quest 2 learn

Case studyGiantommaso D’Astolto

NEST projectAlta Scuola Politecnica VII cycle

Quest to learn

What is it?

American learning system school, which aims at creating critical thinking and respect for someone else’s point of view

It currently serves students in 6th and 7th grade, but the goal is to involve students till the 12th grade

The main teaching approach is “learning by doing”

Homepage

In the homepage we have sections for

- Knowing the system

- Checking the curriculum

- Applying for a position (student/ teacher)

- Downloading material

- Browsing the calendar

- Contacting the staff

How does it work?

- Students are selected because of their brightness and commitment to the project. They are then put in classes where they will have to learn by playing role-games and interpreting real-life professionals (e.g. mathematicians, historians etc.). Sometimes they are supposed to create their own tools for solving their problems. The aim is to learn in a complex environment where innovation is a constant.

IT tools

Learning labs

where students learn

by playing games

Social network

for discussing each other work

Calendar

for checking the agenda

Strengths/1

Students are supposed to create their own tools, thus challenging their critical thinking and learning from what they are doing

Strengths/2

The game-based learning approach is very stimulating, with students pretending to be professionals in different scenarios. This kind of approach usually increases problem-solving and choice-making skills

Strengths/3

The school also offers subjects related to topical issues, such as Health and Wellness. This kind of topics are something that kids perceive as involving and linked to their daily life

Weaknesses

The service is mainly provided “on site”, therefore students need to be physically present in order to attend lectures

We can guess that all the provided material, the facilities and the staff that operates are quite expensive, which makes the systems hard to replicate in public schools with budget constraints.

Business model

It is a private school, therefore parents pay fees

Moreover some contributors voluntarily donate money to the school

Finally there is a support team composed by non-profit organisations, universities, private companies and foundations

Conclusions and take-aways

The school prepares students to enter the world of work and colleges with an open-mind and proactive approach

Great focus is given to learning by doing and team-working

However, the model generates some costs that we should cut if we want to replicate it in public schools