2.6 Task Taxonomy

The Learning Design Studio (LDS) provides a  well-structured ontology of 12 task types , grouped under four categories: 1) Directed Learning, 2) Exploratory Learning, 3) Productive Learning, and 4) Reflective Learning . These task types help make explicit the nature and intent of the learning experiences planned for students, ensuring a balanced and purposeful approach to learning design. 

 

 

 

 Directed Learning 

 

 

 

 Receiving & Interpreting Information  

 Students undertake prescribed activities to acquire information and develop an understanding of a topic. 

   

 STEAM Subject: 

 

 Watching a video on photosynthesis 

 Reading a textbook chapter about photosynthesis 

 

  Language Subject: 

 

 Reading a news report 

 Watching a micro movie 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Practice 

 Students work through prescribed tasks to apply learnt content/ skills. 

   

 STEAM Subject: 

 

 Labelling the parts of a plant cell with flash cards 

 Completing the questions about photosynthesis in the H5P interactive video 

 

 Language Subject: 

 

 Practicing pronunciation of new vocabularies in pairs 

 Writing sentences using newly learned past tense verbs 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Test / Assessment 

 Students take part in assessment activities. 

   

 STEAM Subject: 

 

 Completing a lab report 

 Taking a quiz on photosynthesis 

 

 Language Subject: 

 

 Analysing an article and respond to questions about its content 

 Having a spelling test on the week's vocabularies 

 

 

 

 

 

 Exploratory Learning 

 

 

 

 Information Exploration 

 Students seek out and gather existing information from various sources to deepen their understanding of a topic. 

   

 STEAM Subject: 

 

 Asking an AI chatbot for information about the rate of photosynthesis 

 Benchmarking existing thermal bags online to inform a new design 

 

 Language Subject: 

 

 Researching common vocabulary in news reports online 

 Using AI tools to analyze the tone and style of a news report 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Explorations through Conversation 

 Students engage in exploration of issues with others through conversations. 

   

 STEAM Subject: 

 

 Interviewing clients to identify product needs 

 

 Discussing variables for a fair photosynthesis experiment 

 

 

 Language Subject: 

 

 Interviewing stakeholders about community issues 

 Discussing findings from the interview script 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Tangible / Immersive Investigation 

 Students conduct hands-on investigations in physical or virtual settings, generating new data through experiments, surveys, or direct observation. 

   

 STEAM Subject: 

 

 Conducting an experiment to collect data on the rate of photosynthesis 

 Playing with simple circuits to explore electricity flow 

 

 Language Subject: 

 

 Exploring a virtual museum with VR to learn about history and related vocabulary 

 Visiting the supermarket to learn vocabulary related to daily life 

 

 

 

 

 

 Productive Learning 

 

 

 

 Construction: Conceptual / Visual Artefacts 

 Students work individually or together to construct a conceptual, visual artifact. 

   

 STEAM Subject: 

 

 Creating a mind map on photosynthesis using information from the internet 

 

 Designing an experiment plan 

 

 

 Language Subject: 

 

 Creating the writing outline of the news report 

 Using AI to develop evaluation criteria for a news report 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Construction: Tangible / Manipulable Artefacts 

  Students work individually or together to construct a tangible, manipulable artifact. 

   

 STEAM Subject: 

 

 Building a prototype of a thermal bag 

 Building a digital thermometer with a micro:bit. 

 

 Language Subject:  

 

 Writing a news report based on an outline 

 Creating a storybook using generative AI 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Presentation, Performance and Illustration 

  Students present, illustrate or perform individually or in group. 

   

 STEAM Subject: 

 

 Presenting scientific findings from experiments 

 Displaying a thermal bag prototype in a competition 

 

 Language Subject:  

 

 Presenting a news report 

 Screening a post-edited micro movie 

 

 

 

 

 

 Reflective Learning 

 

 

 

 Reflection 

 Students engage in reflecting on the learning process & experience and making the thoughts explicit. 

   

 STEAM Subject: 

 

 Reflecting on the previous scientific investigation process and identifying its shortcomings 

 Writing a journal entry about challenges faced during the prototype development 

 

 Language Subject: 

 

 Reflecting on the pros and cons of using AI to create a storyboard for a micro movie 

 Writing a reflection on the process of composing a news report 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Revision 

 Students are given an opportunity to re-submit a piece of work, hence giving them a chance to reflect and improve. 

   

 STEAM Subject: 

 

 Revising the thermal bag prototype 

 Revising the experimental plan for a scientific investigation 

 

 Language Subject:  

 

 Revising the content of a news report 

 

 Revising the script of a micro movie before final filming 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Self- / Peer- assessment 

 Students engage in peer- and/ or self- assessment (using self-generated or teacher-provided rubric) 

   

 STEAM Subject: 

 

 Using well-designed criteria to self- and peer-assess prototypes of thermal bags 

 Using well-designed criteria to self- and peer-assess experimental plans for scientific investigations 

 

 Language Subject:  

 

 Using well-designed criteria to self- and peer-assess news reports 

 

 Using well-designed criteria to self- and peer-assess storyboards for micro movies