Types of Example Projects: Modeling Internal Process

Example projects help model expectations and the invisible mental processes for learners in a creative learning program. Having a diverse set of examples (created by different people) supports different entry points into the activity, from “low floors” to “high ceilings” and “wide walls.”

When there is only 1 example, learners might feel like that single example is the “right answer” and become compelled to copy it. Providing a variety of examples shows that you expect a variety of outcomes, and allows learners to see themselves in the process.

One thing to remember is not to treat examples preciously, and allow learners to have their hands on it and use it to help them imagine (like in the creative learning spiral) themselves in the creative learning process.

Here are some types of examples (not mutually exclusive!):

  • Low floor examples support and invite diverse learners into an activity. They help set expectations are are often simple. Some of those expectations could include inviting learners to bring in their own passions, showing off playful (risk-taking) experimentation, or how inspiration from peers can foster your own ideas.
  • Proof of concept examples are a bare-bones type of example that focuses more on how something works, rather than appearances and aesthetics. They can be a guide that helps with troubleshooting, and can support facilitation if you don’t have enough people to help out. They can be “low floor” or “high ceiling.”
  • Failure examples show that sometimes even your ideas or visions for a project is not always easy to create. It helps model persistence, and learning in the process. When presenting a failure example, include an explanation of your goals or visions. This type of example can be a support for learners who also struggle to envision their ideas, a “low floor” example that models difficulties with function or aesthetics, or even a launching point for “high ceiling” learners who might want more of a challenge.
  • Personally meaningful examples helps model how you, the facilitator, bring yourself into the activity. It invites learners to incorporate their passions. It’s also a great example that reduces the likelihood of learners who are new to creative learning and may want to just copy the example.
  • High ceiling examples can quickly overwhelm learners new to the activity. Learners might feel frustrated if they do not have the skills needed to create this example, or might want to create the same thing because they really like it. I recommend hiding these examples and bringing them out to show to learners who can handle more of a challenge. Remember that having a variety of high ceiling examples foster a variety of interests.
  • Tool-based examples demonstrate the power of using more advanced tools. This could look like an example that shows more precision by using x-acto knives, or precision and repeatability by using a laser cutter. Tool-based examples could invite learners’s curiosity to learn to use a tool, and supports building “higher ceiling” STEM skills. But when presented without access to the tool, they can be a source of frustration, because it can be too difficult to recreate the example without the tool. (Remember that in learning to use these tools, learners need time, space to, and resources to mess around, fail, and iterate.)

More about examples:

Reflect:

  • What type of examples are you most familiar with in your learning or teaching experiences?
  • Are there other types of examples you don’t see here?
  • How would you describe your internal experiences, feelings, or sense of expectations with different types of examples?
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In my past learning experiences I have seen a lot of low floor examples that allowed me to feel confident and inspired to create projects. Sometimes these examples will be simpler and more bare-bones, and other times they will be more personal to an instructor, but I always found them as a good jumping-off point for my own creating. One type of example I rarely see is the failed example, but I find it really interesting how they can support creative learning. My favorite types of examples are simple executions of a project that are personally meaningful to the instructor, because they sort of force learners to put their own spin on a project. As an ambitious creative, I always found these examples exciting because they gave me space to really explore and build up from. However, for more anxious learners they provided a support by demonstrating simple mechanics.

I haven’t really done any projects that require examples since I was in primary school (4–11 years old), so I may be missing some details. My headmistress had the idea that examples may actually quench our creativity rather than serve as a guide or a launch point, so I never really saw examples of ‘what to do’ when creating things as a kid. The tools were demonstrated; for example, they would sit and show us what the blocks on Scratch can do, but they never provided an example block of code.

Other examples could focus on where the same skills can also be applied later on. So, if you have a paper circuit greeting card activity, you could include some examples at the end of how else paper circuits can be used. This way, if the kids acquire the skills but don’t really enjoy the specific activity, they may be able to apply them to something they are interested in independently. There could also be a purely demonstration-based example where you walk kids through a specific design if they’re struggling with their own ideas. Ideally, this would be super short and only introduce the absolute basics, so they can then try to apply it independently. A benefit of this is that, no matter what, the kid walks away with ‘something.’ I’d be devastated as a kid when I struggled with an activity and left with nothing except a whole lot of frustration, while the other kids had created amazing things to proudly show their parents. Something like that would have been good for me!

I have had access to several of these kinds of examples. My exposure to tool-based examples has mostly been in makerspaces. A lot of folks around makerspaces are willing to show you cool new ways to solve a problem you’re having. E.g. I was trying to cut out some very small pieces of fabric in a sewing project I was working on, and a mentor came over and pointed out that using
a knife might be easier. (It was.) I’ve also seen failure examples in makerspaces. Edgerton center’s makerspace has a wall of failed projects, which sort of takes a more light-hearted comedic approach to failure.

This sort of falls into the several type of example might be a more explicitly hand-held example, walking through the exact step by step of how to produce a given example. This could perhaps limit student’s creativity however if they rely to heavily on process copying.

I think I can sometimes get overwhelmed by high ceiling examples, as I feel like I can’t live up to them. Similarly, low ceiling examples might be a better short term solution, but can sometimes be a bit frustrating because I feel like I wish I had exposure to more before diving in to solve difficult problems. I tend to find tool-based and personally meaningful examples to be the most beneficial. The more hands-on nature of the former tends to help me retain the most important skills I need and makes me feel empowered to try things on my own. The enthusiasm provided by the latter can help me be more excited and committed to a project that I might not find intrinsically motivating.

I resonate with the brief about high ceiling examples. In grade school, I remember constantly struggling to understand how to code. The actual process confused me, but I was also really overwhelmed when examples shown by the teacher seemed a lot more polished than what I believed I could make. I personally did the best with proof-of-concept examples. These examples reassure me the basic steps that must be achieved to create some type of functional project, even if it isn’t super pretty!

I am most familiar with failure examples from working in my UROP lab. My UROP lab was a lot of trial and error in engineering, but it was reassuring to see my graduate student mentor show failure examples throughout the process. I prefer to show incomplete examples as described in the additional article (second link) when teaching others. I usually create examples that show the very basic idea of how something is completed (similar to proof-of-concept examples), then ask the students I’m teaching to think about how they would improve the project. This method encourages them to understand the main purpose of the project (its rudimentary function) but also explore potential project extensions. Giving students a simple example also helps them gain some initial confidence since many can quickly identify potential improvements.

Another example could be constraint-based examples. These would most likely be shown at the end of a project for advanced learners. These examples would show what can be done under a specific limitation, such as using a particular material, a time constraint, or a specific technique. This could keep students who complete projects early engaged and challenged!

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I love the constraint-based example you shared. It starts to go into design thinking and sustainability!

One thing that is incredibly challenging is meeting the learner where they are at. Having a diverse set of examples can serve a variety of learner needs, but they also can be a lot for educators to prepare them, to present them in a timely way during the learning experience, to provide multiple pathways (wide walls), and to reach a goal of everyone achieving the same thing at the same time. It can be overwhelming, especially in classrooms.

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I think constraint-based examples are super handy. I used to struggle with managing lesson time for STEM crafts, especially when working with different grade levels. Some students would finish too quickly, while others wouldn’t have enough time. A good compromise I found was keeping a handy list of potential extensions, modifications, or questions to engage early finishers.

One example was an activity where students made buildings using marshmallows and toothpicks. While some were still brainstorming and starting their creations, others finished quickly and lost interest. To re-engage them, I encouraged them to build additional structures—like a bridge—to make a city. This helped reengage them while not discouraging other learners!

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