A driving question (DQ) is a PBL must-have! It is an open-ended inquiry that guides students’ thinking and learning. This is what students should be working to answer or explore during PBL. Every project differs, so there is no perfect formula for creating a DQ. The DQ should provide clarity around the project’s purpose, audience, and product.
Inspire Inquiry
A thought-provoking DQ is the catalyst for any PBL experience. This open-ended question should relate to a real-world problem or phenomena that students find interesting and important. Students will sustain inquiry as they strive to uncover topics and generate solutions. A well-written DQ will inspire students to seek information, solve problems, and pursue passions. Put students’ new understandings to work with a compelling DQ.
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DQ FormulaTo help you and your students construct a meaningful DQ, I have provided a formula to get you started. The formula prompts you to include key elements of PBL. It is perfectly okay if your DQ is structured differently than the one to the left. What matters most is that students have brainstormed and identified the topic, purpose, audience, and product.
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Writing driving questions is a skill anyone can master. Buck Institute for Education has developed the DQ Tubric 2.0 for you to practice the challenging task of writing a DQ for a project. Don’t forget to involve students in the process!
Take the WheelTo guide students’ throughout PBL, you will need to use questioning on a regular basis. While it is important to review the driving question, you may find students need more direction in their quest for unlocking truths and investigating solutions. Try writing steering questions (SQs). SQs are open-ended inquiries that entice critical thinking. SQs target major concepts and require students to draw their own conclusions. Some people call these queries, guiding questions or essential questions. I decided to use the term “steering” because PBL is meant to be learner-centered. SQs put students in the drivers’ seat where they form their own opinions or solutions to problems.
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The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.