About Student Products
Regardless of what investigative path students select, they must determine at the outset what their final product will include. The final product could be any number of things. For instance, it could be a collaborative written report, personal outcome sentences, or personal notes that each student will use to report orally on their group's work.

Each work product should contain at least the following four elements:

• A clear statement of the problem, in the team's own words.
• A list of three or more possible options for handling the problem. This should include as many reasonable ideas as teams can identify from reading, thinking, or interviewing people.
• Next to each option, its chief advantages and disadvantages. Teams should think ahead to the difficulties and benefits that could result if that option were carried out.
• The team's overall recommendation. What does the team think would be the best way to handle the problem?

For long-term projects, progress reports are valuable (Merrill Harmin 1994). Request a weekly report of what the teams have accomplished and what specific plans they have for the following week. Each student could submit this information every Friday, or team members could rotate the job of reporting for the team. The reports might contain:

• Identification of information needs.
• Description of research techniques used to access information resources.
• Evaluation of sources for appropriateness, accuracy, and coverage.
• Notes that summarize current team position.
• Decisions on final product format.
• Bibliography of works consulted.
• Plan for final presentation.
• List of problem-solving activities to date that allow for self-reflection on the learning and research process.

Examples of excellent as well as inferior products should be available to students. Videotape is an effective way to preserve oral presentations and other visual projects, while samples of written products, computer presentations and team portfolios can be easily stored from year to year.

For some suggestions about student products see Ideas for Individual Products and Ideas for Team Products

References
Harmin, M. (1994), Inspiring active learning: a handbook for teachers. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

HTML code by Chris Kreger
Maintained by ETE Team
Last updated January 11, 1999