feature the pronoun referent "you." They should ask about the idea, incident, individual, or issue rather than the students' individual or personal perspective.

DOK 3 panel discussions are effective to discuss the ideas and information presented or portrayed in texts of literary fiction or nonfiction. They can also be applicable in social studies classes in which students debate and discuss the impact or influence of historical, civic, geographical, or economic ideas, incidents, or issues.

These experiences are student led in that the debates and discussions between the students in pairs and groups or with the whole class will drive the direction of the conversation. The teacher, however, should remain impartial while also monitoring the direction and duration of the debate or discussion to ensure the tone remains civil and respectful.

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.

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