In concept-based curriculum and instruction, students focus on discovering the “big ideas” of content, rather than on the facts or skills of a topic. They are encouraged to bring real-world meaning into everyday classroom lessons, making learning more engaging and relevant for them as 21st century thinkers.
The BeED LMS can be used as a tool to support concept-based learning within and beyond the classroom.
To begin, plan out your units by identifying the key concepts and “big ideas” that you want your learners to understand throughout the academic year, and list them within the Segment Unit Plan Template.
These concepts can then be applied to all courses in the segment, and can help guide Educators during their lesson planning.
You can also organize your lessons to support concept-based learning by downloading the Map Template and using it in the following ways:
- Create separate points for Know-Understand-Do to help guide your learners through the lesson.
- Assign subject material for the learners in the “Know” point by providing interactive videos, images and even links to set the stage for their learning.
- Organize step-by-step questions/activities to scaffold learning in the “Understand” section. You can create factual questions using individual open-ended or MCQ Question blocks, and slowly build up to conceptual and debatable questions.
- Create activities that test their understanding in the “Do” section. You can utilize the BeED Photo editor or video/audio attachment feature to encourage learners to practice their understanding in various methods.
- You may also choose to create a “Reflection” stage in the “Do” section to encourage learners to perform a self-reflection after the lesson. Alternatively, learners can also record their reflections and experiences in the Journal feature.
- To facilitate collaboration and communication throughout the lesson, incorporate Forum discussions for learners to post questions, share findings or even engage in debates.