Trainer Guide for Course 2:

Develop critical thinking skills with the 21CLD Knowledge

Construction dimension

Objectives

1. Determine why knowledge construction is important

2. Define knowledge construction

3. Explore the 21CLD Knowledge Construction rubric and decision tree

4. Examine Microsoft tools that support knowledge construction

5. Design learning activities that focus on knowledge construction

Resources for this module

▪ Learn course: Develop critical thinking skills with the 21CLD Knowledge Construction dimension
▪ 21CLD OneNote Notebook
 Preparation for this module

Target audience

▪ K-12 educators

Timing

▪ 120 minutes (2 hours)

Two weeks prior

▪ Secure the location for the training

▪ Prior to the training, invite participants to the training via email

One week prior

▪ Optional: Send a reminder email about the training

▪ Ensure your location has projection, sound, and Internet connectivity

Day of training

▪ Arrive early to set up for the presentation and test Internet, projection, and sound

▪ Arrange the room for small group discussions. Organize educators by grade, division, or content area, or mix them

as you see fit

Invitation email

SUBJECT: Develop critical thinking skills with the 21CLD Knowledge Construction dimension

DATE: [INSERT DATE, TIME HERE, PLACE, DURATION]

Hi, educators!

I’m so excited for our next 21st century learning design session focused on the Knowledge Construction dimension. This
time, we’ll be:

• Exploring the dimension

• Examining the rubric by coding some anchor lessons, and
• Evaluating our own learning activities according to the rubric

Preparation

• If possible, please arrive approximately 15 minutes before the scheduled start time
• Bring your lesson plan book and/or the learning activity plans you selected at our last session

Have questions about this professional development opportunity? Don’t hesitate to reach out to me.

See you soon!

[xxxx]
Reminder email

SUBJECT: Develop critical thinking skills with the 21CLD Knowledge Construction dimension

DATE: [INSERT DATE, TIME HERE, PLACE, DURATION]

Hi, educators!

This is just a friendly reminder that our 21st century learning design session on Knowledge Construction is coming up!

I look forward to exploring with you how we can use 21st century learning design to incorporate the Knowledge
Construction dimension into a learning activity!

Preparation

• If possible, please arrive approximately 15 minutes before the scheduled start time
• Bring your lesson plan book and/or the learning activity plans you selected at our last session

Have questions about this training session? Don’t hesitate to reach out to me.

See you soon!

[xxxx]
Timing Suggested talking points Presenter action

15 min prior Do:

Greet participants as they arrive.

Access the Develop critical thinking skills with the

21CLD Knowledge Construction dimension course so you
can get to the videos quickly.

Access the 21CLD OneNote notebook and display the first

page.

1 min Say:

Welcome! I’m so excited to be here with you today!

Thank you for taking time out of your day to join us

and participate in this session.

(Acknowledge the organization sponsoring the event.)

1 min Say:
 Today, we’ll be exploring the Knowledge Construction
rubric. This rubric helps learners practice higher order
thinking skills.

5 mins Say: Do:

Let's start with a quick check-in. How do you currently Give participants time to respond to the prompt.
promote critical thinking in your classroom?

(Give participants time to respond.)

Say:

Thank you all for sharing!

1 min Say:

Many of our education systems were initially designed

during the industrial revolution, which means the focus
was on preparing learners for the factory line.

Educators shared information and learners recalled it

either orally or in written form. This educational model
generally views knowledge as fixed and transmissible,
 placing a high value on learners sitting passively to
absorb information.

But, is knowledge static?

1 min Say:

In 2021, every minute:

• Instagram users share 695,000 stories

• Snapchat users create 3.4 million snaps

• YouTube users upload 500 hours of content

• Twitter users tweet 350,000 times

• Email users send nearly 200 million messages

1 min Say:

We live in a world where knowledge is dynamic and

constantly evolving.

In today's globally connected world, the industrial

model of education is obsolete. Memorizing and
 regurgitating information is no longer enough for our
young people to navigate the modern workforce.

They must be able to filter and process the ever-

increasing flow of information and effectively apply it
where it is needed.

Schools must therefore design learning opportunities

that move beyond repetition and train learners to think
critically and construct knowledge.

With the advent of Internet search engines, learners no

longer need to memorize a lot of facts. Instead, they
need to know how to use facts and information to:

• Construct their own understandings,

• Make connections, and
• Generate ideas

1 min Say:

Learners construct knowledge by engaging in deep

learning through:

• Interpretation,
 • Analysis,
• Synthesis, and
• Evaluation

Once learners have a firm grasp of concepts and ideas,

the next step is to deepen their understanding by
applying that knowledge in a new context.

At the deepest level, educators must design

interdisciplinary learning activities that encourage
learners to make connections across multiple
disciplines.

1 min Say:

By engaging learners in such activities, the role of the

educator changes from being a mere transmitter of
content to being a co-constructor of knowledge.

By paying attention to our learners' knowledge, skills,

attitudes, and beliefs, we are shifting to a learner-
centered environment that encourages them to:

• Ask questions,
 • Engage in social discourse,

• And find their own answers.

3 mins Say: Do:

Now, I will play the overview video for the Knowledge Play the Introduction to knowledge construction video.
Construction dimension.

(Play the Introduction to knowledge construction video.)

1 min Say:

The 21CLD knowledge construction rubric explores

whether learners construct and apply knowledge and if
that knowledge is interdisciplinary.

Knowledge construction occurs when learners do more

than reproduce what they learned.

They go beyond technology production to generating

ideas and understandings that are new to them.
Therefore, some people refer to the skill of knowledge
construction as critical thinking.
5 mins Say: Do:

Let’s all go to the OneNote notebook and review the Give participants time to access the 21CLD notebook and
Knowledge Construction rubric together. locate the Knowledge Construction rubric page.

To get to the notebook, open your web browser and

type aka.ms/21CLDnotebook into the address bar. This
will take you directly to the 21CLD notebook.

(Give participants a few minutes to access the 21CLD

notebook and locate the knowledge construction rubric
page.)

2 mins Say:

The Knowledge Construction rubric captures the big

ideas of the dimension and is a useful framework when
designing learning activities. The levels of the
knowledge construction rubric (one to five) are:

1: The learning activity does not require learners to

construct knowledge. Learners can complete the
activity by reproducing information or by using familiar
procedures.
2: The learning activity does require learners to
construct knowledge by interpreting, analyzing,
synthesizing, or evaluating information or ideas.

But the activity's main requirement is not knowledge

construction.

3: The learning activity's main requirement is

knowledge construction – but the learning activity
does not require learners to apply their knowledge in a
new context.

4: The learning activity's main requirement is

knowledge construction, and the learning activity does
require learners to apply their knowledge in a new
context.

But, the learning activity does not have learning goals

in more than one subject.

5: The learning activity's main requirement is

knowledge building, and the learning activity does
require learners to apply their knowledge in a new
context.
 The knowledge building is interdisciplinary, and the
activity does have learning goals in more than one
subject.

1 min Say: Do:

Now, let’s switch over to the Knowledge Construction Give participants a minute to locate the knowledge
Decision Tree page in the OneNote notebook. construction decision tree page.

(Give participants a minute to locate the knowledge

construction decision tree page.)

2 mins Say:

The Knowledge Construction decision tree poses four

questions that correspond to the rubric. We must
consider these questions when designing learning
activities to deepen knowledge construction:

• The first question in the knowledge

construction decision tree asks if the learning
activity requires knowledge construction. If the
answer to this question is no, the learning
activity codes as a one.
• If the learning activity requires knowledge
construction, then the answer to the first
question is yes. When the answer is yes, we
move to the next question. This question asks if
the main requirement of the learning activity is
knowledge construction. If the answer is no, the
learning activity codes as a two.

• If the learning activity's main requirement is

knowledge construction, then the answer to the
second question is yes. We then move to the
next question, which asks if learners are
required to apply their knowledge in a new
context. If the answer is no, the learning activity
codes as a three.

• If the learning activity does require learners to

apply their knowledge in a new context, the
answer to the third question is yes, and we
move to the next question. The fourth question
asks if the learning activity is interdisciplinary. If
the activity does not have learning goals in
more than one subject, then it codes a four.
 • Finally, if the learning activity is interdisciplinary
and it does have learning goals in more than
one subject, we can answer yes to the last
question and code the learning activity as a
five.

4 mins Say: Do:

Let’s pause to check in. Does anyone have questions Answer any questions that arise.
about the rubric or decision tree?

(Give participants time to ask questions.)

Say:

Wonderful! Now, let’s examine each level of the rubric.

1 min Say:

The first question is Does the learning activity

require knowledge construction?

Activities that require knowledge construction ask

learners to interpret, analyze, synthesize, or evaluate
information or ideas.
• Interpretation means drawing inferences
beyond the literal meaning. For example,
learners might read a description of a historical
period and infer why people who lived in that
time behaved the way they did.

• Analysis means identifying the parts of a whole

and their relationships to one other. For
example, learners might investigate local
environmental factors to determine which are
most likely to affect migrating birds.

• Synthesis means identifying the relationships

between two or more ideas. For example,
learners might be required to compare and
contrast perspectives from multiple sources.

• Evaluation means judging the quality,

credibility, or importance of data, ideas, or
events. For example, learners might read
different accounts of an historical event and
determine which ones they find the most
credible.
1 min Say:

It’s important to note that not all learning activities

that incorporate research involve knowledge
construction.

Learners who look up information and then write a

paper that describes what they found are merely
reproducing knowledge—not constructing knowledge.

They are not interpreting, analyzing, synthesizing, or

evaluating anything. If, however, they write a paper
comparing and contrasting information from multiple
sources, they are constructing knowledge.

1 min Say:

Additionally, if an activity asks learners to practice a

procedure they already know, or if it gives learners a
set of steps to follow, it does not require knowledge
construction.
 To determine whether learners might already know a
certain procedure, consider what is typically expected
of learners of their age.

1 min Say:

The following scenarios do not qualify as knowledge

construction:

• Learners writing a paper describing the crime a

character committed

• Learners using Bing to search the Internet for

information about local activities to help the
environment and giving a presentation to
describe what they found

• Learners familiar with the barometer using one

to measure atmospheric pressure

• Learners who have already learned the

definition of "parallel" using the definition to
decide whether several sets of lines are parallel
1 min Say:

The following scenarios qualify as knowledge

construction:

• Learners using details in a story to infer the

reasons why a character committed a crime

• Learners using Bing to search the Internet for

information about local activities to help the
environment and analyzing it to find additional
ways to help

• Learners comparing different explanations for

changes in atmospheric pressure to determine
which explanations are credible

• Learners who have not learned about parallel

lines examining several different pairs of lines
to develop a definition of "parallel"

1 min Say:
 If we answer “yes” to the first question, the next
question to consider asks: Is knowledge construction
the main requirement?

The main requirement is the part of the activity that

learners spend the most time and effort on and the
part that educators will focus on when grading. If the
learning activity does not specify how much time
learners spend on each part, use your judgment to
estimate how long learners are likely to spend on
different tasks.

1 min Say:

In the following scenarios, the main requirement is not

knowledge construction:

• Learners spending 35 minutes listing details

from a story and then spending 10 minutes
using those details to infer why a character
committed a crime
 • Learners earning 70% of their grade for finding
information and 30% for analyzing what they
find

1 min Say:

In the following scenarios, the main requirement is

knowledge construction:

• Learners spending 10 minutes listing details

from a story and then spending 35 minutes
using those details to propose why a character
committed a crime

• Learners earning 30% of their grade for finding

information and 70% for analyzing what they
find

1 min Say:

If we answer “yes” to the second question, we then ask

ourselves: Are learners required to apply their
knowledge in a new context?
 Learners apply their knowledge when they use the
knowledge they have constructed in another
knowledge construction task in a new context.

For example, learners in a physics class might construct

knowledge about heat principles from a study of the
earth's inner core, then apply that new learning to
investigate the environment of Jupiter.

The second knowledge construction task deepens

understanding because learners abstract what they
learned to apply it to another situation.

It’s not enough for the two contexts to differ in surface

features. Learners can’t respond to the new situation
simply by applying the same formula. They must use
interpretation, analysis, synthesis, or evaluation to
decide how to use what they’ve learned in the new
context.

1 min Say:

The following scenarios do not require learners to

apply their knowledge in a new context:
 • Learners analyzing demographic statistics from
their hometown and then analyzing
demographic statistics from a second location
of their choice

• Learners examining photos enlarged at

different sizes to develop an understanding of
similarity and then describing their
understanding

• Learners of a theater class analyzing the

characters in a play to learn about character
development and then writing an essay about
what they learned

• Learners designing and executing a procedure

for testing the qualities of the tap water at their
school, testing the water, and redesigning the
procedure iteratively until they have accurate
data

1 min Say:
The following scenarios require learners to apply their
knowledge in a new context:

• Learners analyzing demographic statistics from

their hometown and then using their
understanding of population trends to develop
a plan for an upcoming housing development
project

• Learners examining photos enlarged at

different sizes to develop an understanding of
similarity and then applying that knowledge to
abstract geometric shapes, thinking about size,
ratios, and angles to determine which shapes
are mathematically similar

• Learners in a theater class analyzing the

characters in a play to learn about character
development; then using Microsoft Video
Editor to create their own one-act play
demonstrating character development

• Learners designing and executing a procedure

for testing the qualities of the tap water at their
 school, and once they have accurate data, using
that information to determine which water
filtration system would be most appropriate for
the school

1 min Say:

If we answer “yes” to the third question, we must

consider one more question.

That is: Is the learning activity interdisciplinary?

Interdisciplinary learning activities have learning goals

that involve content, important ideas, or methods from
different academic subjects such as mathematics and
music, or language arts and history.

Subjects that are typically taught together do not

count as interdisciplinary for the purposes of this
rubric.

Additionally, even though we often use ICT as a tool

for learning in other subjects, ICT isn’t considered a
separate academic subject within this rubric. For
example, learners might build ICT skills when they do
 online research for a history project, but this activity is
not interdisciplinary.

1 min Say:

The following scenarios are not interdisciplinary:

• Learners in science class writing persuasive

letters to an environmental organization about
the results of their experiment, and educators
grading students only on the quality of their
data

• Learners in science class plotting points on a

graph and no learning goals for math are
defined

• Learners in physics using ICT to present their

work to the class

1 min Say:

The following scenarios are interdisciplinary:

 • Learners in science class writing persuasive
letters to an environmental organization about
the results of their experiment, and educators
grading students on the quality of their data
and their writing skills

• Learners in science class plotting points on a

graph, and learning goals for both math and
science are defined

1 min Say: Do:

Now that we’ve discussed the rubric and decision tree, Give participants a minute to find the learning activity in the
let’s practice coding an anchor lesson. 21CLD notebook.

Go the 21CLD OneNote notebook, and then the

anchor lesson section.

Then, select The American Dream – Let America Be

America Again learning activity page.

(Give participants a minute to find the learning activity.)

15 mins Say: Do:

 Now, I’ll give you 15 minutes to review this lesson. Use As participants review the learning activity, mill around the
either the knowledge construction rubric or decision room to help or answer questions.
tree and code the lesson. Feel free to work with a
Set a timer for 15 minutes. If participants finish early, move
colleague.
on to the next activity.
When everyone is finished, we’ll discuss your findings.

(Give participants 15 minutes to review the lesson and

code it according to the rubric/decision tree.)

5 mins Say: Do:

Okay! I loved listening to your conversations! Foster a collegial conversation about the anchor lesson.

Let’s discuss as a large group what you all observed in Encourage educators to explain why they decided on a
coding this lesson. specific code.

Who would like to share what number you coded the

lesson and why?

(Pause for responses)

Say:

Did anyone code it a different number?

 (Pause for responses)

3 mins Say: Do:

Thanks, everyone, for sharing your thoughts!

It’s important to understand that our analysis here is

less about getting a right answer and more about
thinking critically about the lesson and exploring the
concepts of the rubric.

Now that we have compared our analysis with each

another, let’s compare it with Becky’s.
Play the Knowledge Construction anchor lesson video.
(Play the knowledge construction anchor lesson video.)

15 mins Say: Do:

Now, let’s work in small groups to analyze one more

anchor lesson.

Each small group will have a different anchor lesson.

You will review your assigned lesson and code it
according to the rubric.
 You may work independently to review and code and
then discuss your analysis as a group.

Or you can work on coding the lesson together.

Once you’ve finished your group discussion, you can

look at the analysis in the notebook and compare it to
your group’s analysis.

Any questions? Okay, I will assign each group an

anchor lesson now.

(You can assign anchor lessons by counting off groups

Assign each group an anchor lesson.
as a 1, 2, or 3. Then, assign each group as follows:

Group 1 – House on Mango Street

Group 2 – Design a Catapult

Give groups 15 minutes to analyze their assigned lesson.
Group 3 – Indigenous Cultures

1 min Say:

Great job, everyone!

 Now, let’s explore some of the Microsoft tools that can
help you and your students with knowledge
construction activities.

First, when learners conduct research that they will

analyze or use to construct new knowledge, they need
a way to easily collect and organize their resources.
Microsoft Edge does just that the Collections feature.
Collections help learners organize the resources they
find during their online research.

1 min Say:

As the class's digital hub, Microsoft Teams provides a

space to house all the content that learners need for
constructing knowledge.

Add digital textbooks, websites, and supplemental

content as tabs in a Team for learners to easily access.

1 min Say:

OneNote Class Notebook is another way you can

share content.
 In addition to text, you can add graphic organizer
templates that encourage interpretation, analysis,
synthesis, and evaluation.

As learners research a topic to apply in a new context,

they can store key concepts from their research in
OneNote.

Using digital inking, they can annotate and analyze the

research they collect.

As learners work in OneNote, immersive reader also

offers reading and translation support.

1 min Say:

And finally, SmartArt graphics in Word and

PowerPoint provide support for knowledge
construction in the form of graphics that help learners
demonstrate their understanding, interpretation,
analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of information.

3 mins Say: Do:

 Now, let’s see some of these tools in action!

(Play the Microsoft tools for knowledge construction (Play the Microsoft tools for knowledge construction video.)
video.)

5 mins Say: Do:

Can you think of any other Microsoft tools that would Encourage discussion about the Microsoft tools that
support your learners’ knowledge construction? learners could use when constructing knowledge.

(Pause for responses.)

3 mins Say: Do:

Great ideas, everyone!

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. All these tools would

definitely help our learners when constructing
knowledge!

Now, let’s talk about how you can take what you have
learned here today and apply it to your own learning
activity.

Before we work on our learning activity, though, let’s

hear from Astrid Sinnaeve, an educator in Belgium, to
 learn how she incorporates knowledge construction Play Astrid’s video.
into a learning activity.

(Play Astrid’s video.)

1 min Say:

Okay!

Let’s start putting what we’ve learned into action. You

all selected a few learning activities last time to use in
our sessions.

Select one of those now and evaluate it according to

the knowledge construction rubric.

Use the knowledge construction decision tree to guide

the design of the activity.

Consider the following:

• Does the learning activity require knowledge

construction?

• Is knowledge construction the main

requirement?
 • Are learners required to apply their knowledge
in a new context?

• Is the learning activity interdisciplinary?

If it isn’t already there, set a goal to re-design your

learning activity in such a way to code at least
a three on the rubric.

Remember, to achieve this, learners must interpret,

analyze, synthesize, or evaluate information or ideas.

Also, the main effort of the learning activity must be

knowledge construction.

15 mins Say: Do:

Take the next 15 minutes and analyze your activity

according to the rubric.

If it codes lower than a three, explore ways to re-

design the activity so that it codes at least a three.

If the activity already codes at a three, consider

whether you might want it to code higher.
 If so, modify the activity to meet your goal of either a
four or five. If you don’t want the activity to reach a
four or a five, consider analyzing a different learning
activity that you might want to re-design for deeper
knowledge construction.

Feel free to discuss your lessons with your colleagues.

Some of the best re-designs come from collaboration
with other educators and building off one another’s
ideas.
Set a timer for 15 minutes.
Sharing your activity, its current code, and your goals
Mill around the room and answer questions or help
with others is a great way to start the re-design
educators in need.
process.

1 min Say:

Awesome job, everyone!

I have loved hearing your conversations about your

learning activities and seeing the changes you’re
making to deepen your learners’ knowledge
construction.
4 mins Say: Do:

Before we close today, does anyone have any Answer participants' questions.

questions related to the knowledge construction

dimension or the 21CLD design process?

(Pause for questions)

1 min Say: Do:

Thank you for your time and attention today!

You’ve all been wonderful, and I have loved learning

from you.

If you have any questions or final thoughts, please feel

free to share them.

Be sure to go to the online course and take the quiz

related to this course. Share the link to the Knowledge Construction course online
and show participants where the quiz is located.
I’ll see you next time on xxx (indicate the next time you
will meet the group).