DEEP
LEARNING
The Goal: The 6 Cs
Fostering Global Competencies for a complex
world.
• Character: -qualities like resilience, ethics, empathy, and responsibility.
• Citizenship: - thinking like global citizens, understanding global issues, and contributing to
society.
• Collaboration: Working effectively in teams, learning from and contributing to the learn-
ing of others.
• Communication: Communicating effectively orally, in writing, and through a variety of
digital media.
• Creativity: Having an "entrepreneurial eye" for economic and social opportunities, asking
the right questions, and generating new ideas.
• Critical Thinking: Critically evaluating information and arguments, making connec-
tions, and solving complex problems.
Fullan, M., & Langworthy, M. (2014). A Rich Seam: How New Pedagogies Find Deep
Learning
How It Differs: Surface vs. Deep
Surface Learning How ItDeep
Differs:Learning
Surface vs. Deep
Memorizing facts & formulas Understanding concepts and their connections
Seeing knowledge as isolated bits Linking ideas across subjects and to the real world
Passive reception of information Active inquiry, problem-solving, and creation
Forgetting after the test Long-term retention and the ability to apply knowledge
Deep Learning weaknesses
Weakness Category Specific Challenges
Time-consuming, conflicts with
Implementation
broad curricula, messy process.
Difficult to quantify, relies on
Assessment subjective judgment, values
process.
How It Differs: Surface vs. Deep
Requires resources, assumes
Equity
student readiness.
Requires major pedagogical
Teacher Support shift, complex classroom man-
agement.
Can cause frustration, resist-
Student Readiness ance to ambiguity, group work
issues.
Misaligned with standardized
Systemic Barriers testing, lack of parental under-
standing.
Conclusion:
Deep learning is not a silver bullet. Its
effectiveness is heavily dependent
on systemic support, adequate
How It Differs: Surface vs. Deep
resources, significant teacher
training, and a cultural shift within
a school and community
Step 1: Define the Learning Outcomes (The "Why")
•Shift from: "What will I cover today?"
•Shift to: "What will students understand and be able to do?"
•Action:
• Identify a Deep Learning Goal: Which of the 6
Cs (Character, Citizenship, Collaboration,
How It Differs: Surface vs. Deep Communica-
tion, Creativity, Critical Thinking) will you focus on?
• Craft an Essential Question: Pose a complex, open-
ended question that frames the inquiry. This question
should have no single right answer and should be relev-
ant to the real world.
• Example: "How can we, as People of Tarempa, re-
design tourism spots in our community to be both
environmentally sustainable and socially beneficial?"
Step 2: Design the Learning Experience (The "How")
Shift from: Designing a linear sequence of activities.
Shift to: Designing a challenge that requires the application
of knowledge
and skills.
Action:
• Create an Authentic Challenge: Design a task that mir-
rors real-world work. It should be a performance or product
that requires students to How
useIt Differs: Surface vs. Deep
the knowledge and skills from
Step 1. Example: "Create a scaled model and proposal
presentation for the tourism spots redesign to present to a
panel of real city planners.“
• Plan for Inquiry, Not Just Instruction: Structure time for
students to explore, ask questions, and research. Gather re-
sources (articles, videos, expert contacts) to support their
inquiry.
• Build in Collaboration: Design the task so that
students must work together to succeed (Positive Interde-
pendence).
• Integrate Technology: Use technology as a tool for cre-
Step 3: Facilitate the Process (The "During")
Shift from: Being the sole source of knowledge (Sage on the
Stage).
Shift to: Being a facilitator, coach, and guide (Guide on the
Side).
Action:
• Launch the Challenge: Hook students with the essential
question and make the challenge clear and exciting.
• Let Students Struggle Productively:
How It Differs: Surface vs. Deep Resist the urge to
give immediate answers. Ask probing questions instead:
"What have you tried? Where could you look for that inform-
ation? What does your team think?“
• Formatively Assess: Constantly check in with groups.
Use quick conferences, observations, and drafts to gauge
understanding and provide timely feedback.
• Teach Mini-Lessons: per case (e.g., many groups struggle
with citing sources), pause for a brief, targeted lesson on
that specific skill.
• Monitor Group Dynamics: Actively teach and assess
social skills. Intervene to help groups manage conflict and
Step 4: Assess and Reflect (The "How Did It Go?")
Shift from: Assessing only the final product for a grade.
Shift to: Assessing the process, the product, and the learning
journey.
Action:
• Use Authentic Assessment: Assess the final product (e.g.,
the model and proposal) using a clear rubric that values the
6 Cs and the content knowledge.
• Invite authentic audiences (community experts, parents,
other classes) to provide feedback.
• Ensure Individual Accountability:
How It Differs: Surface vs. Deep
Include an assessment
component that ensures every individual understood the
core concepts.
• Prioritize Reflection (Meta-Learning): This is the most
critical step for cementing deep learning. Guide students to
reflect on both what they learned and how they learned it.
Prompt Examples:
What was the most challenging part of this project, and how did
you overcome it? How did your team's collaboration skills im-
prove? What does this project help you understand about the
world?
• Conduct Group Processing: Have groups discuss what
Key Mindset Shifts for the Teacher:
•Embrace the Mess: Learning is noisy, non-lin-
ear, and sometimes chaotic. That's okay.
•You Don't Need to Be the Expert: It's fine to
learn alongside your students. Model being a
How It Differs: Surface vs. Deep
lifelong learner.
•Process Over Product: Value the learning that
happens during the struggle, even if the final
product isn't perfect.
•Start Small: You don't need to transform your
entire practice at once. Try one deep learning unit
per semester.
