POGIL/How to Create a POGIL

A POGIL (Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning) is used to provide a structured, self-guided learning experience through a cycle of exploration, discovery, and application. This activity introduces POGILs and provides an opportunity for you to create a POGIL. This activity will help you understand the parts of a POGIL and how to apply POGILs in your classes.

Objectives

• Recognize the nine parts of a POGIL.
• Apply a POGIL template to an activity of your choosing.
• Create a POGIL for use in one of your classes.

Prerequisites

• Have an activity in mind that you want students to explore.
• Have specific objectives you want students to achieve through their exploration.
• Have a set of questions in mind that will lead students through exploration of the subject.
• Have a set of exercises in mind that will allow students to directly apply their learning.
• Have one or more problems in mind that extend their learning through critical thinking, analysis, and/or synthesis.
• Have a copy of POGIL: Elements of a Typical POGIL Classroom Activity available for reference.

Introduction

A typical POGIL has nine parts:

1. Title - What students will learn.
2. Overview (Why?) - Context, description, and relevance for the activity.
3. Objectives - Specific, measurable outcomes students should achieve.
4. Prerequisites - Knowledge and skills students need to begin their exploration.
5. Introduction (Model) - Enough detail for students to understand the concepts and vocabulary necessary to proceed.
6. Guided Exploration (Questions) - Leading questions that guide students through their exploration.
7. Exercises - Opportunities to immediately apply learning to confirm understanding.
8. Problems - Larger problems requiring critical thinking, analysis, and/or synthesis.
9. Closure - An opportunity to summarize and reflect on the learning experience.

Exploration

1. What course are you targeting with your POGIL activity?
2. What concept do you want students to explore?
3. What is the title of this activity?
4. How would you introduce this concept?
5. What objectives to you want students to achieve through their exploration?
6. What prerequisite knowledge and skills do students need to begin their exploration?
7. How would you explain the overall concept in enough detail for students to proceed with their exploration?
8. What steps should students follow through their self-directed exploration?
9. How can students immediately apply what they have learned to confirm their understanding?
10. How can students extend their understanding to a larger problem through critical thinking, analysis, and/or synthesis?
11. How would you like students to summarize their learning experience?

Exercises

1. Use the POGIL Practice section to create a new POGIL activity. Enter the title of the activity and create the new page.
2. Provide an overview for your activity, including context, a description of the activity, and its relevance.
3. List the objectives you want students to achieve through this activity.
4. List any prerequisite knowledge or skills students should have before beginning the activity.
5. In the form of questions, guide students through the exploration of this concept.
6. Provide exercises so students may immediately apply what they have learned.
7. Provide one or more larger problems for students to solve that require critical thinking, analysis, and/or synthesis.
8. Provide an opportunity for students to summarize and reflect on their learning experience.

Problems

1. Learning templates are rarely one-size-fits-all. This POGIL activity has attempted to closely follow the Elements of a Typical POGIL Classroom Activity guidelines. But as you review various other POGIL examples, you will find a wide range of approaches to creating a POGIL. Different approaches make more sense to different instructors or are more effective for different disciplines. What changes would you make to the POGIL template for it be more effective with your teaching style and with your students?
2. One of the benefits of POGIL creation and use is the sharing of POGILs with the wider education community, so that we may all benefit from and build on the successes of each other. What POGILs can you find already written? What POGILs would you be able to create and share with others? Where will you publish your POGILs?

Summary

Reflect on the potential use of POGILs for student learning in your world. Is this structured learning format something that would be beneficial for your students?