Guided Design

My first reaction to this design is one of excitement.  This has been my favorite design model thus far.  I like facilitating learning and collaboration.  I think it doesn't have to be hard or a 'turn off' for kids.  It is really all about the approach.  Any activity where the kids get to think, talk, discuss, look up, apply, etc, is a good activity -- and that is just what this model requires.  If the content doesn't appeal to them, we need to make it more appealing.  Provide topic choices (that meet the same objectives).  We don't have to be the authority on everything - allow students to choose something outside the box as long as they define their goals and they meet your project's criteria.  

The barriers are always going to be things like time and money.  But in this case supervision and authentic facilitation are two elements that must not be overlooked or skimped on.  The incidental learning (unplanned learning) has to be one of the greatest benefits.   Students today bring so much background experience and knowledge with them; they can actually add to the facilitation process through personal examples.  (And us teachers can learn from group discussions - pretty cool!)

Yes, I would integrate this model into lessons I plan to teach in the future -- or am designing for others right now!  But of course, this is just a model.  I would use it for a template, but I would change it up to meet my needs or some other instructor's needs.  This model is a great way to integrate across content areas as well.  The word design has an artistic element in it that cannot be overlooked.  To me, this provides students with an opportunity to input their voice, their creativity, their personal flair.  Part of the design process is building skills.  Learning/memorizing facts and dates is normally a short-term way to know stuff (that we can otherwise look up on the Internet).  But thinking and attempting to solve problems, testing one's solution, and even failing provide the learner with a skill set that can't be replicated on the Internet.  It is learning by doing, tapping in to multiple intelligences and providing students with skills they can apply to other situations.  

Web resources are endless for students to research data that may help them problem solve, talk/think through some idea, and even trouble-shoot possible problems.  Web tools that would help students who are using this model are things like document-sharing tools that allow others to edit and write on.  Some suggests are dropbox, Google docs, Scribblar, a wiki, and even emailing Office documents back and forth.  Elluminate, WIMBA, SKYPE would allow students to speak to one another while collaboratively working on a whiteboard.  Also, SMART board technology offers free software for students to use at home, making SMART tools available to them - where they can record sessions.  Screen captures tools would be a good way for the instructor to provide background information for the scenario where the problem occurs.  This way you could use images and video clips from news or online sources to build up the importance for solving the problem.  I am thinking the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico - tons of pics and footage to help the learner visualize the issues he or she would be solving.