The gap tasks
Four suggested gap tasks, each associated with a workshop phase
There are four suggested gap tasks, each associated with a workshop phase. The gap task associated with each of Workshops two, three and four is a Lesson Study. The gap task for Workshop one entails interviewing students about their responses to the questions in Unit 0.
Lesson study
- In each workshop the PD Lead chooses one of the newly introduced lessons and an appropriate research question to be carried out as a Lesson Study involving the department.
- Key points from the post-lesson discussion are recorded (in the Lesson Study booklet and guide provided - click here to see) and used to support wider discussion during the guided feedback session at the next workshop.
- A Lesson Study is carried out following the introduction of a new unit of lessons at a workshop. Hence up to three Lesson Studies can take place for each school pair and their department.
Student assessment interviews
- Following the first introductory workshop, the gap task is based around Unit 0 (involving a small set of questions for students to answer).
- The task involves students working in pairs to explain and justify how they know that a selected answer they have given to one of the questions is right (this may involve annotations, diagrams etc.). This allows teachers to get an insight into the depth and nature of the understanding the students have. Teachers select one or two students to question further (student interview) recording their answers and bringing this along to the next workshop to discuss.
- Videoed interviews: In the KS3 Multiplicative Reasoning Project, some teachers videoed a student interview. The observation and discussion of the video at department meetings turned out to be an effective source of department professional development and assessment of understanding and reasoning.