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 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 learning that’s academic, affective, and authentic.
NOTE: This blog will be presented in two parts due to how deeply a DOK 3 demands to be examined and explained. Check back for Part Two of this blog that will examine and explain with evidence how DOK 3 teaching and learning experiences resembles debates and discussion forums.
What Distinguishes a DOK 3?
The goal of a DOK 3 teaching and learning experience is for students to do one or more of the following:
- Justify an answer with evidence.
- Verify an answer with evidence.
- Conclude an answer based on evidence.
- Consider an answer based on evidence.
- Critique an answer based on evidence.
These are the DOK Goals and DOK Expectations for a DOK 3 Teaching and Learning Experience. Notice the words and phrases featured in these DOK 3 descriptors: “an answer” and “evidence”. That’s what distinguishes a DOK 3. The experience does not demand or involve attaining or explaining answers. Responses, results, or reasoning are “right” rather than “correct”. Correct answers are irrefutable. “Right” answers can be refuted – or accepted, defended, disputed justified, or questioned. Students must use complex reasoning (DOK 3 Skill) to examine and explain with evidence (DOK 3 Response) why an answer, action, alternative, or argument – be it their own or those made by others – is or may be “right” or “wrong”.
Students’ are assessed and evaluated based on their ability to balance the facts and their feelings as evidence to strengthen and support their responses, results, or reasoning.
That’s also what distinguishes a DOK 3 teaching and learning experience from a DOK 2. DOK 2 teaching and learning experiences challenge students to express and share their ideas or opinions using both information presented or provided in a text or their personal experiences as examples to establish and explain their beliefs, feelings, or thoughts. DOK 3 teaching and learning experiences engage students in argumentation, which involves checking and confirming the credibility of sources stating facts and considering the causes or intent of shared feelings before concluding or critiquing responses, results, or reasoning – again, be it their own or those presented by others. To attain the facts and explain their feelings as evidence, students must do one or more of the following:
- Delve deeper
- Inquire and investigate
- Debate and discuss with specific claims (argumentation)
- Think critically
- Problem solve
- Think creatively
- Defend, justify, or refute (with evidence)
- Check, confirm, conclude, consider, or critique (based on evidence)
DOK 3: The Panel Discussion
Part One of this blog on “Let’s Make a DOK 3!” examined and explained with evidence how the cognitive demand of the DOK 3 Task students must complete and the demand of the DOK 3 Skill students must perform resembles the goals and expectations of reality TV skills challenges such as LegoMasters and Top Chef! On these shows, the contestants approach and complete a task as an expert in their field. For example, on LegoMasters , the contestants have learned to become “experts” in building with Legos. On Top Chef!, the contestants have received different levels of training in the culinary arts. They have not only attained the knowledge and skills in their specific area of expertise. They can also apply the knowledge and skills proficiently. They have also developed or augmented the knowledge and skills into personal or self-knowledge – or expertise.
A DOK 3 teaching and learning experience can also resemble a panel discussion that engages students in argumentation (DOK 3 Task) and use complex reasoning (DOK 3 Skill) to examine and explain with evidence (DOK 3 Response) 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 and NBA on TNT (or any of the sports shows on ESPN).
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. Sometimes the facilitator is an “expert” themselves who interjects their conclusions or critiques. However, more often, the facilitator does this to further the conversation or fuel contention.
Below is a video clip of a panel discussion from Meet the Press. Notice how the facilitator initiates the experience by presenting the topic to be debated and discussed by the panel of “experts”. Each expert states their position and supports their perspective using a balance of the facts and their feelings as evidence. However, they are also careful and cognizant to let their feelings serve as the primary source or support of their response. They back it up with factual information – be it data or details. This makes this experience a DOK 3. The participants are engaging in argumentation and defending, justifying, or refuting claims – be it their own or those made by others – with evidence.
This clip is from an episode of Fox NFL Sunday (you’ll have to click on the video below to watch on YouTube). Notice how the “experts” on the panel support their position about who should be the Most Valuable Player (i.e., MVP) using data and details to defend their choices and claims as well as to refute their colleagues’ position. However, notice how the facilitator poses the question, “Who should be MVP?” They do not specify or state “you” in their questions. They inquire about the idea. Also, notice the facilitator not only presents further information but also defends their own position and explaining their reasoning 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 from a specific game and statistics of the players’ performance, they are comprehending and communicating at a DOK 3.
Participants DOK 3 teaching and learning experiences do not necessarily need to be addressed or organized as a panel. They can also emulates debates between two individuals with a moderator who establishes the criteria for the debate, poses the questions, facilitates the conversations, and manages or monitors the direction and duration of the discussion. They can also resemble 1:1 interviews conducted by a journalist or between two individuals who have unique expertise in a subject or topic.
How to Plan a DOK 3 TV Panel Discussion
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 — or “hook” — 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, however, 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 author of Inquiring Minds Want to Learn: Posing Good Questions to Promote Student Inquiry (Solution Tree), Deconstructing Depth of Knowledge: A Method and Model for Deeper Teaching and Learning (Solution Tree), and Now That’s a Good Question! How to Promote Cognitive Rigor Through Classroom Questioning (ASCD). Erik 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. He is also consistently ranked as one of the World’s Top 30 Education Professionals by the international research organization Global Gurus and the Top 10 Global Thought Leaders in Education by the organization Thinkers360.