Nearly all human life and every decision we make can somehow be tied to a goal that we have, whether it is a goal we set for ourselves or a natural goal that all humans strive to achieve. Theorist Roger Schank (creator of Goal Based Scenarios) under the Constructivist and Situated Learning Instructional Models, proposed the question, "why would we learn anything if the learning is not attached to helping us achieve a goal?" (Schank, 1992).
This question is the foundation for his theory Goal Based Scenarios (GBS). According to Schank, the intent of a GBS is to "provide motivation, a sense of accomplishment, a support system and focus on skills rather than facts" (Schank, 1992).
The GBS theory is based on the fact that as babies and toddlers, humans have natural goals of walking and speaking. These are goals that are part of human nature and they have a purpose, as we see others walking and communicating we want to as well. However, when kids start school around age six, suddenly their natural goals are replaced by artificial goals, like getting good grade, getting into a good college and pleasing their parents and teachers.
Schank believes that courses need to be fun and goal directed in order to engage students and have them learn knowledge that will help them in real world situations. He states that "every student and adult should consistently strive to communicate, collaborate and think" as these are skills they will use throughout their life. These skills are naturally learned when students are part of a team, whether in the classroom or or in sports. Many constructivist theories (like GBS, situated learning and Vygotsky's social learning to name a few) agree that group problem solving leads to engaging students in the process of learning which results in deeper and more rewarding experience and memory.
Here are the elements/steps required in a Goal Based Scenario (Schank, 2001):
- Learning goals - Target skills students should learn
- Mission - Increase motivation and include a realistic objective
- Cover Story - Explains the need for the mission
- Roles - Each student plays a role, like a character in a play
- Scenario Options - The activities performed to find/determine the resolution
- Resources - The information students need to acquire new skills
Here is a video that explains the steps of how to effectively execute a Goal Based Scenario. This video was created by a company called "Kineo," a workplace learning company that helps businesses improve performance through learning and technology.
GBS is closely tied to another constructivist theory called "Situated Cognitive Learning". Situated learning (Zumbach and Reimann) involves students being presented with a problem situation that requires a resolution. The students band together and each play a valuable role and through collaboration and interaction the problem is solved. According to Zumbach and Reimann, "focusing on the complex problem, students will acquire and practice simpler concepts and skills in the process of finding the solution (Zumbach and Reimann, 2001).
Constructivist Family Tree
Below is a detailed Family Tree of Constructivism. Constructivism posits that individuals gain knowledge and meaning through social interaction and by drawing from prior experiences. While this image does not explicitly call out Goal Based Scenarios, one can easily determine where GBS would fit in. If I were to put GBS on this Family Tree I would put connect it to both "Teaching strategies" and "Interactive Hands-on Learning. I would connect it to these because GBS is very closely related to Situated Cognition is project/problem based and deals with real world learning!
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| Retrieved from: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PkRfwnptUHw/T5Q3sPCizNI/AAAAAAAAAP4/Te-ZPHTVU1k/s1600/constructivism.jpg |
Practical Example:
I think a good practical example of a GBS would be for the students of a particular school to tackle a problem/project that would benefit their school environment. At Hermosa View Elementary, one such problem (that I think my 1st graders could tackle) is that all the lunch tables are in the hot sun, which results in kids eating fast and not enjoying their lunch. Here is how we would employ the GBS elements/steps to solve this problem:
Learning Goals:
While solving this problem, my first grade students will learn how to effectively communicate and collaborate with peers, teachers and administrators in a professional way. They will also learn how to raise money, put together an action plan and determine how to get the tools and resources required to provide shade for the lunch tables. Students will use math, reading, researching, writing and communication skills to effectively solve this problem.
Mission - Goal/Objective:
Find a way to cover/shade the lunch tables at Hermosa View, so that students can eat peacefully and enjoy their lunch.
Cover Story:
Even though Hermosa View school is near the beach, when the sun beats down on students at lunch time it makes eating lunch uncomfortable and not fun. Students have been complaining about this problem for years, but the first graders in Mr. King's class are fed-up and want to find a way to resolve this bad situation. The students have the support of their teacher and parents, but will have to work together to develop a sound plan (including financial support) for how to solve the situation.
Roles:
Students in the class will be broken into (strategically designed) teams and given a particular part of the project to work on. Each student on the team will be responsible for something. For example, the research team: two out of the 4 students will research the types of shade options available from umbrellas to a well constructed awning. The other two students will be tasked with talking to custodians and taking measurements of the area that will need to be shaded. Another group is the communication team. This team would be in charge of officially communicating the purpose of the project to the the administrators, teacher and their peers. One member of this team would also be in charge of communicating each groups status at weekly progress meetings. The two other teams needed are the fundraising and implementation/planning team. The teachers role in this project is to facilitate each group on how to go about the duties they have been assigned. Each group/team leader is responsible for updating the class on their progress and keeping the teacher informed of any potential obstacles.
Scenario Options:
Teacher and Students will have to set-up meetings and present their research and proposal to school administrators and then again to teacher and peers at a school assembly. Students will write letters, emails and create a research based presentation of exactly how they plan to solve the problem. This will be a step by step process that will include fundraising, designing the structure and finding the experts with the tools and equipment to execute the construction of the awning/cover. Students will likely deal with a lot of trial and error, push back and disappointment, but through collaboration, determination and motivation they will keep moving forward until the problem is solved.
Resources:
The teacher will provide each team of students with examples of similar project plans, communications, fundraising ideas and websites to research. The teacher and students will communicate often and teams will be assessed and changed if necessary to maximize the effectiveness of the project. The teacher will work with individual teams and model/demonstrate options of how to effectively solve their piece of the problem. The teacher will work closely with each team to ensure all time lines are being met and that all teams are communicating and working together toward the common goal. The teacher will also pull the entire class together to make sure each student gets an opportunity to practice all the skills used to solve this problem.
Conclusion:
After reading professor Schank's theory on Goal Based Scenarios, it is clear that this instructional model is a great way to foster collaborative learning. By incorporating students' interests, this model will increase student motivation and engagement through active learning and learning by doing! I can truthfully say that I cannot wait to have a class of my own and try out this method of instruction. I think it will certainly be challenging for myself and my students but the real-world knowledge gained will boost motivation and provide a sense of accomplishment!
References:
Schank, R. (1992). Goal-Based Scenarios. Retrieved from: http://home.kku.ac.th/sanucha/gbs.pdf
Schank, R. (1999). Goal-Based Scenarios - Instructional-design Theories and Models. Retrieved from: http://teorije-ucenja.zesoi.fer.hr/doku.php?id=instructional_design:goal_based_scenarios
Zumbach, J., & Reimann, P. (1999). Assessment of a Goal-Based Scenario Approach: A Hypermedia Comparison. Retrieved from: https://www.sbg.ac.at/mediaresearch/zumbach/download/1999_2006/book_chapters/zumbach_bookc_02.pdf
Video:
Kineo. (Director). (2012). Effective Learning Scenarios.
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